When I reviewed last year’s Fight Night Round 2, I praised the game for the realistic controls and action. I still play FN 2 and still stand behind the views I wrote of that title. While it had a few areas that needed tweaked, overall it was the best boxing game I have ever played. Now EA has brought back the franchise and a version for the Xbox 360.

EA released the playable demo on the market place weeks before the release and it impressed me, the staff, and members here at XBS. I could not wait for the game to hit the stores. Fans of the franchise had high expectations for the Xbox 360 version and rightfully so. The real questions remains how did it stack up on the score card when compared to the last one? Read the full Fight Night Round 3 Xbox 360 review and find out!

Gameplay

While the basic gameplay is intact, they did make a few changes and players will also see that EA has finally used the ESPN rights in this one. I liked this added feature and it helps make the game seem more realistic mainly due to the commentators and the venues now added to the game. However, I noticed when playing the career mode that at times the fights seem too random and cause the game to lose a little of the feel of a fighter working his way to the ranks of pro and ultimately champion. For example, after fighting a young Sugar Ray Leonard and then signing the next fight with an unknown fighter, it just seems a little pieced together. As a boxing fan, this stuck out but really does not affect the gameplay but will seem a bit odd at times.

Once again you will want to stay an amateur for as long as possible to earn the better gear and build up cash. Fans of the last one will notice that they also took away the ranking from the details screen. You still see the popularity meter, but I miss that little extra detail. No I am not picking the game apart, but whenever a game reaches a new high like Fight Night 2 did, it raises the bar for the next game in the series. So there are a few minor changes. Some are great and some a little questionable. Thankfully the look and solid gameplay makes these changes easy to forget and enjoy playing. You will still need to pick a trainer then have only one training session before the next fight. Here again if a fight is 7 weeks away, anyone who knows even a little about the sport knows boxers train more than once before their next fight. Having talked with others who have the game, they also mentioned this seemed to take a little away from the realistic world of boxing. I can live with that yet once again the training sessions range from being very easy to having to be almost perfect especially if you choose weight lifting. They added an auto train feature as well. The down side is that you will only gain 50 percent of the benefits and attributes if you choose this for training.

Most gamers will breeze through the amateur rank without losing a fight although the last two fights are a challenge. You then go right to the pro ranks and try and build up your popularity, get more gear a better trainer and a cut man. You will need to pay a trainer and cut man for each fight. At times it is better to just go with the free choice and save your money rather than blowing 20 thousand or more for one fight. Even with the pieced together random fights, it is a great game and fun but not easy to master. Of course with the 360 version there are certain achievements based on winning a certain venues. All are tied in with the ESPN name or another cooperate sponsor. EA decided to once again add other modes like the ESPN Classic that allow you to fight the best fighters and try and change some of the most famous bouts in boxing history.

Also added is a play now mode that allows you to jump into the ring and take on a boxer of your choice and of course the online fights. It gives gamers a choice and at times a break from the career mode. Back also is the impressive create mode to custom make a fighter and later add tattoos and new gear. I found it easy to create a fighter that looked like me only younger and in better shape. You can choose from any weight class and fight through the career and Xbox Live mode. Overall, the game is very impressive and has a great look and feel to it. One new improvement is the added venues and the ring girls but that is all eye candy. The career mode is well thought out besides the fact a few fighter seem out of order. Fans that really enjoyed the Fight Night Round 2 should be happy and will find even new signature moves and new analog punches more on this in the control section.

Fight Night 3 has some great new improvements that makes it great to play, but at times there still seems to be a few issues that were in the last one. There is a great choice of famous fighters, but I was surprised at some who were missing when playing the Xbox live and ESPN Classic modes. I also noticed that when compared to Fight Night 2, the refs tend to stop the fights faster and more often, which at times can be frustrating. You still get the win but let’s be honest. You want to see the knock down and win it and not by a technical knock out. Maybe due to the new ESPN angle they wanted to try and add more of a realistic feel.

Control / Playability

By default the control scheme is set to use the analog sticks only. The buttons are for illegal blows and when need clinching to avoid a knock out. Many gamers will want to use a mix of button and the analog controls for throwing punches. The configuration number for this is 3 and is the best and favorite among those I have talked to and most that fight on live. I will say that EA added more realist punch types. Instead of the Haymakers being the best punch, they added Stun Punches and Flash KO Blows that are great but not easy to execute or land. If you land any of the special punches, they are devastating but still depend on your attributes how effective and accurate they land.

