The downside is that UFC 4, perhaps lacking the budget of its stablemates, misses some of the pageantry of its inspiration. The cinematic opening promises something a little grander, but once you have moved from amateur brawls in a parking lot to the UFC itself, the sparring-fight cycle can feel a little perfunctory. There is some attempt at instilling some vim with sponsorship deals, challenges and stirring rivalries on social media but most take place in text-based menu options. Nice enough additions, but not ones that make up for a lack of pizazz in the presentation. Fortunately, the fighting and natural progression holds it all together and becomes satisfyingly compelling in its own right.
Away from career, UFC 4’s online modes offer some interesting twists. The misplaced Ultimate Team mode from UFC 3 has been expunged, focussing more on straight-up tussles you can modify. Stand and Bang mode, for example, pits you in a striking only fight.
The most interesting mode, however, is Blitz. This is a quickfire, 64-player online tournament which introduces different rulesets throughout each round. It’s a lot of fun, asking combatants to mix-up their approaches, keeping things interesting from bout-to-bout.
No doubt there is a lot more that could be done with a mixed martial arts game and, as a biennial release, you wonder if UFC 4 could have moved the needle a bit further on for the genre. Perhaps EA could do with a new contender to keep it on its toes, not so much undisputed as unchallenged. But for all its faults, where it matters most – in the octagon- UFC is a genuine thrill.