GamePro Enters the Octagon with UFC 2009 Undisputed!

By The GamePros
May 14, 2009 12:41 PM PST
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The GamePros have been playing Undisputed pretty much non-stop since it came into the office for review and it's just as good as Caleb Newby (he reviewed the game) says. But while Caleb does a great job explaining the nuances of the game, we thought it'd be interesting to record two matches to show you what the game has to offer. So watch the video then read the accompanying play-by-play to get a better idea of how one fighter put the hurting on the other!

The upcoming UFC 98 event has a ton of awesome fights on the card but two are especially worth watching. Here, we're recreating a bout between two accomplished Welterweight fighters in a test of wills. Watch the video to see the game in action then read the play by play (written from Review Editor Tae K. Kim's perspective) for a deeper understanding of what happened. Our suggestion is that as you read the play-by-play, you skip to the corresponding time in the video and watch the action as it plays out.

Here, Travis and I are fighting in the welterweight division. I am fighting out of the blue corner as Matt Hughes while Travis is coming out of the red corner as Matt Serra. Hopefully, the real bout at UFC 98 will last a little longer than the one you're about to see.

Our fight is a relatively short one but it clearly demonstrates the unpredictability of MMA bouts. It isn't uncommon to have bouts end suddenly on a one punch knockout or early submission attempt.

But let's start with the beginning of the video which clearly shows off the attention to detail that the developers put into Undisputed. Anyone who's watched a real UFC event will tell you that the pre-fight introduction is spot on. The look and feel of it is very realistic; the presence of the beautiful Arianny Celeste doesn't hurt either.

1:26
As the bout starts, you can see Travis and I feeling each other out. We exchange a couple of experimental punches and kicks. It's dangerous to rush in and open up to attack; that's the surest way to get a fist or a foot to the face.

1:36
Travis gets in close and throws a low leg kick. While they're not as explosive as high kicks to the head, low kicks can slowly wear away your opponent's stamina and weaken their defenses.

1:40
After getting in a couple of punches to the head, Travis gets me in a standing clinch by flicking the right stick towards me. From here, Travis has several options. He can try for a takedown, he can pull me to the ground in a guard position or he can try and throw me. Each fighting style has its own set of moves and knowing what your fighter is capable is key. Here, I reverse Travis double-arm underhook but Travis alertly takes me to the ground and puts me in a guard position. While I am in the dominant stance, Travis hooks my neck and keeps me from delivering anything worthwhile.

1:47
After throwing a couple of weak punches, I manage to break Travis' guard and get into a top mount. This is a great position for me to be in. From here, I can rain down blows. I can slowly work my way into an even more advantageous position by working myself past Travis' legs; Travis can also pull me back down into a guard position and either work a reverse to get into a dominant stance or push me away and return to a standing position.

1:53
After absorbing a couple of blows to the face and mid-section, Travis decides to go for a submission attempt to try and block my top mount assault. By clicking in the R3 button and timing it correctly, he intercepts my punch and tries to lock me into an arm bar.

2:00
At this point, both Travis and I are twirling the right analog stick on our controllers. Travis is trying to initiate a technique submission while I am trying to initiate a technique break. If I am successful, I will deny Travis' attempt at a submission hold and end up in a favorable position (in this case, a side mount). I could have also pounded on the face buttons and tried to brute force my way out of the hold. But as you can see, Travis is quicker on the draw and he locks my arm, forcing me to tap out early.

2:11
Travis takes his victory lap. At this point, we're both out of our seats, the other staff members who've come to watch are hooting and hollering and I'm pissed because I lost. Submission moves are difficult to pull off but as you can see, it can end a match quickly. There's nothing left to do here but watch the post-match replay and go to my cube with my head down. But I'll be back for the next match soon enough.