UFC 2009 Undisputed - Preview for XBOX 360 (UPDATE)

Brought to you by Brian Ekberg of uk.gamespot.com

While THQ's upcoming UFC 2009 Undisputed won't be the first UFC game on the market, it will be the first one that arrives at just the right moment. After all, when games like 2000's Ultimate Fighting Championship or even the more recent UFC: Sudden Impact from 2004, the sport on which they were based was still in its relative infancy. Fast forward to today and UFC is as close to a mainstream sport as it's ever been and skyrocketing in popularity. So UFC 2009 has a unique opportunity to capture a growing market at a time when the sports has never been hotter. All it will have to do is deliver a game that is true to the real thing. We've been following the game for a while now and, while we unfortunately didn't get a chance to play the game at the Game Convention today, we can say we continue to be intrigued by what we see of UFC 2009.

Consider the numbers alone: 80 real-life UFC stars to choose from, somewhere in the ballpark of 3,000 moves in the game (including 200 submission moves alone), and a body damage system that registers approximately 100 "cut zones" on a character's body where he can bleed, and you've got the makings for an impressive game. Add to that a create-a-fighter feature, career mode, and gorgeous character art and animations and it's tough not to be excited by this one.

We didn't get a chance to see many of those new features in today's demo, unfortunately. In fact, the demo still featured the same two fighters we've been watching since the game's initial debut: Quentin "Rampage" Jackson and Forrest Griffin. Though it seems like there's still a massive amount of tweaking to do, we did get a slightly better understanding of the game's combat system. The built-from-the-ground-up engine will be very context sensitive when throwing punches and kicks. For example, if you're far away from an opponent and are throwing punches, your fighter will extend his arms as far as he can; should your opponent move in close, however, those same punches will turn into elbow and forearm shots automatically. Similarly, kicks that will extend out fully at distance will turn into knee strikes, or ankle kicks when up close.

We also got another peek at the ground game which, as any mixed martial arts fan will tell you, is where any fighter lives and dies. In the game, you'll have multiple positions to attack and counter from when on the ground, and you're opponent will have plenty of opportunities to turn the tables on you. Producers told us they've even gone forward with little touches to ensure realism in the game. For example, if you're on the ground with your opponent on top in "guard" or "half guard" position, there will be very little chance that you'll be able to punch your way out of trouble. Just as in a real UFC bout, you'll instead need to look for ways to maneuver out of trouble. Another excellent detail: as a match progresses, fighters will begin to sweat; if you try a submission move on a sweaty opponent, there's a chance he'll slip right out of, which is something you often see in MMA fights.

UPDATE: It would appear that the release date for the game at this point is 27th February 2009.

For more go to http://uk.gamespot.com/xbox360/action/ufc2009undisputed

By Michael Pepper