Delve in the world of Mixed-Martial Arts with EA Sports MMA. Electronic Arts begins their journey to redefining a genre.
EA Sports MMA has the player fighting their way up the ranks of the Mixed Martial Arts leagues. Starting with beginner leagues, one can eventually end up in a top company like Strikeforce. The career mode is one of the better parts of the game. Famed fighter Bas Rutten plays a major role as the head trainer of Elite MMA, the training gym. While fighting through the ranks, the player can travel to different camps and learn from some of the best including Randy Couture, Rickson Gracie, and Pat Miletich.
Graphics:
Year after year the biggest difference in sports games is the graphics. The venues in the game do a good job of emulating the broadcasts and pay per views. Each fighter has been designed and looks like their real life counterpart. While the camera isn't terribly dynamic, the graphics themselves are well done.
Gameplay:
The controls for all sports games are becoming more intuitive. EA Sports MMA is no exception. One of the points that EA focused on was making the game seem as realistic and balanced as possible. Unlike its competitors, EA's Mixed Martial Arts venture gives the player a real choice as to what disciplines they prefer. Whether its boxing, muy tai, jiu jitsu, or other, each have their positives and negatives in the fight.
Sounds:
Being that the whole idea is to believe, between the announcers and referees, the sound is quite believable. Strikeforce announcers Mauro Ranallo and Frank Shamrock work commentary for each fight, providing insight into the fight game. While the voices are good, the variety is lacking.