Author Topic: [Video Game] Fight Night Round 4  (Read 3269 times)

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Offline setrataeso

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[Video Game] Fight Night Round 4
« on: July 29, 2009, 10:55:29 PM »
Name: Fight Night Round 4
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: EA Canada/ EA Sports
Genre: Sports (boxing)/Fighting

I don't envy sequels in any way, nor do I envy the developers. Think of sequels this year that will have to outdo their spectacular predecessors: Modern Warfare 2, Assassin's Creed 2, Left 4 Dead 2, Bioshock 2 (in 2010). These all had remarkable opening games, and now the developers are in a position where they must place an unenviable amount of money and manpower into making an even better experience. Now, Fight Night Round 3 is one the most important games of this generation of consoles. It showed the public what potential these new consoles had in terms of horsepower, innovative ideas, and new gameplay mechanics. Fight Night Round 3 was a smash success, and despite being only the 3rd game in a sports series, it would become one of EA Sports' most well-known and loved games. EA Canada is back with Fight Night Round 4, the sequel to 2005's Round 3. Is it what we've been waiting for? Read on to find out...

The Fight Night series is not a yearly franchise like Madden or FIFA. Round 3 came out in 2006 when the Xbox 360 launched, and it had taken over 3 years to make the sequel. Because it isn't a yearly adaptation, EA Canada can focus less on roster updates and take further steps into boosting the prowess of the game and adding all sorts of new innovations.

Graphics
The game is simply stunning. The big addition to the series in this edition is the new physics system that adds further detail to the animation and responses of each character. Jab your foe in the stomach, his abs tense up. Hook him across the jaw, you'll be able to see every little speck of sweat spray off of him. That's not to take away the shine from the models themselves. The most life-like representations of 50 famous boxers can be found in Fight Night Round 4. The body shapes, the size of different boxers; it's almost scary how realistic it looks. One of the coolest moments in fights is when you knock out the opponent. Whenever this occurs the game plays a quick slow-mo replay of the KO in stunning detail. These replays allow you to see the opponent's cheeks wobble, the eyes roll, and the mouthguard fly as you watch how advanced this physics system truly is. The character creation system is also very robust, with the new addition of Photo Gameface added for the first time in the Fight Night franchise.
1/1

Audio
The audio may not hit you as hard as the visuals do, but they are still very well done. The commentary is certainly commendable with Joe Tessitore and Teddy Atlas adding their personalities to fights. The commentary is not perfect as not every comment is useful, and you will start to notice quips repeating after playing for a while. Still, they got the two best guys for the job, so I'll let those issues slide. The soundtrack is composed almost entirely of hip-hop and rap. While those particular genres of music are not my area of expertise, I actually found myself enjoying the music after a while. The soundtrack feel much more "underground" than many other game soundtracks, with no radio hits and a surprising amount of boxing-themed songs. But I dug it, which what I suppose matters. The in-game sound effects are pretty excellent, too. The punches all sound clean and the grunts appropriately manly. The crowd noise is superbly done, as you can actually hear individual audience members shouting things during the match, and depending on how good of a boxer you are, you'll play in smaller arenas or big arenas, with fans that will cheer for or against you.
1/1

AI
As previously mentioned, 50 boxers are available to play as or against and are all represented accurately. When I say that I don't only mean visually but also how they box. Someone like Ali with a long reach will play an outside game and keep his distance, focusing on straights and jabs. Whereas, a boxer like Tyson, who has a shorter reach, will play an inside game, using hooks and uppercuts to his advantage. Each boxer will have his own intricacies to how they stand, block, and punch. In addition, they will change their style on the fly if their losing, or to just throw you off your game. Suddenly, your opponent is playing a very offensive game whereas before he was holding his ground. It's moments like these that make the game feel tactile and keep the fights interesting.
1/1

Variety
At this point, I expected Fight Night Round 4 to blow me away with it's immense amount of modes and fighting styles, keeping the game fresh at all times. The game succeeds on half of this hope I had: it remains fresh no matter how long you play it. The amount of modes and fighting intricacies is underwhelming. Let's face it: I have to be harsher on a game that takes 3 years to develop. I expect big changes, something groundbreaking. That's not quite what we get. The modes take a bit of a step up, but not much. The notable addition to the modes is the online mode that is far more robust this time around. The usual modes are still here and are as lengthy and in-depth as you could ask for. The gameplay is varied for the first little while playing the game. Eventually, you'll discover certain moves that work better than others and you will often use, exclusively, those particular combos. It's errors like these that make the variety in the game feel lacking. Sure, there is more and it works fine, but I just don't feel it's enough to warrant the 3 year wait.
0.5/1

Value
EA Sports knows how to make their games last. They have never had problems getting people to play their games for years. For most franchises, take Madden for instance, EA has to give the gamers the opportunity to keep playing football for a year until the next iteration is released. With Fight Night, it's more challenging, as EA now needs to make this last not 1, but 3 years. If it takes as long to make Round 5, then EA had better make Fight Night Round 4 last that long. Which all the more surprising that I think it will. In the 3-4 weeks I've been playing Round 4, I haven't gotten bored yet. The different modes are all built to last. You can become the Greatest Of All Time in Legacy mode and still be trying to defend your title time after time; and it doesn't get old! The modes are all just so robust and deep that it feels wrong saying that Round 4 is anything short of value steal.
1/1

Innovation
I've already been over some of the new additions, but I'll go over them again for the reader's benefit:
Photo Gameface - Useful addition, and very accurate. I didn't use it, but take a look on youtube for some of the creations they've made.
Reworked physics-based animations - Seeing in real-time your punches affect your foe is pretty astounding
Reworked online modes - Pretty much necessary, but still a welcome addition.
Tweaked controls - Not overly shocking. you still use the thumbstick to punch, and it doesn't feel very different.
50 playable characters - Roster updates are mandatory in EA Sports games. But being able to play as Ali is worth it.
New Legacy Mode - Not all of the changes are welcome here. The training exercises are pretty weak.

