Over the years, I have been putting the UFC video game titles in the same spot as WWE games. Not because of their over-the-top tough guys, or the ridiculous atmosphere of fans screaming for blood. None of that connects. The bridge I built between the two titles is based on controls and fun gameplay. Both games are notorious for asking their players to master the controls and memorize flicks and combos to get the best possible results in the ring. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy a good challenge, but a fighting game, regardless of how professional or scripted it might be, needs to be simple and intuitive in its design to get the maximum enjoyment out of it. Well, I think UFC 6 from EA Sports might have been the first to cross that bridge from complicated to fun.
UFC 6 brings refined gameplay to the forefront, requiring your strategy rather than your reaction and button-memorization skills. It goes beyond its feisty and demanding control scheme to deliver a natural, free-flowing experience that puts the player’s attention squarely on the match, which is a huge plus in my eyes. Mastering the design of the gameplay flow while introducing new ways to play means UFC 6 is a nice step forward compared to past attempts.
The gameplay for UFC 6 starts with tiers – training and fighting. The training portion of the game is refined enough to enjoy and not feel like an overbearing tutorial of sorts. Learning new moves relevant to a fighter’s style helps to build player confidence when applying them to real matches. For me, just starting on this level of improvement gave me a preview of what to expect during fights and how EA Sports concentrated more on intuitive control flow during a match, rather than some weird Mortal Kombat multi-button miracle push that pulled off devastating combinations. In short, the training focused on getting me used to the fighting without requiring me to cognitively connect with a thousand moves. It’s a slow build that works and is meant to get the player comfortable with the learning process. In that respect, it’s amazing.
Now, once training is done, and scores are given to see how the player’s character improved, fight contracts are offered to the player. These contracts are simple, a cool transition to fights, and help give some indication of how the UFC business works. At the very least, it provides some in-depth realism to the UFC process that puts the player into the shoes of their fighters.
Occasionally, during this contract process, UFC 6 leans the way of Madden NFL, where agents, league leaders, such as Dana White, play into the decisions of how a character is built. It’s a slight dose of branching narrative, where people talk to the player’s character, who gives answers the best way they can to improve their UFC success chances. This portion of the game brings in a light political underbelly, though in a minimal way, where certain responses prompt certain reactions. Does it affect the gameplay enough to make this a more challenging and logical strategic gameplay element? Not at all, but it adds enough intrigue to help push the player into the game’s world, which is what you want. EA wants their players to be engulfed in this league and game, and adding moments for somewhat meaningless branching narrative choices helps to do just that, as it builds some player agency into the gameplay process. Anyway, once a contract is signed, all parties finish their chitter-chatter, then the fighting begins.
The fighting is immensely improved in this year’s UFC title. It feels good, meaningful, and powerful. The first time I stepped into the octagon with another fighter, it reminded me of the fragility of UFC’s fighting nature, as missing a block or doing too much to exhaust my character meant that I was leaving my guy open for an easy knockout. And it was a first-round kick that got my guy to collapse like wet broccoli on a plate and make me understand why strategy in a UFC game is vital for success.
During my second go around, I started to understand why the simple training was important, as was the need for finding an opening when the time was right. After blocking several times, then landing a wicked combination of punches and kicks, I sent my opponent to the floor. I was impressed with how this process felt, and how it got me to think strategically, while at the same time allowing me to let loose when the time was right. It felt like returning to a good 90s fighting game, where smashing your opponent’s face was more important than trying to pull off the ultimate combo. This year’s UFC game made fighting feel good, easy, and something I wanted to continue to the next match. The controls in the game were the most impressive during this process.
EA Sports simplified the fighting with easy button mashing, while also complicating it a smidge with figuring out patterns and opponent moves. It was easy to move out of the way of the opponent’s offense, and even easier when I found my character on the mat struggling to get up and break out of a hold. Everything felt intuitive and simple, which meant I could focus on having fun with this game. In the end, the easy controls led to my constant return from failed fights and motivated me to return repeatedly. I can’t remember the last time I had this much fun with a fighting game not called Street Fighter. It has been a long while.
Staying with controls for a second, EA Sports added a new feature in UFC 6 called Flow States. Playing off the strengths of the player’s fighter, and using their positives to force opponent negatives consistently, the game will go into a slower and more powerful flowing state of fighting. This means that more damage can be done to the opponent and more precise hits can be made more easily. It’s a neat mode on paper, and it works when the player is on a roll with their opponent, because there is nothing like finishing a fight on a high note.
The problem with this state is that, while it’s certainly earned by the player for their performance, it slows down the gameplay and almost disrupts it in a way. Getting on a roll with kicks, punches, and getting opponents on the mat in a brutal way is fun as hell. When Flow States kick in, it wedges itself in that gameplay flow and pumps the brakes a bit with the gameplay. It’s a neat idea that works more than it doesn’t, but it’s not as exciting as just keeping the fight going without interruption. I do understand this is a reward state activated by the successful efforts of the player and their understanding/learning of their character’s strengths. I get it, and in that respect, it’s a fantastic gameplay reward. It just kills the flow a bit. Anyhoo, it’s a good reward that has a big payoff in fights, but the way it is presented and executed just slows the gameplay down a smidge.
Speaking of execution, I love how the fighting feels in UFC 6. It feels impactful as hell and simulates how brutal a fist fight (or grapple) can get quickly. Hitting someone is fine, but nailing someone in the right spot at the right time during a fight is made gorgeously obvious with sound and controller feel. It makes the experience real and ups the adrenaline dose pumping through one’s veins during a fight. It’s a high-sensation value moment when punches, kicks, and knockouts hit at the right time. Upping the ante on various impact moments with offense was the right move to make the player feel not only in control of the fight, but also feel like they’re getting better as their character’s career continues. In short, it’s exciting to feel fights and differences with successfully executed offensive moments in fights.
With fighting and training aside, what else does this game offer? Good question. Let’s get right into it.
Beyond the main career mode in UFC 6, it also brings The Legacy, The Gym, and Hall of Legends modes. The Legacy is more of a narrative journey that offers a more linear experience driven by story. Playing off the legacy of a past fighter, the player takes control of Chris Carter, who hopes to build a legacy of his own in the octagon. This mode is a slight change of pace with less player agency in the mix, but it does offer a different experience that is comparable to any Madden NFL story mode. It’s a good departure, but only if you’re no longer interested in a wild west fighting experience with the Career Mode.
As for the other modes, The Gym is fine. It’s a bit mundane in its execution and offers less fun when compared to The Legacy and Career modes. It’s essentially a manager mode for UFC gaming. Juggling rosters and customizing fighters happens in this mode, and it’s good for anyone who enjoys that managing gaming aspect. For me, it felt like something I wouldn’t return to as often as the other modes. I don’t like putting that much work into my gameplay.
As for the last mode, Hall of Legends, it’s meant to be a more connected mode for fans of the sport. It’s comparable to MLB The Show’s Diamond Dynasty and Storylines modes, where players get to learn some history of their favorite fighters, experience some moments, and go on a deeper dive into the sport. It’s a great advertising tool for UFC, which needs it badly right now, and makes the sport more than kicking, punching, and grappling. In other words, it’s a solid mode with good intentions.
Overall, UFC 6 is driven by improved controls and fun fighting that puts the player right into the mix of things without requiring them to take a 16-week fighting course to learn moves. It’s one of the more accessible and fun UFC experiences I have had over the years. That’s a big plus in my book.
On that sweet note, let’s wrap up this review.
Conclusion
UFC 6 from EA Sports is a fun improvement on many levels from previous releases in the series. It’s easier to get into, exciting to play, and offers enough modes to make this a long-term experience.
