There’s a playable demo of the upcoming UFC 2009: Disputed game floating around on Xbox Live for a few weeks. The only playable characters are Chuck Liddell or Maurico ‘Shogun’ Rua so the gameplay is fairly limited, or so you would think. I mean, if you look at it, how completed can a game about MMA be when you just have a few buttons that encompass every single movement and every single style of mixed martial arts. At least this is what I told myself at 11pm on Saturday night, at 3am I realized that I found yet another addiction to throw in my life.
Look, this game is going to take a lot of of people by surprise. It doesnt work on the same gameplay engine of most wrestling games that we see littered on previous gen consoles. In fact, I think the gameplay in UFC 2009: Disputed may be a little too complex for some. Button mashers need not apply here as every strike, attempted takedown and submission requires precise timing. The button map actually changes with the type of guard you are in and is then seperated into defense and offense. So if you are playing offense in full-guard, your attacks are vastly more powerful then if you someone mounted you in half-guard while you’re on your back.
What most people are going to do when this game launches is just engage in stand-up wars because that’s the easiest and most familiar way to play any fighting game. Either way, I have to get back to my crackbox 360 and play this demo so more until the full game drops on May 19th (or 18th depending how you look at it). I hope there’s a throwback mode where you can play as old school UFC cats. I wouldnt mind seeing a Tank Abbott at his prime vs. Cheick Kongo. Yes.