Once again the controls are easy to learn but hard to master and even with the great response of the 360 controller at times the analog punches are tricky to execute. You will also need to go to the My EA Screen when starting to play over Xbox live to change the controls to your own preference by default. They have it set at the first instead of the third. I found this out the hard way and was told to make sure I added this at first. Jason and I wanted to test out the online play. I cleaned his clock using the default analog controls. Once we learned to change the settings, the very next fight he won and it was not even close. Of course I need to say I did manage in the very next fight to score a win so it shows that just like the real sport, anything can happen.

You also need to be very careful to know the D-pad controls based on the configuration number. Pressing down or up can mean the difference between clinching to save from being knocked out to being disqualified for throwing illegal blows. You will also need to master the right way to heal cuts and swelling. After each round again, you can chose the auto option but this is not as effective. If you are knocked down, you need to get the left and right analog sticks to get each icon to the center before the count to ten a bit hard at times die to the fuzzy or dazed effect added but just takes practice. Overall, the controls are great and even more responsive then in Fight Night Round 2.

Xbox Live

Online the lobbies look the same as in the last version and almost exactly as we have become used to from EA sports and it is easy to find a room or friends. I mentioned how to change the control settings since for some odd reason the instruction booklet makes no mention of how to do this online. You can still make a private room and fight with a friend. You will also see their online ranking and the number of times they dropped before accepting the challenge. You can use your created fighter or pick one of the famous fighters in the game. Pick the venue, rounds and both challenger and host need to accept the terms of the fight before it begins.

The game showed no lag on line but there is the occasional phantom punches that will either go through the boxer or seem to miss then show it hitting dead on. It happens in the career mode also but not as frequently. Really with all the added graphical features, the game plays fantastic online and there is no issue with trouble signing on the EA’s servers. I like the option of being able to play with a friend or playing a ranked fight and having a choice. I still hope not only EA but other developers will allow friends to battle each other on raked events. I understand that some would take advantage of this and cheat, but to me I should and at times want to take on a friend to when rankings are at stake. All and all if that is the only complaint I have with the online mode, it shows how well this mode really is.

Graphics / Presentation

Graphically, the overall game has improved and looks great on the 360. At times there are those phantom punches and delayed times when the slow motion kicks in to show a brutal punch. The amount of details you can add to the fighter you create is impressive and overall the ESPN look is shown but they still have not reached the full potential of the rights and the footage they could include. Overall fighters look great the damage cause by punches seem more realistic. However, once again you can see your fighter look fine then a minute later he looks horrible. The slow motion effect is brutal at times and helps set the realistic feel for the sport. It may get a bit old but they seemed to only kick in at key times compared to last year’s attempt. Overall the changes graphically are sharp and really make this one the best overall. Again, the bar was raised on Fight Night 2. It is hard not to point out the small things that seem in need of tweaked. Boxing may be one of the hardest sports to make look realistic in a video game and EA really took time to make it as real as possible.

Audio

The commentary is well done and beefed up a little more. They were able to match what is going on with what is said for the most part. Just like any sports game, there are a few times when one comments is about the one fighter only to be repeated about the opponent the very next line. The sounds of the punches landing are well done. The chants from the crowds are an added improvement. Of course each venue has its own sound since at times you’re fighting in a small gym and then later on it’s at a venue where thousands are gathered. One thing I would have loved to see and where EA could really use the ESPN licensed to its full advantage is after key fights have a post-fight show with one of the hosts from ESPN talking about the fight and even highlights. Personally, this would really make the franchise perfect and a great addition. While the audio is great, you may get tired of the Hip Hop EA Trax. Thankfully during the fights the music is off.

Replay Value

Fight Night 3 is loaded with replay since you can retire a fighter and change weight classes and create a new boxer. This adds a challenge and you will face different fighters. Add in the online play and the ESPN Classic mode and the game has plenty to keep players wanting to keep playing. Online the play is smooth and can fit any skill level and is fully customizable.

Overall Score

Overall Score: 8.6/10 [not an average]

Additional Comments

Fight Night 3 is impressive and boxing fans will love it, no doubt about it. There are a few things that can’t be overlooked like some big name fighters missing from the legends. While the game has been polished, it still needs a few tweaks and the career mode is a little off balanced. While it is a great game and one that any boxing or sports fan will want to play, there are a few things that needed fixed or tweaked. While minor they stick out and that is due to the huge changes in the franchise and last years version that impressed many fans. EA has a great franchise here and the change over the last two years was certainly a smart move die-hard boxing fans will notice the same things I did. Here is hoping EA continues to push the envelope and takes advantage of the next gen consoles to give fans even better graphics and features. It is certainly worth buying and looks great but can be even better next year.

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