EA has a monopoly on the UFC games for the next ten years. However, after EA UFC 5, EA plans to switch gears to developing the return of the Fight Night franchise. With that said, here are five things EA should do to ensure UFC 5 has a long life cycle.
UFC 5: Five Things We Want To See
Add Pride Mode
Pride mode was a fantastic feature in UFC Undisputed 3. If you are unfamiliar with Pride, it was an MMA organization based in Japan. The rules differed from the unified rules of MMA, allowing stomps, kicks, and knees to the head of grounded opponents. EA’s first dose of MMA games, EA MMA, featured these rules, but they have not returned to it since the acquisition of the UFC license. EA UFC 4 added the Kumite and Backyard mode. However, it doesn’t add anything different. If they add Pride in EA UFC 5, hopefully, it makes it fresh.
Career Mode Adjustments
Career mode in EA UFC 4 is fun. It can be challenging and force people to learn the game. However, you end up fighting the same people multiple times. EA should either add random characters to it or have a deeper roster. Since The Ultimate Fighter returned, maybe it could feature multiple story routes.
Semi-Regular Roster Updates
UFC does not need regular roster updates like Madden. However, they should add more fighters to the game. Paddy Pimblett, Adrian Yanez, and other highly-touted prospects only make the roster more complete and give players options on different fighters. EA UFC 2, 3, and 4 have added gimmicky fighters to the roster. There is nothing wrong with that, however, it’s best to balance this out with a well-rounded and deep modern roster.
For example, NBA 2K adds some playable celebrities to the game. Drake, Justin Bieber, and Snoop Dogg were all playable characters in the game. However, their inclusion did not stop them from keeping the roster up-to-date.
Grappling Needs to be Smoother
Grappling in EA UFC has always been hit or miss. We tend to be more lenient because grappling is hard to capture. EA UFC 4 has taken a few steps in the right direction. It features simple controls for beginners and legacy controls for intermediate and expert grapplers.
One adjustment that should be made is punishing failed takedown attempts. Players who spam takedowns with no success should probably be more vulnerable or gassed considering how grueling wrestling is. However, there are some exceptions to that.
Make Every Fighter Unique
Every fighter is different. From the way they hold their hands, to the way they throw strikes, every fighter has a unique style. It should be mimicked with accuracy. EA should take a page out of the ESBC playbook and capture the footwork of each fighter. It would feel fresh and breathe life into the gameplay. ESBC captures all the basic movements of fighters in the game. From Roy Jones Jr to Lomachenko, every boxer moves differently.
In NBA 2K, most players feel a bit different from one another. For example, Kevin Durant moves a lot differently from Trae Young or LeBron James. Likewise, it should go for every fighter. Israel Adesanya and Stephen Thompson feel similar despite their styles being different. Though you could mimic their actual styles, the basic movements feel the same. EA could motion capture each fighter’s basic movements so that each fighter feels unique.
What do you think EA should do to make EA UFC 5 better? Let us know in the comments.
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