Gamers lucky enough to own an Xbox 360 complete with access to Microsoft's online marketplace and its own Round 3 demo already know how incredible that version looks, but the PS2 and Xbox revs are no weak efforts. Obviously there's really no comparison here, but at least we're not kicking around an NES game or anything. And while it is more important to utilize the health and stamina meters in these current generation versions (since facial expressions aren't as detailed or crisp), the same boxing experience remains intact. Thankfully, that is the quite awesome part.
While IGN is planning on returning with more extensive Fight Night coverage in the near future, today our focus will be on the punches and the knees, elbows, headbutts and crotch combos. "Sack shakers" are editorial favorites.
First, the haymaker-centric fighting system of Round 2 has been done away with. The new haymakers take longer to execute and fall between two other types of Impact punches. If landed properly, the first of these new Impact punches can swing the game into the victim's perspective, but it's real hard to pull off this hit in a pinch. The first-person throw actually requires a three o'clock to nine o'clock to twelve o'clock swing on the analog hit stick, but flies so slowly an opponent has to be stunned, inattentive, or plain dead to let it land.
The second new Impact punch instantly thrusts gamers into the heightened awareness predator / prey knockout scenario. It's a little faster than the first-person connect and requires a three o'clock to nine o'clock to three o'clock swing, but it's still slow enough that countering it is fairly easy.
The addition of these new Impact punches and the movement required to execute them means players unskilled at pulling off three o'clock to six o'clock to three o'clock haymakers may inadvertently trigger one of the other ridiculous swings, which could be disastrous if inexpertly timed. A successfully parried Impact now leaves a fighter vulnerable for around three seconds, which is a lifetime when Ali is whipping hooks left and right across your bloodied face.
The balance between Impact payoff and vulnerability is pretty good and the panic and elation that come after a successful land add emotion to the experience. Because of all this, Round 3 seems more focused on classic boxing -- a good delivery of varied combinations and counters -- but is finally capable of making good on the, "one punch to change a fight" boast. Poor players need not be totally dominated by a better fighter who can string three haymakers off a counter anymore.
Moving on, Round 3 now features a very cool set of styles and stances. Mixing and matching orthodox and southpaw stances with balanced, speed, power, mummy and wild styles and then augmenting that combination with classic or cross block styles and basic, fast, slugger and lethal uppercut punches really helps each fighter in Round 3 feel unique. Thanks to the combinations allowed by these new stances and styles, Round 3's boxers can look and feel like individuals.
This is huge.
In the same way Joe Frazier's slow authority is a totally different approach to boxing than Roy Jones' wild strikes and lighting jabs, Roberto Duran's lethal uppercut onslaught without thought is the exact opposite of Sugar Ray Robinson's cross guard and meticulous jabbing. Finally, when you pick a boxer, you have to fight like that boxer. It's terrific. And, the AI even knows to play the part, too.
We took a light heavy Roy Jones against a heavy Mohammed Ali to test out the new AI. Believe us, debilitating yourself is the only way real Fight Night pros should play.
In Round 2, the heavy Ali would release countless haymakers; he'd often throw more haymakers than we would hooks or crosses! The computer doesn't try that anymore. We did immediately find ourselves in the middle of a rush, desperately trying to parry high-low combinations that segued into arching power shots. But, as we slowly gained ground on Ali we found ourselves succumbing to his lighting jab and sidestepping straights. The computer certainly didn't show fear, since Round 3's light heavy Jones is hard-pressed to combat Ali, but the AI always learned from what didn't work and tried something new within the confines of Ali's style. That's determined by the stance and style combos, of course.
A good example of how individuality and Impact punches can combine to make a thrilling match would be our Lacy vs. Jones bout. After sustaining flurry after flurry of Jones' lighting fists, we scored a first round knockdown with Jeff "Slow as all Hell with my Left Hook" Lacy. It was a flash knockdown, actually. Jones was circling us and landing straights and low cuts at will. He slipped up, though. He leaned forward and threw up a block on the wrong side just as we launched Lacy's signature right hand. The blow landed square and buckled Jones in an instant. After he staggered up following an eight count, Jones turtled... The AI knew it was in trouble now.
We weren't about to let Jones recover, so we darted forward absorbing blows and delivering all of Lacy's power. Cutting off a defensive player that's built around speed with a power-ape is the way to go in this situation. Jones was weakened and anything he hit us with wouldn't matter if we knocked him out right then and there, so we pressed on. With ten seconds left in the round we scored a solid uppercut and moved smoothly into a high cross combo that ended with a transition into the dimmed predatory mode. Jones could have survived because his defense was top notch, but we tossed a knee out there and he basically died on his feet. If he didn't, the second knee to his face as he went down certainly killed him. Seriously, sacrificing a point or two early on for a second knockdown in a single round is a great strategy, especially if there are with seconds left in that round and you're safe from disqualification.
Sure enough, the knees sealed the deal.
Thanks to one Impact punch and the distinct style and power of Jeff Lacy, we managed to bull through a fresh Roy Jones and score two knockdowns in the first round. The last of these must have caused severe head trauma because Jones wasn't getting up. Then again, most people who take knees to the face don't do a whole lot for a little while afterward.
If you want to know how cool it can be to experience all this brawling, check out our attached compilation video, "Eatin' Knee," by navigating through the below linked media page.