Fight Night Re-review
since this blog is about all things gaming, i figure reviews are fair game. but that's not quite what this is. rather, i am simply going to address some of the issues other reviewers have brought up about Fight Night Round 3 for the 360.
from what i have read there were two main complaints about this game that, after playing it, seem unfair. these were the AI and the in game advertising. personally, i haven't found either one to be a problem and here is why.
before i got the game i read about how easy it was and that the single player experience was a cakewalk because the AI was so unaggressive. well for anyone who cares, this is not true. granted my fighter's record is something like 28-4-1 with 23 ko's, so its not like the game has the most punishing difficulty ever conceived. it does, however, make you work for your wins. in fact, going into the whole experience i expected much more of a knockout fest. i figured the game would be rife with huge punches and big knockdowns if for no other reason than the developers wanting to show off how good they look. i'm sure by now we've all seen clips of the face destroying moments in the game, and they are glorious to be sure, i just thought they would be easier to achieve. instead, against most opponents (and those from about the midpoint of the career mode) you have to play a very tactical game of cat and mouse. winning fights means not engaging in a slugfest, but darting in and out using your jab to wear down and frustrate your opponent. you have to make him miss to hit him hard because if you just start swinging big, he will counter you with utterly frustrating frequency and make you pay nearly every time. even when you can feel that you have the fight in hand, caution must be maintained because one big counter can change everything. also, you have to mix up what you're doing fairly often because the AI tends to catch on after about the third time you do the same thing. and if you stick with it after that, it'll mean a layover in counter city before you reach your final destination of the mat with a nice view of the ceiling.
i appreciate the difficulty of the game. the matches that go the distance are actually quite trying as they require your attention at all times. and every once in awhile you'll be granted an idiot to fight which provides a great change of pace. these guys just take big swing after big swing, and it's these matches that really make you feel like the king pimp as you deftly bait and avoid your opponent only to drill him when the time is right. but even in these matches you can never become too comfortable.
the difficulty and AI provides a good mix of challenging and instantly gratifying matches. you'll go up against stupidly aggressive bulls and frustratingly defensive counter-masters and this ensures that you have to keep responding to the game and changing your own style.
as for the marketing, i have heard alot of bitching and moaning about how if you pay 60 dollars for a game, it shouldnt be full of advertising. and i agree that in-game marketing can be taken too far (when kameo starts hawking coke in game or burnout starts trying to convince me that geico is the way to go since i keep crashing, itll be too much). but in the case of FN3, the marketing ranges from suitable to acceptable to funny, without ever getting in the way of the experience. sure the camera focuses on a dodge car before the dodge sponsored event kicks off, but im not bothered by this. it actually seems fitting and only adds to the realism of the event. part of the thrill of your first big fight, your first time at madison square garden, is how much like a real broadcast it is. its rewarding to have brought your fighter so far and to have reached the big time and the advertising helps this feeling. after all, you've become a big enough name with enough popularity to make it worthwhile for these companies to sponsor your fight.
the same goes for the licensed apparel. i would rather outfit my character with everlast shorts and an under armor jock strap than something generic and made up.
and as for the king, ever since i unlocked him as a trainer, he has been my go to guy. not just for hilarity's sake, but because he's free and gives you a bonus that the other free guy doesn't. because of the king, my fighter has a better heart attribute than anyone else (which i guess suggests that burger king is, in fact, good for your heart and you should eat it as much as possible). the only problem i have with him is that his in ring banter uses the same voice as the other trainers, and i'm pretty sure the king doesn't sound like an old black man (though i'm not certain as all he ever does in the commercials is stand there and look creepy). for me, his inclusion is more than anything amusing and while it has given me an undeniable craving for BK, i can't be angry with him or whoever is responsible.
so there you go. fight night has its flaws for sure (if only you could turn off the announcers), but the two things that reviewers seemed to harp on aren't its problems. the AI is good as is the difficulty, and the advertising usually feels right at home and, in general, helps to make the experience feel more authentic. if you like boxing, sports in general, or punching dudes in the face real hard then i recommend this game.
