The EA UFC 4 beta was abruptly taken down earlier this week. There was never a set time announced for the demos’ availability, but it felt like a relatively quick hook.
I’m not sure why this decision was made, but I can’t help but wonder if it was because of what felt like an increasingly negative set of impressions creeping their way onto social media.
Initially, I was very impressed with the beta. I enjoyed my first match against the CPU, and while the next few bouts online were marred by some lag, I saw enough there to feel encouraged about the game.
However, as I kept playing the beta, winning some and losing some, I felt as if something was missing from the gameplay experience. In EA UFC 3, whether I won or lost, I felt satisfied with the fight at the end of each online bout. I can’t say that was the case with the EA UFC 4 beta.
It’s important to remember, this was just a beta, and so many things can change between now and the final release. However, this is a beta that was released just about a month before the game is set to be available through retailers, and thus the shortcomings are a cause for concern.
Let’s look at what I liked and disliked.
What I Liked
- Lighting – There was more focus placed on the fighters, and less on the crowd, which seemed to make some of the action in the Octagon pop more. Conceptually, I think this was the right approach, though the execution might now have been there.
- Daniel Cormier and Jon Anik – There is more conversational value between Daniel Cormier and Jon Anik because the two recorded their lines together. That wasn’t the case when Joe Rogan was in the game. I love Cormier’s style and personality. From what I could hear in the beta, it seems to have shined through well.
- Slow-Mo Replays – One of my favorite parts of the beta was the slow-motion replays. EA UFC 3 had replays, but it always seemed to capture the wrong aspects of the fight. The strike-selection process in this replay engine is much better, and the close-up angles really drive things home.
What I Didn’t Like
- The Fighter Models Aren’t the Best – There were several issues on this front. Nate Diaz is far too muscular, as is Colby Covington and others. In many ways, it felt like everyone had the same muscular definition. There are a few faces that aren’t as accurate as we’ve seen from other sports games, and EA UFC 3 for that matter. Some of this may have a lot to do with developing during a pandemic. However, with accurate reference pictures, I’ve seen modders deliver stunning renders for sports games. Having the scan is always preferable, but getting it done without is possible.
- Two Different Fidelity Levels on Fighter Models – It’s always a pain point for me when I see character models shown with stunning clarity during a cut scene, but seemingly scaled back significantly during the action. I’m convinced the look we got at fighters post and pre-match wasn’t consistent with the way they looked during the bouts.
- Strikes Don’t Feel Impacting Enough – There’s a thwack, and a pop, and boom, you want to feel when you’re playing a fighting game. That’s especially the case with one in the sports realm. I’m not sure what part of the presentation seemed to soften the impact of the shots, but that desired payoff wasn’t there in the beta. It feels as though the devs tried to intensify the feeling of landing a big shot with filter and color changes on the screen, which I don’t necessarily need, but omitted the audio presentation, and fighter reaction that would make for more of an impact.
- Submission Game Feels Way Too Slanted Toward Fighter in Control – I know the devs were trying to make the submission game more inviting and less intimidating, but it feels as though they may have gone from one extreme to the next. It felt too easy to get a submission, and the meters were too difficult to distinguish, especially in the midst of a battle. I’m all for nerfing the difficulty on the submission game, but the beta’s take on the concept still feels less than ideal.
- Movement Felt Clunky – Fighter movement was a major focus in EA UFC 4, and in some ways, it feels improved. The ability to push your opponent forward, especially in the clinch is a welcomed addition. However, the more standard character movement leaves a lot to be desired. It doesn’t feel fluid or appropriately weighted.
- Some Collision-Detection Issues – There were far too many moments where I was left wondering “did that strike land or not?” This is something that can likely be tuned for the final version, but still too big to leave out of my assessment.
In summary, there is a lot of room for improvement, and a shirt time to get it done. However, I do regard the EA UFC team as one of the best developer groups under the EA umbrella. They consistently update EA UFC 3, and it was one of the better sports games of the past two years.
While the EA UFC 4 beta didn’t leave the best impression on me, I still believe the final game could be enjoyable, especially after a patch or two.
