EA Sports UFC is just one of the many EA Sports titles releasing this year, although it is different from all the others in that it will not necessarily be a yearly affair- EA has openly discussed releasing the games only once every two years, which would be a departure from their model of annualizing sport game franchises (a model which all other publishers also follow).

There are plenty of fighters to get to grips with

From the menu screen, there’s the usual option to dive straight into a fight, where you can pick from the huge roster, arena types and rules – including Japanese, Vale Tudo, and Strikeforce. There’s also a quick tutorial or, should you feel a little more confident in your abilities, you can opt for the online multiplayer mode – a superb distraction with good matchmaking and no noticeable lag during bouts. Emerge from a fight victorious and XP is collected, putting you within touching distance of a belt and that all important kudos.

A new Live Broadcast option allows you to have your online fight watched by gamers worldwide. Simply produce a hype video for your fighter, get the attentions of an EA SPORTS promoter and fight for real prizes.

You can also become a promoter yourself and set up a series of bouts with your friends. Customizing fight cards with four fights per card and up to 10 people at once certainly adds to the game’s longevity and is a welcome addition.

But it’s the career mode that really excels.

Create a fighter and take him to the top

Create a fighter and customize him to your hearts content – although not as indepth as THQ’s game, there are plenty of options from fighting style, entrance music, victory celebration and all the usual facial feature and hair options.

Learning the basic standup and grappling skills are easy to grasp, with a series of kicks, punches and takedowns explained through various mini games. Unlike the UFC titles, the controls are intuitive and reminiscent of EA’s acclaimed Fight Night series, the buttons responsible for your fighter’s various limbs.

Various gyms around the world allow you to specialise in certain moves or styles from boxing to ju-jitsu. What’s more, there are 16 special move slots available – which can be filled by performing a series of timed exercises. Achieve those and your chosen move is unlocked and added to your repertoire. All your favourites are available, such as the spinning kick, takedowns or the kimura submission.

Well-timed button presses will reap rewards

It’s then a case of fighting your way through the various minor leagues to rise through the ranks and chase that sought-after belt. Rematches and titles defences add to the tension, allowing you to try out new tactics against former opponents and further hone your skills.

Button-mashing won’t help you much either as you’ll quickly see your stamina bar deplete, making you more susceptible to strikes and less likely to recover. Instead, a more strategic take on the sport is supported and well-timed button presses and stick gestures will reap rewards.

The tricky topic of submissions have been handled particularly well by the developers and is much better than the UFC series. Chokes require you to move the analog stick until you hit a “sweet spot” that will force your opponent to tap out or pass out. The limb holds, meanwhile, need careful button presses and pacing to prevent your stamina from draining. An X-ray effect on the limb highlights the tension it’s being put under and gives you an idea of how successful you’ll be.

The graphics are great; the fighters look and move accurately and the blood and bruising effects are employed well. Sound-wise, the commentary is decent with a strong voice cast. The resounding thud effects when you land that killer punch or kick are also very good.

EA Sports MMA is an extremely welcome addition to the genre and should certainly not be overlooked. Even gamers who are unaccustomed to the world of mixed martial arts should give this a good playthrough as it’s an extremely rewarding title both on- and offline. The career mode alone is worth the outlay and will definitely keep you coming back for more.

This game was reviewed on the Xbox 360.

EA has just released an all new video for MMA which shows the different contol option available in the game. EA SPORTS MMA Designer Vic Lugo breaks down the PS3 Classic Controls in EA SPORTS MMA. The game is being published by EA and is developed by EA Tiburon. The game released on October 19th, 2010 on the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and iPhone.