‘This is where champions are made’

EA have really been way ahead of all the competition when it comes to boxing games, their fight night franchise has far out sold any other game of its kind and with FNR4 as a sequel it looks like they are set to continue. This is EA’s 4th installment of fight night and they have raised the bar once again.

Graphics and Presentation

This edition of fight night has yet again continued its excellence in terms of graphics. While there isn’t a huge number of sceneries or different environments to see the boxers in (it is mainly a boxing ring or a gym), it’s the boxers themselves that really stand out. The two boxers spearheading the game, Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson, are almost identical to their prior selves when they were in their prime.

Other famous boxers such as George Foreman, Marvin Hagler and Ray Robinson are equally well made in their appearance. Another top factor within the graphics engine of this game is the attention to detail, you can literally see every muscle striation when a boxer strains to throw a punch, every bead of sweat that drips from their head and every wrinkle on their face when they’re hit by a shuddering blow.

The level of muscle definition for each individual boxer is also spot on, they haven’t just beefed up all the boxers to make them look big and strong, they’ve looked in-depth at each boxer and designed them the way they were. The gloves, shorts and robes are also as good as you could want, with each boxer having their specific outfit from one of their big fights.

Sound

The sound can be looked at in two ways on FNR4. The in game sounds, refer to the punches being thrown, landing and being blocked are average. They are slightly over exaggerated as you would expect but they are too film like for the majority of boxing fans, still fun to hear nonetheless.

The songs EA have chosen on the other hand are again spot on. They are a mixture of motivational songs which really get you into a boxing frame of mind, making you want to train and become as good a boxer as you can. With a large number of songs to choose from you’re likely to find something that you like, but if you don’t there is the option to put your own music on the game and edit the play list which is always useful.

Gameplay

The gameplay is just as good as you would expect and follows on from the successful engine that FNR3 had. With the introduction of the new ‘total punch control’ system you will get a much more realistic feeling of actually throwing the punches yourself. While it is a well thought out idea, it does take some getting used to.

It can be hard to distinguish between a hook and an uppercut sometimes, especially if your controller is a little worn down. Once you get the hang of it though you will feel like you’re throwing combinations with ease. The movement of the characters is very realistic, for instance you will notice instantly the difference between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman in terms of their foot speed, as they are so different in that area. The same goes for any other stats that is far apart, such as hand speed or their ability to not swell.

The blocking and dodging system is again very well constructed, with the ability to counter punch being a very useful weapon in any boxers arsenal, both dodging and blocking allow you to use this against your opponent. By dodging a punch and throwing the right punch at the time you can maximise the amount of damage done to your opponent; the same goes for blocking a punch. The mechanics are well thought out and work really well. If you sway left and dodge a punch, a left hook will do more damage than a right hook, as you will have more momentum when you go to throw the punch.

The judges are what let this game down in terms of its gameplay. They will judge a round very effectively, almost machine like in terms of punches thrown/landed and damage done, and they will pick up on when a round should be given as a draw, but the big downfall is their inability to take knockdowns out of the equation.

If you gain a knockdown, you will win the round 10-8 regardless of what else happens unless the other boxer also gains a knockdown. So if you’re all over your opponent for 2 minutes and 50 seconds of the 3 minute round, but they score a lucky knockdown, they will win that round 10-8, which is an issue that needs to be addressed in the next fight night game.

The ‘Legacy’ mode is brilliant in terms of how much detail you can put into your boxer. You can train them to be the type of boxer you want them to be, whether that be a counter-puncher, power-puncher or a slugger, you can control every aspect of how they do in their boxing career.

Closing Comments

Fight Night Round 4 is an immense game. Its closeness to actual boxing is second to none and should please any boxing/gaming fan out there. EA will be hard pushed to better the game when the next one is due out. 

Daniel Baker