That's basically the extent of what is new to the game, smaller tweaks aside. The problem here isn't the quantity; it's the quality. All of these additions are quite competent in their own right, but looking at it through the eyes of a fan waiting 3 years to play this game it's kind of disappointing that the biggest addition is that sweat now flies off your boxer in real-time.
0.5/1

Presentation
There is no particular story in the game other than the fact that you want to become the greatest of all time. Pretty standard appeal for a boxer to do so, and it's your mission to get yourself to the top to win and defend championships. The style of the game is seen wherever you turn. The menus all feature classic boxing matchup font, and the interface is easy to read and unintrusive. The legacy mode menus may take some getting used to when navigating, but they fit a lot into those screens. This is very much a reading-centric game. You will constantly be reading emails, stats, and award nominations in between fights. Not to say it's a bad thing, but be warned that you will lose a significant chunk of the game's life if you skip these details.
1/1

Difficulty
As with most sports games, you choose between a variety of difficulty settings when beginning your career, but can change at any time after that. Even with the standard difficulty setting marking how hard the game will get, the difficulty can shift during fights on the fly. Certain opponents are going to be a cakewalk to beat, and others will seem to out-box you in every round. The game never gets frustrating, as it just requires some fighting alterations to be made to throw off your opponent's game. There isn't much to complain about, as the game falls into that sweet zone of challenging without frustration. And even if it becomes too hard or easy, it's just a simple matter of changing difficulty.
1/1

Gameplay
The controls are handled very well in the game. All punches are handled with the right thumbstick. Straight punches and jabs are done by flicking it to a certain side and your boxer will respond on screen. Rotating in the right areas will cause your boxer to perform hooks or uppercuts. Your power hits, the haymakers, are handled by punching with right bumper held. Movement is handled with the left thumbstick. The A button performs signature moves, the B button performs illegal blows, like headbutts. The Y button is for clinching and the X button is for pushing. The left and right triggers controls leaning and blocking, respectively. This may seem like a lot, but it's very simple in comparison to other fighting games which have ridiculous combos to pull off. All combos are handled by mixing up punches with haymakers, and leaning and blocking at the right times to get counters in there. There are numerous fighting styles and stances, different signature moves to use, and all kinds of ways to fight. The gameplay shines because of its depth, yet remains simple and intuitive.
1/1

Fun
What worked:
+ deep, yet accessible fighting system
+ robust modes
+ tremendous visuals and sound
+ incredible value

What did not work:
- lackluster innovation
- more modes needed

The game is a thinking sport. Sure you can get pretty far by wailing on buttons and mashing away with punches, but you feel far more satisfied when you plan out a strategic combo and successfully execute it and KO your opponent. The fun comes from many places, though. It comes from making your boxer and leading him through the ranks; it comes from watching a KO in slow-mo again and again; it comes from pitting Ali against Foreman and making history, again. That's when you know a game is great: when you can't pinpoint where the fun is coming from, but you know it's there.
1/1

Fight Night Round 4 does what few games can do: outplay it's predecessor in all categories to become an all around better game. The visuals are superb, the sound is great, the value is unbeatable, and the gameplay is deep and rewarding. Perhaps Round 5 will prove to be an even better opponent than Round 4 but it's looking less likely every time I turn on the game. Had Ea Canada spent more of the 3 years of development time working on bringing more new ideas, we would have an instant classic on our hands. While I hesitate to this game a classic just yet, I will certainly be playing this come years end and is absolutely on my list of Game of the Year candidates. Get this game now and enjoy!

9/10
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Setra, I think that is the best statement I have read on this forum.  Very well said.

Offline sneakyblueberry

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Re: [Video Game] Fight Night Round 4
« Reply #1 on: October 16, 2009, 09:58:09 PM »
I found that this game was really just all about the counter-punches.  All you really need to do is bob and weave and wait for the right moment to unleash a counter punch.  Made the replay value suffer a little, but overall its an entertaining game.  Nice review!

Offline setrataeso

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Re: [Video Game] Fight Night Round 4
« Reply #2 on: October 17, 2009, 02:34:19 PM »
Holy review resurrection Batman!
I found uppercuts were the real ticket for me. It depends on your arm length though...
NEW REVIEW: Lady Gaga - Born This Way
https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=25343.0

Setra, I think that is the best statement I have read on this forum.  Very well said.

Offline sneakyblueberry

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Re: [Video Game] Fight Night Round 4
« Reply #3 on: October 17, 2009, 06:12:56 PM »
Yeah, but miss an uppercut and its game over if the other guy connects a counter punch.  I liked to use guys with a shorter reach and fight on the inside. 

Offline setrataeso

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Re: [Video Game] Fight Night Round 4
« Reply #4 on: October 17, 2009, 09:31:55 PM »
Yeah, but miss an uppercut and its game over if the other guy connects a counter punch.  I liked to use guys with a shorter reach and fight on the inside. 

Interesting strategy. I change up my playing style for every installment of a series. So the way I played FNR4 is different than how i played #3.
NEW REVIEW: Lady Gaga - Born This Way
https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=25343.0

Setra, I think that is the best statement I have read on this forum.  Very well said.