Review: Fight Night Round 4

My own career as a schoolyard pugilist doesn't make for happy reading. I was routinely defeated by much lighter opponents due to my reluctance to punch people in the face. That's something that has stayed with me as much of my Fight Night Round 4 strategy relies on wearing an opponent down with body blows before finally overcoming my scruples and laying them out cold.

One of Fight Night's major strengths is the variety with which you can succeed in the game. In these days of linear storylines and one way to win philosophy FNR4's openness to experimentation is refreshing. There is no particular right way of doing things - your success in the game's career mode is a combination of choices in character creation, training and fighting style.

The trick is to build a fighter that fits your boxing style or alternatively develop a fighting style that plays to the strength of the character you have created. I favour the latter approach - building a pugilist via the gameface system that resembled my own lardy carriage as much as possible. It was then possible to disgust my wife with the site of seeing my own face beaten into a pulp by a collection of the 20th century's finest convicted criminals/sportsmen.

Get in the Ring

The centrepiece of Fight Night Round 4 is two blokes knocking seven shades of thingy out of each other and this, thankfully, works very well indeed. The visual feedback of pain, suffering and exhaustion is so well communicated that its worth turning off the game's HUD. What you are then left with is an oddly beautiful recreation of sporting violence that is incredibly impressive in technical and artistic terms.

Compared to the previous game in the series first impressions aren't of much progression in graphical finesse, but play reveals the nuances that make this a much better game than its predecessor. The boxer movement is much better - dodging, ducking and weaving is much more natural and collision detection when punching seems vastly improved.

Difficulty in career mode is beautifully weighted. You may be able to slug your way through the first few fights but you'll have to learn patience and restraint to rise the ranks. Opponent AI is well crafted - giving each combatant a different style that means you'll have to think your way to victory as much as power your way. There's the occasional delight in standing tow-to-tow with an opponent whose style seems to completely nullify your usual approach resulting in a hasty rethink if you're not to be tasting canvas in short order.

Breakdown

The combat is lovingly crafted and a joy to play much of the time but it isn't without its faults. For a game that prides itself on the recreation of the sport as it really is the over-reliance of counter-punches and blocks doesn't sit very well. Plenty of success can be found by merely waiting for your opponent to strike and counter the punch for er... massive damage. Such videogame conventions are all very well if you're the sort of person who wants to watch two tattooed criminals fight in a cage on a cable channel but boxing is a noble art and not real-world Tekken for the chav generation.

Astonishingly EA chose to ship the game without giving the option to use the controller face button for punching. We're told the option will be added at a later date but this really isn't good enough. The stick punch control is pretty good but not to everyone's taste and often makes training rather difficult.

And while we're at home to Mr Critical it's worth noting that the menu system for the career mode is an absolute mess. The contrast to the stunning fight graphics couldn't me stronger as you sit in front of what appears to be an Excel spreadsheet constantly telling the console "no I don't want to simulate the next bit." Perhaps the members of the team responsible for this ugly and uninvolving set of screens were aware of their poor show and that is why the player is sop often offered an opportunity to let the console make the choices and fling you on into the next bout.

Yes the career mode is a lot of fun thanks to the role-playing character levelling elements and the almost perfect difficulty curve, but it is very nearly derailed by the clunky menu system you have to fiddle with while arranging fights and training.

Seconds Out

Minor points such as poor commentary, the glorification of a convicted rapist, major fighter omissions and the usual need to put your scruples on hold to enjoy a sport that seems to live in the gutter don't detract from what is a very strong release from EA Sports.

Whatever problems the game may have are peripheral. The action in the ring is never short of brilliant. For fans of the sport it really does represent a loving recreation of the skills and strategies required for victory - and reservations about the role of counter-punching aside - Fight Night Round 4 is really very good indeed.