EA Sports MMA (Xbox 360) Preview

Posted by Trace Aber on 11.12.2009

411's Trace Aber gets a first look at EA Sports' first foray into the world of mixed martial arts. Check out all the latest details on the game inside!



When it was first announced in June earlier this year, EA Sports MMA caused quite a stir among some people. And by some people I mean specifically Dana White, who threatened to blacklist any fighter who signed on the new game from the UFC. While Dana has seemingly calmed down (or at least kept his mouth shut), there has still been a bit of mystery as to just what EA's first attempt into the MMA world look, feel, and, most importantly, play like. Over the weekend I was fortunate enough to attend a press event held in Chicago at the Sears Centre (the same place the Strikeforce event was held at on Saturday) and there's only one word to describe it – wow.

The event started off with the announcements that you've all heard by now. Recently announced Jake Shields, Brett Rogers, Big Jon McCarthy were there, along with Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal. In addition to the new signings it was also announced that Strikeforce would be the flagship promotion in the game according to Executive Producer Dale Jackson. Scott Coker, founder of Strikeforce, was also there. He said he was very excited about the game and that Dale was a huge MMA fan, giving some hope that they actually know what they're doing. Dale later stated that a few members on the team also train for MMA and are all extremely passionate about the sport, even before signing onto the game. It was also announced that Mauro Ranallo and Frank Shamrock would be providing commentary for the game.

After all of the anticipation and warnings to not record any footage of the game (unless we dare challenge Big Jon McCarthy), we were showed some images from the game. The first image was the fighter model of one Fedor Emelianenko. His model was insanely detailed and even had the scar from his fight against Nogueira. Brett Rogers was also shown, who looked similarly impressive. Tiburon, the studio working on the game, managed to get every little detail of the models down perfectly, to where they almost felt alive. And by that I mean Fedor Emelianenko looked terrifying. Jackson made note that while graphics are the foundation of the presentation, but not the most important aspect of the game. We would soon learn that he meant that.


The presentation and arenas look top notch

When they showed us actual gameplay it consisted of some sequences between Rogers and Fedor. One of the biggest complaints that I had after THQ's Undisputed was the robotic feel of the game. I can assure you that EA Sports MMA will be much more fluid and lifelike. Tiburon has added some great subtleties that really make the game that much better. First off, timing and position is everything in this game. They showed Fedor trying to takedown Rogers and the variety of outcomes from that position – we saw Rogers knee Fedor in the face, Fedor get caught and punched down, Fedor caught and taken down, Fedor caught and pushed off, and Fedor simply getting the take down. And there's this large of a number of outcomes from nearly every position – the only thing that matters is timing and position.

Jackson repeated the idea that this game is about authenticity, meaning that you can fight the fight how you want to. If you want to keep the fight on the ground, you can take the guy down from nearly every position. Want to strike? You can do that too, no matter where you start from. Reactions will also change throughout the fight. They showed Fedor kicking Rogers in the leg early in the fight and he barely moved, though the same leg kick later on and Rogers nearly collapsed. Jackson also mentioned that there would be no control loss in the game, meaning fighters can hit and be hit at the same time, something that ruined many a fight in Undisputed. They are working on a completely original counter and parry system, which promises to give players the most realistic control there is. While they didn't talk too much about the control of the game, they did promise that players would be able to configure it any way they want. Transitions and ground game is pretty much up in the air as far as controls go, though Jackson did say striking would be done through the right analog stick. The artificial intelligence in the game seems much improved over THQ's game, with the fighters constantly being aware of their position. If Fedor and Rogers were distanced from one another they would keep their hands down, but as soon as they got close the hands were up in defense.


The number one reason why I love professional wrestling and MMA: Awkward pictures

The engine of the game is a heavily modified Fight Night 4 engine, along with elements of Tiburon's other sports games. Like in FN4, each fighter will be a completely individual fighter with their own strategy. When asked if the lesser-known fighters will still be individualized Jackson admitted that while it was a difficult task, it was still possible and they were aiming for authenticity.

Not much was revealed about the various modes in the game, though some details were released. While a career mode was announced, Jackson was very sparse on the information given. Screenshots were shown of dojos, gyms and training rings, however, meaning we will probably be able to send our fighter across the world to train in their specific style. Rings and cages (both octagon and circular) were also shown, meaning there will be plenty of arenas to fight in. Jackson said he was not sure if they would include a women's division, but did say they were looking into it.

One of the more interesting things said throughout the event was that the game was not about any particular company of league – it was about the sport of MMA. Featuring multiple leagues, locations around the world, the ability to fight in both rings and cages, and some of the most realistic grappling I've seen, it's hard to argue. Dale Jackson told the press that competition drives them to make the best product out there and that's exactly what has happened here. King Mo said that he honestly believes that playing this game could be a great way to learn the basic concepts of MMA. He joked about how he won a fight in Undisputed with Rampage Jackson using a flying armbar and asked when Jackson ever won like that (never, by the way).


Even though the game looks great, by its release in 2010 it should look and play even better

Though the only release date given was sometime in 2010, a lot of promise was shown and it looks to be the most authentic representation of MMA ever. While there may not be as many well-known fighters, hardcore MMA fans and those looking for a realistic MMA simulator should keep their eye out as the game approaches release.