Boxing has long been heralded as the sport of kings. Two men locked in combat, each with nothing but their fists and wits to defend themselves from the man standing across from him. Both men intent on destroying each other with vicious punches to the face and body. It is a brutal ballet, a deadly dance, and some other witty alliteration too. A good fight leaves the fans on the edge of their seat, watching two conditioned athletes trade blows, building to the inevitable peak when one man crumples to the canvas from a perfect shot, his face a tragic mask of its original self. Fight Night Round 3 goes above and beyond the call of duty to recreate this moment perfectly. The knockout is what the game is all about. The moment when your uppercut lands squarely on the chin of your opponent and you see his lifeless body collapse to the ground feels perfect, and you feel like a champion. No other boxing game has ever recreated this so faithfully.

Without a doubt, the first thing you will notice when playing Fight Night is the graphics. They are simply breathtaking. The boxers are rendered beautifully and look almost exactly like their real world counterparts. The sweat pours off in an amazingly realistic manner. While this may sound like a minor detail, it really makes the whole thing look "right". When you knock your opponents face back and the sweat flies off of his forehead, it looks remarkable…it looks real. There are times you will have to look twice to make sure you are not watching an actual fight. The boxer's faces are simply astounding.

The level of detail as the fight progresses is wonderful. Your boxer's face will swell and cut with each punch, eyes will shut, and blood trickles from your nose. His face will even begin to droop as he gets tired. This is key to Fight Night as there are no energy bars in any way. Your only indicator of how your boxer is doing is to look at his face and to watch how high he holds his hands. If your boxer is tired, his hands will hover down around his waist instead of being up, protecting the face. A boxer who has been rocked by a haymaker will show fear in his eyes, and you know it is time to attack. All of the gauges are there, and you can turn them on, but playing without them makes the whole experience like being in an actual fight. You are never 100% sure what condition you or your opponent is in, so you have to use instinct to win fights. The biggest drawback to this is for people on a small standard definition television. The game still looks amazing on an SD TV, but if you have a TV smaller then 24", it becomes very difficult to notice the changes in your boxer and in your opponent, so you are left almost needing the gauges in order to play properly.

The animation in Fight Night is top notch. The boxers glide around the ring, bobbing and weaving, swiftly firing punches at each other. It is all very smooth and realistic looking. However, the actual contact for normal punches is lacking a bit, and it still looks a bit like two people boxing in separate rooms and then put into the same frame. This means that unfortunately the boxers do not react realistically to hits all of the time. It's a very minor gripe, but it is noticeable from time to time. Also, the 360 version seems to be a little on the slow side. It's not so slow that it takes away from the game, but it is definitely slower than its regular Xbox or PlayStation 2 counterpart.

EA truly listened to the gameplay complaints from last year's iteration, as it is now much more difficult to land the big punches that change momentum. Also, there are different levels of haymaker you can throw. The more powerful the punch, the longer it takes to land which allows the opponent a longer opportunity to get in a counter punch. Jabs do more damage now also, so that their use is not a complete waste of time unlike in previous games.

The introduction of the Flash KO completely changes the face of the game. At any time, you can land a bruising haymaker and instantly put your opponent in the danger zone, one or two punches away from a meeting with the canvas. Alternatively, your opponent can do the same. A fight can switch momentum with a single punch. One shot can take a guy from staggering and hurt, to standing and watching as the ref counts down his opponent. It is either a wonderfully empowering moment, or a horribly frustrating one, depending on which side of the fence you are on. These are the moments that really make the game, especially when playing with friends.

What does make a triumphant return is EA's Total Punch Control. Instead of pressing the face buttons to punch, you swing the right analog stick. Depending on the direction and angle you can throw any manner of punch imaginable. Pulling the stick back, then swinging it forward leads to slow but powerful haymakers that can change the momentum of a fight. It is basically the same system they used last year, but tweaked for the better. For those who just can't get used to it, you can change the controls to allow for face button boxing, but it is never quite as effective as what the Total Punch Control offers.

The biggest annoyance in Fight Night actually has nothing to do with the gameplay. The whole game feels like a big advertisement. You fight for the "Everlast" Championship, the Burger King can become your trainer after you win the "Burger King" belt. Having the announcers remind you who is sponsoring the fight over and over again cheapens the whole deal. It doesn't take away from the gameplay, and it is the inevitable progression of videogames, but it is a little disheartening to see.

The career mode has been simplified in a negative way. Instead of seeing rankings and champs, your boxer is given a popularity meter that will increase as you win big fights. Every so often, when the meter fills, you get a title shot, then start it over again on the way to another title. Another new addition is a rival. Throughout your career, you will keep encountering the same boxer that has been dubbed as your rival. It sounds like a nifty idea, but it means absolutely nothing in terms of gameplay. The fight is just like every other fight except you will hear the announcer say that the two fighters do not like each other…that is it.

Also, there is nothing to spend career earnings on other then equipment and special moves. It's all very lacking in the end, especially considering the A.I.. The computer tends to be on the easy side, and you will most likely easily win all of your fights on easy mode, and most of them on hard mode. Fortunately, all three versions of Fight Night feature solid online play. There are no modes beyond straight up boxing, but the game performs very well with minimal lag. Voice chat while boxing adds a nice touch as you can heckle the hell out of your friends when you send them to the mat.

Fight Night ends up as a very impressive game that lacks a certain something to make it truly great. The visuals are beyond amazing, doubly so for the Xbox 360 version, and the presentation alone makes this game worth playing, if only to watch a devastating knockout in slow motion. However, the lack of solid A.I. can lead to the game growing boring quickly. Beating the crap out of the computer with very little challenge just gets old. The online play adds some depth and replayability, but it still falls a bit short. Also, the simplified career mode will disappoint long time fans of the series. That being said, Fight Night is without a doubt the best boxing experience ever. If you are a boxing fan there is no excuse not to pick this game up, even if it is just for a rental. If you are not a fan of boxing, you will enjoy this game for the bone shattering visuals alone. If EA puts a little more time into the gameplay next year, Fight Night Round 4 will be one hell of a game. They are certainly on the right track with this one.

Score: 86%

Mar 18, 2006 | 0 comments
Steve Garlo