Undisputed Review – A Heavyweight Contender

Undisputed Review

Retiring from the ring in 2011, the squared circle has been vacant since Fight Night hung up its gloves. Now lacing up its boots and ready to step into the spotlight is Undisputed. After over a year of honing its skills in early access, the fighter is finally prepared to step through the ropes and claim the title. Featuring a stacked roster of legends and current stars, will it deliver a knockout combination, or will it stumble under the pressure?

Boasting over 60 individual punch types, it’s imperative to learn the ropes before stepping foot on the canvas. Luckily, Undisputed features a short but succinct tutorial that allows you to get to grips with hooks, jabs, blocking, weaving and much more. Whether you opt for buttons or prefer to throw strikes with your analog, you have complete control over how you attack in the ring. Due to this, you must learn how and when to throw, considering angles and timing to rise to the top of the ranks. If you flail randomly, your fighter looks clumsy, like a drunk in a bar fight. However, once you learn the ropes, you’ll soon be throwing combinations like Sugar Ray Leonard.

Pick Your Punch

Strategy is key to victory. You will need to adapt as the fight progresses in order to conserve energy and take advantage of your opponent’s weaknesses. At times, you may want to overwhelm the opposition with a barrage of punches, but this can open up devastating counters that can rock you or even send you to the ground in an instant. Due to this, you must use your footwork to step in and out and find your range using your jab to set up flurries. With complete control, you can easily duck and weave by holding your trigger which allows you to deliver catastrophic counters but this also leaves you open for some brutal shots.

Like in its real-life counterpart, there’s a risk/reward nature to fights which you must always consider when in the ring. You can play it safe and work the body to stifle your opponent’s stamina for a late-round barrage or fight on the inside, covering and countering to drop the enemy. Evasion is key as sometimes you need the round to end to recuperate. While the philosophy is evident within the gameplay, there’s a lack of signaling the close of rounds. The bell rings and the fight seemingly continues. It would be great to see the referee enter to break up the fight rather than letting punches fly.

Fist of Fury

The impact of a punch is vital. You need to feel the weight behind each blow, whether it’s a swift jab or a crushing uppercut. A well-designed system makes every punch satisfying, with just the right amount of feedback to let you know when you’ve landed a clean hit or mistimed your strike. Undisputed manages to capture elements of this, however, it’s the misses that stand out. Blows to the body look incredible as the skin ripples as you land a clean shot. Jabs, hooks and straights all hit the mark, however, knockout strikes lack the explosive power and visual intensity you’d expect, making these moments feel less rewarding than they should.

When you hit the canvas, you will need to complete a small mini-game to get back to your feet. Two metres appear and you must align indicators with bars using your triggers. It’s an effective way to communicate the feeling of balance and recovery after being knocked down. It also provides a challenge so that returning to your feet is not a simple task.

The roster is truly impressive featuring icons and contemporaries to suit the needs of boxing fans new and old. Fighters feel unique due to attributes that alter their performance in the squared circle. There are a range of categories and sub-sections that govern how they perform to help make each boxer feel unique. Adding another layer to this is the perk system which adds even more individuality. These traits link to real-life skills to better replicate their performance in the game. For example, when Tyson Fury gets knocked down, his ability to get back up feels natural and not robotic or forced. The game flows smoothly, with character behaviors, making everything seem less like a video game and more like a real-life experience.

Test Your Might

You can also take your skills online, take part in revolving challenges or embark on the career mode. In the latter, your goal is to become the champion and you can start that journey with a licensed boxer or with your own creation. Rather than forcing you to participate in tedious mini-games, you just focus on your training camp. You have several weeks where you can decide whether to refine your skills, take to social media to promote the fight or manage weight. While it’s not the most in-depth, it ensures that fights take center stage rather than focusing on menu hopping.

Undisputed is a faithful and immersive interpretation of boxing. In the ring, you have the freedom to choose your punches and move with poise and precision, creating a realistic and engaging experience. Landing a fierce combination feels exhilarating, capturing the technical intensity that defines the sport. While not every punch connects perfectly, and knockouts may lack some of the desired ferocity, the game’s attention to the nuances of boxing makes it the most impressive iteration since EA’s landmark series.

***A PS5 code was provided by the publisher***