-Asano
from what i have read there were two main complaints about this game that, after playing it, seem unfair. these were the AI and the in game advertising. personally, i haven't found either one to be a problem and here is why.
before i got the game i read about how easy it was and that the single player experience was a cakewalk because the AI was so unaggressive. well for anyone who cares, this is not true. granted my fighter's record is something like 28-4-1 with 23 ko's, so its not like the game has the most punishing difficulty ever conceived. it does, however, make you work for your wins. in fact, going into the whole experience i expected much more of a knockout fest. i figured the game would be rife with huge punches and big knockdowns if for no other reason than the developers wanting to show off how good they look. i'm sure by now we've all seen clips of the face destroying moments in the game, and they are glorious to be sure, i just thought they would be easier to achieve. instead, against most opponents (and those from about the midpoint of the career mode) you have to play a very tactical game of cat and mouse. winning fights means not engaging in a slugfest, but darting in and out using your jab to wear down and frustrate your opponent. you have to make him miss to hit him hard because if you just start swinging big, he will counter you with utterly frustrating frequency and make you pay nearly every time. even when you can feel that you have the fight in hand, caution must be maintained because one big counter can change everything. also, you have to mix up what you're doing fairly often because the AI tends to catch on after about the third time you do the same thing. and if you stick with it after that, it'll mean a layover in counter city before you reach your final destination of the mat with a nice view of the ceiling.
i appreciate the difficulty of the game. the matches that go the distance are actually quite trying as they require your attention at all times. and every once in awhile you'll be granted an idiot to fight which provides a great change of pace. these guys just take big swing after big swing, and it's these matches that really make you feel like the king pimp as you deftly bait and avoid your opponent only to drill him when the time is right. but even in these matches you can never become too comfortable.
the difficulty and AI provides a good mix of challenging and instantly gratifying matches. you'll go up against stupidly aggressive bulls and frustratingly defensive counter-masters and this ensures that you have to keep responding to the game and changing your own style.
as for the marketing, i have heard alot of bitching and moaning about how if you pay 60 dollars for a game, it shouldnt be full of advertising. and i agree that in-game marketing can be taken too far (when kameo starts hawking coke in game or burnout starts trying to convince me that geico is the way to go since i keep crashing, itll be too much). but in the case of FN3, the marketing ranges from suitable to acceptable to funny, without ever getting in the way of the experience. sure the camera focuses on a dodge car before the dodge sponsored event kicks off, but im not bothered by this. it actually seems fitting and only adds to the realism of the event. part of the thrill of your first big fight, your first time at madison square garden, is how much like a real broadcast it is. its rewarding to have brought your fighter so far and to have reached the big time and the advertising helps this feeling. after all, you've become a big enough name with enough popularity to make it worthwhile for these companies to sponsor your fight.
the same goes for the licensed apparel. i would rather outfit my character with everlast shorts and an under armor jock strap than something generic and made up.
and as for the king, ever since i unlocked him as a trainer, he has been my go to guy. not just for hilarity's sake, but because he's free and gives you a bonus that the other free guy doesn't. because of the king, my fighter has a better heart attribute than anyone else (which i guess suggests that burger king is, in fact, good for your heart and you should eat it as much as possible). the only problem i have with him is that his in ring banter uses the same voice as the other trainers, and i'm pretty sure the king doesn't sound like an old black man (though i'm not certain as all he ever does in the commercials is stand there and look creepy). for me, his inclusion is more than anything amusing and while it has given me an undeniable craving for BK, i can't be angry with him or whoever is responsible.
so there you go. fight night has its flaws for sure (if only you could turn off the announcers), but the two things that reviewers seemed to harp on aren't its problems. the AI is good as is the difficulty, and the advertising usually feels right at home and, in general, helps to make the experience feel more authentic. if you like boxing, sports in general, or punching dudes in the face real hard then i recommend this game.
-Asano
posted by Voomp at
6:48 PM
1 Comments:
Yo, nice rereview. I must say, however, that you sound like a capitalist whore supporting all that in-game advertising :) I'm joking, but I recently read a very similar argument from a marketing guy who puts ads in games. I agree that in-game advertising, when used properly, can improve a gaming experience (or at least not degrade it), but part of me dies a little in admitting it.
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Anonymous, at 8:32 AM
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