Being a very old school Fight Night Round fan as well as a boxing fan and having won $150 on bet365 in the recently mega hyped Manny Pacquio vs. Hatton match while at the same time having the [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTiwRd_cBbQ"]HBO 24/7 Boxing theme[/ame] stuck in my head that my friends and I had been listening to for almost a week prior to the big match up thus all added to my anticipation for the fourth sequel considering it had the two new welterweight fighters well as Mike Tyson.
Those who love the franchise already know that this is by far one of the most gruesome looking boxing games you will witness. What’s better than two big heavy sweaty men furiously going at it while, breathing heavily into each others face followed by each powerful haymaker that lands and sends the swirling spit from his mouth? I personally can confirm with my utmost confidence that its one of the most beautiful things you will ever see in a sports game. Forget UFC, forget those cocky wrestling games, this here is the real deal folks where skill, precession, endurance, timing and fast reflexes are your friend and foe.
Gameplay
If there is one thing that the Fight Night Round franchise is known for its the great game play at the core hidden under all the glitz and glamour. FNR4 does many things differently first being the obvious which was getting rid of the buttons entirely as I personally found those who used buttons to put it in good words 'cheat' their way to victory by button mashing really fast jabs. Everything now seems to be more balanced and the game is actually played the way it’s meant to be played via the thumb sticks, so this makes the game a lot more balanced especially online.
What really sets FNR 4 apart from its predecessors is the new physics engine which really gets you up-close to the fighter in a way that we’ve never seen before. Your ability to literally throw punches under your opponent’s hands/blocks makes it quiet revolutionary. There is a sense of connection between the two boxers as you are really able to penetrate your punches inside & out while at the same time trying to maintain your balance and disrupting your opponents. A variety of punch types are assigned to appropriate directions on the right stick, so punches are assigned towards the side of the body you want to hit just like the previous FNR games but remember FNR4 is definitely much harder and has a much higher learning curve than FNR3 which I found to be a rather easy game.
The biggest draw in the solo campaign is obviously going to be the Legacy mode where you create your own boxer or already choose an existing boxer like Ali and fight your way up the ladder to become the champion, you than train your fighter, organize different matches, some fighters will challenge you for titles etc. I haven’t played the game enough since I’ve only had it for a day to really see what the legacy mode is like. So far it’s been pretty decent but nothing out of the ordinary. I still think that this game is meant to be played with friends and online more than as a single player.
Sound
Sports game commentaries aren’t that spectacular and FNR4’s commentary isn’t that fantastic either but it’s relatively much better than any other sports game commentaries that you’ve listened to. In fact it’s rather quiet identical to FNR3’s commentary so we can’t really complain about that, but what’s really great to listen to is the heavy breathing and sounds that boxers make when literally up close to each other thanks to the new engine which make it a very immersive experience.
Graphics
Simply put Fight Night Round 4 has by far the best character models created in a videogame to date and if that’s not enough you’ll be amazed at the new physics engine. There is no stopping you from completely breaking your opponents frontline bulwark defense and getting into his teeth. No force fields, no shields, no invisible barriers, its just good old fashioned brawl.
Skin tones, height, sweat, breathing are all made to such detail that I wouldn’t be surprised when you walk down the uncanny valley. Dramatic improvements to animations over its predecessors seem a lot more convincing and pretty authentic and real. The busted faces are still fairly comical but in a good way. There is one fun element in the game that you should look out for, If you have the Xbox 360 Live webcam you can even create a boxer that looks like you although you need to spend some time detailing your character but its still pretty convincing and quiet fun. I am not sure about this feature on the Playstation version but I am sure that it should be there if you have the PS3 cam. So yea you can look like a big hairy muscular guy if you so want or make yourself look quiet feminine depending on how you want to look (we’ll just keep these personal ideas to ourselves). Definitely the best use of the Live cam that I have seen in a game. The arena details are really good to and all the major arena's like the MGM Grand in Las Vegas are there and fantastic to look at.
Conclusion
There really isn't much to say here other than if your a fighting game fan or are an avid supporter of the FNR franchise and like the good old human competition you owe it yourself to play this game. I can confidently say that its one of the most deepest fighting games that you will play and which ever way you play you will soon find out that its one of the most intense, heartpounding fighting games out there. From its technical excellence to the core gameplay and the newly revamped Physics engine its a package that rest assured you won't be dissapointed with given that you take the time out and go beyond the hefty learning curve.
UPDATE:- I've just discovered that EA completely Omitted two Major high caliber boxers which is fairly disappointing if your a boxing fan. EA omitted both Oscar De Lay Hoya (The Golden Boy) as well as the current undefeated Welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. for some odd reason
-----
Gameplay-- 9/10
Graphics-- 10/10
Sound--9/10
Over experience-- 9/10
Last edited:
