Finally the time has come when you can end your monthly membership fee’s, no longer have to worry about being the biggest or the smallest with the machines, and you don’t have to hunt around for the free weights that are always… somewhere else.
Now the era of motion controlled systems turns your home into your communication hub, your entertainment center and of course, your fitness center. Now is this a perfect system? Of course not. As I review this game, don’t worry, I am keeping in mind that we are barely a year since the release of KINECT at E3 in 2010, but some things certainly need to be addressed as I review this game, and that is a good place to start.
To think that these games will replace a one on one personal trainer or the fitness level you can receive from playing sports or being in a club is simply not true yet. It is as much true as calling WWE wrestling real. The reality is that if you are looking for a glossy shiny way to get yourself moving, active and are influenced by members of UFC, then this is a great place to start… but take some precautions.
Environment:
The character design is impressive, then again the members of THQ have been proving they have these skills over the years and years of WWE Superstar creation (great segue way right?). The motion in which your “trainers” move, and create the exercises for you is very impressive and fluid. The background design is great and with the multiple shots you get that sense that you are training in a rather large stadium of endless training facilities. Very different from the blank canvass look of “Your Shape”, but I have to say that I truly enjoyed that game as well.
Audio:
The voices are done well in the basic of instructions but this luxury quickly fades. It is at this point where you have to consider what I said before: are you buying this as a fan, or looking for a work out tool? The comments about exercises are very few and hence are repeated over and over, and over. The second strike against the audio is that if you are doing an exercise where you are say laying on the ground, and not jarring your neck to see the next movement, rather listening to it, they simply do not line up. When the trainer talks, the mouth moves, but they do not instruct you necessarily on when an exercise is over, then the next one starts, when you switch sides and other such simple instructions. I tried using the voice commands of “TRAINER” and “PICK ONE” for choosing my exercises, instead of moving my arms… which is funny considering it is a fitness game, but until I re-configured my KINECT it was hit and miss. After the configuration it is was about 98% accurate for what I needed the game to do. The quality of audio is good, the execution leaves something to be desired.
Game Play:
This ties into the audio, as the basic motions they do, the exercises are great, and the motion in which the characters move is well thought out and perfect. The problem is that the motions do not match the audio, and for example when you are doing stretching you have a 30 second timer going. You start left… then you do right… then you do left… then as the trainer talks about the left the timer is done and you move on. This was odd, and frustrating. The opposite problem also occurred where you would do the left, then the right, then have between 11-20 seconds of staring at the trainer who decided they were done. They do not tell you to stop, or continue.. they just stare at you, as you stare back.
Game Modes:
There is certainly a lot of choice in this game, and as you progress and get better levels open up, video’s get unlocked and you get more for your money. You have a Workout, Quick Workout, Activities, Programs, Player Tracker, and Multiplayer Games. To most fitness enthusiasts these terms are nothing new, but it basically means you can get in, get your sweat on and get out, choose from one a bit longer, make your own, follow your accomplishments, or do activities that are exercises in the shape of fun mini-games.
Overall UFC is a fun game for the fitness and UFC fan alike. If you are looking for an excuse to get off the couch, move your arms, and sweat to some of the guys that you are used to seeing in your PPV events, then by all means pick it up. I will say this again though, use caution, you will find yourself watching the screen for direction which comes both audio and video. Do yourself a favor, use your common sense, don’t over exert yourself, and have fun, cause what you bought…. is a game.
6.5 out of 10 GG’s
Developer: Heavy Iron Studios
Publisher: THQ
Genre: Sports
Rating: ESRB – E
Players: 1 – 2
Online Multiplayer: 2
Available On: Nintendo Wii, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Released: June 28 in North America
