There has been a groundswell of calls over the years for the classic EA Sports Fight Night games to make a return, and now we have their modern equivalent in Undisputed. Can the Sweet Science return to its virtual glory days?
We've taped up, stepped between the ropes, and gone toe-to-toe with the latest boxing title to see if it can stir the passion once more.
Reviewed on Xbox Series X, review copy provided by publisher.
Familiar Faces
Let's start with the roster. Undisputed throws modern heroes in against all-time greats as Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk can go up against Muhammad Ali, Rocky Marciano, and Frank Bruno. It's not just heavyweights though, there is everything from lightweight women and bantamweight men up.
Undisputed doesn't let you cross weight classes or genders, so there's no pairing Amir Khan or Ricky Hatton against Joe Calzaghe. There are also some notable faces like Lennox Lewis and George Foreman missing, but otherwise you've got everything you could want in a boxing game roster.
Throwing Haymakers
When most players pick up a fighting game some neanderthal switch flips and they turn into pure button bashers. If you do that with Undisputed you will struggle to make it a round, never mind the full bout.
Getting a full understanding of the Undisputed controls before stepping into the ring is vital, and the initial tutorial gives you a fantastic feel for what to do and how to chain punches together.
Once you get in against an opponent, of course, things get a little tougher. Timing your blocks, dodges, and punches is a tricky task. Combining them together effectively is a skill that will take time to hone.
Balancing your offense, defense, and stamina is crucial. Knowing when to engage Rocky Balboa mode and when to dance away is a skill that few will get right away.
Underdog Story
Career mode is always a tricky thing, but the Undisputed road to glory is solid. You can create your own boxer, or use one of the real-life stars. We picked Ricky Hatton and after shifting some attributes around to put some power in our right hook and add some stamina we started in the dankest, dingiest gym in the game.
You need to bring in a coach, cut man, and manager to help you book fights, prepare in fight camps, and make it through a fight. Balancing making weight with remaining sharp and growing your skills is hard. But the more you use a punch or mechanic in fights the faster your abilities will rise in that area.
You'll need to beat the same old faces over and over at the start, negotiating your cut of the purse, the amount of media appearances, and more before you can take on bigger bouts and names you recognize.
It's a fun journey, especially as your character gains speed and you build your own technique. Once the punches start flowing and you are dancing away from danger you will really feel like a champion.
A Few Missing Touches
Not everything is perfect in Undisputed. The pre-fight presentation is good, but not great. There are no ring robes or special entrances for example. The corner personnel are not wonderfully animated, though with the boxers pacing and bouncing around they are far from the main focal point of the pre-fight hype.
The in-fight camera can be a little wild at times. If the boxers are circling each other too quickly it can get very out of control, and in some of the smaller arenas at the start of your career if you are in the corner you'll get watchers-on in the way of the camera.
The controls can get overly sluggish when you are trying to throw a combo and run out of stamina, resulting in the feeling that your boxer has a mind of its own.
Similarly, when combos are thrown that overlap, arms can take on some wild and unnatural positions to make the animations work.
The gameplay does get a little repetitive against AI opposition, which is true of all sports titles. And while the power of heavyweights compared to smaller fighters comes through, it can be hard to really maximize a speed or quickness advantage.
Verdict
Undisputed is great fun, but will it have the staying power to keep you coming back for more? When you first get into the ring the feeling of lethality and violence that you would expect from boxing is right there.
Cuts, swelling, and blood all make it feel very visceral. When you get an opponent on the edge of a knockdown the gameplay effects let you know to press your advantage (or take cover if you're the one in trouble!).
There are some animation shortcomings, the roster could be bigger, and the arena selection isn't great. However, what they have is used well and it really does bring those good Fight Night vibes back. Undisputed is worth your time and money.
