Review of UFC 6: the best and most brutal version of the saga arrives in the octagon

Review of UFC 6: The best and most brutal version of the saga arrives in the octagon With a new graphical standard, the latest installment of the EA saga offers what is needed to impress with a spectacular fight, and much room for improvement in its game modes. There is something exciting behind the visceral nature of a knockout. With a solid base of players who follow the discipline, the success of seeking to simulate the passion found in the brutality of mixed martial arts seems assured when we talk about the release of UFC 6. After years refining the formula, EA Vancouver offers the most polished and complete experience of the saga. However, and almost as a consequence of the above, it fails to offer enough to do justice to its brilliant virtues. And in order to make a difference with other sports sagas like EA Sports FC, Madden, or WWE 2K, the titles licensed by the UFC do not come to market annually. This, inherently, raises the bar. In practice, a longer development time allows the games to breathe and achieve a better finish. Something that UFC 6 achieves for an enjoyable and promising experience for the future. The most polished fight in the saga The level of finish in UFC 6 is a huge leap compared to its predecessors. In its best moments, the tension of a good fight is enhanced by the realism in the cuts, blood, wounds, and the handling of immediate fluidity in every attack. In contrast to the above, if we talk about its presentation, its entrances, arenas, and everything surrounding the action at first glance, the seams begin to show. Venues that confuse each other due to a real lack of identity, an audience that does not react despite having the athletes less than a meter away, fragmented entrances, and the same animations for almost all fighters other than the big stars, take away much from a more overwhelming mechanical and graphical core. Despite this, UFC 6 manages to overcome this initial stumble. It is especially satisfying to decipher an opponent, to find an opening to land a blow that feels violent and elegant at the same time. Although the grappling mechanics and ground action remain extremely consistent for their own good, the decision of their sobriety helps enhance a good strike, putting spectacularity first. In this regard, the challenges that the game presents in its purely mechanical aspect are as they should be in good fighting games: easy to understand at first, but difficult to master in their entirety. Each opponent obeys different styles. Waiting to survive kickboxing against a jiu-jitsu specialist who constantly takes you to the mat requires a greater level of analysis than simply relying on brute force. This is also where the underwhelming graphics fulfill a clear utility. Although it has elements that transform its gameplay into more arcade moments (like the "flow state," which fills up as a fight progresses and gives a momentary boost of skills), UFC 6 does not seek to deviate so much from pure simulation in a discipline full of nuances. The Frostbite engine, proprietary to EA and originating from the Battlefield saga, is not easy to master at all. From Mass Effect to Dragon Age, many of the company's products have succumbed to the complex heart of the machine, originally conceived for first-person shooters. Slowly but surely, UFC games are among the few that can boast otherwise, making this the friendlier entry point for newcomers. In this context, every drop of sweat shed by McGregor or Holloway makes sense, how the veins of Khabib or the Chilean Ignacio "La Jaula" Bahamondes contract while a fight progresses. Details that make a difference in a wave of tension that prevents you from finishing your enemy while the clock is still running. It is in this pure state of tension where UFC 6 can stand up to any sports simulator. Less forcing you to return Although it is usually a wonder in terms of feel and mechanical pleasure, the lack of context immortalizing a victory is one of its most disappointing points. UFC 6 is obsessively dedicated to polishing its foundations. Something it achieves masterfully despite certain uncomfortable animations, inherent in any attempt at humanity and fluidity in the midst of a real-time exchange of hooks. Unfortunately, when we stop to visit its game modes, we realize a lack of intention for a constant reason to return to the octagon. It is particularly discouraging because the UFC culture is one of the most exploitable in interactive formats. The first glimpse of this appears in the "Hall of Legends." A mode where we travel through interactive museums that teach us the careers of three sports legends: the Hawaiian Max Holloway, the Brazilian Alex Pereira, and the Asian Weili Zhang. These tours feature challenges that recreate their most crucial fights, beautified by the culture of their home country and the personal brand of each one. A proposal that simulates the best of the old WWE game "showcases," but it is nothing more than that short and fleeting premise once it is complete. The same happens with "Legacy," starring a fictional Chris Carter, in the purest style of Alex Hunter in EA FC. Although it is a narrative angle that is appreciated, it suffers from the same as the rest of the modes. It does not end up being memorable enough to be immortalized, nor as addictive as to force us to return again and again. This last point is repeated in the career mode. Logic that follows the same patterns as in previous years: train, promote the fight, win the combat, and move on to the next. Despite adding aspects like social media, it remains the mode that could have the most potential and the least exploited one that still feels so unfulfilled. In this last one, the lack of creativity is particularly painful, especially if we understand the potential behind the lives of UFC fighters. A step in the right direction UFC 6 ends up with the most solid foundations of any installment of the saga. Its pure combat system is an absolute delight. The game modes left to do are those that hook outside of novelty, online fights that are more dynamic than the basics, or a more daring move beyond the conventional. Despite this, EA Vancouver understands the potential of a saga representing the martial arts. A discipline so peculiar in itself that can be expressed from countless places. After five titles in its record that carried evident mechanical problems, with the arrival of this sixth installment, the path finally seems cleared to build freely. Among the philosophy of killing or dying that stems from each fight in the octagon, UFC 6 is solid enough to allow itself to do the former.