**Fight Night: Round 3 - Impressions...**

Spooky · Post by **Spooky** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 11:49 am

I am planning on picking this up today for sure so I will post mine ASAP. Sorry if the post is mis-leading as I don't have it yet. Just figured I get the ball rolling...

I would love to play some bouts online too with anyone here that is planning on getting it and we can further develop impressions.

(I am getting the 360 version)

TCrouch · Post by **TCrouch** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 12:26 pm

I had no idea this was out today. Is it in all major retailers today (or supposed to be)? If so, I'll send the wife out and be online with it tonight.

AcemanPR · Post by **AcemanPR** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 12:39 pm

Yeah, it's out at EB and Gamestop, and it appears some Best Buy's have it in stock now too.

dbdynsty25 · Post by **dbdynsty25** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 4:40 pm

I just picked mine up...impressions to follow. I got the 360 version BTW.

JackB1 · Post by **JackB1** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 5:01 pm

just read the ign review. basically they say that multiplayer is better cause they toned down the haymaker, but solo is worse cause the braindead AI opponents

TCrouch · Post by **TCrouch** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 5:07 pm

Just grabbed the 360 version, won't be able to play it until 4:30PST though.

AcemanPR · Post by **AcemanPR** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 5:35 pm

JackB1 wrote:just read the ign review. basically they say that multiplayer is better cause they toned down the haymaker, but solo is worse cause the braindead AI opponents

People that have played this have replied back saying that some of the stuff IGN wrote is completely false. In the quick game I played at lunch, the AI certainly put up a fight, as I lost in the fifth round with the ref stopping the fight.

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 5:38 pm

I am just curious as to whether the AI is as bad as IGN claims to be even on hard level or not as some of the other fellas claim in OS. Look forward to your opinions.

sportdan30 · Post by **sportdan30** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 6:10 pm

Hopefully, I'll have my copy tomorrow. Hearing positive impressions about how silky smooth online play is. This game has potential to be a blast going up against one another on XBL.

Post by **ScoopBrady** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 6:15 pm

I'll be picking it up tomorrow. I'm just waiting for the Frys ad so I can price match and save myself 12 bucks. Any impressions yet db?

Rodster · Post by **Rodster** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 6:20 pm

10spro wrote:I am just curious as to whether the AI is as bad as IGN claims to be even on hard level or not as some of the other fellas claim in OS. Look forward to your opinions.

I will find out soon enough. I played against my bud at my EB who happens to be manager there and we had a blast with a multiplayer fight on the 360. The game simply looks lifelike.

dbdynsty25 · Post by **dbdynsty25** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 6:42 pm

I got my ass kicked 4 times in a row so far. I won the first fight I tried by using Frasier against Ali, but other than that one fight I haven't been able to muster much of an attack. The AI is damn good if you ask me...and I'm usually picking the better fighter too.

My buddy is comin' over right now for some multiplayer...that's gonna be a blast.

RallyMonkey · Post by **RallyMonkey** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 7:42 pm

(360 Version)

I have no idea why IGN or anyone else is claiming the game has a dumb AI. I lost by knockout in the two fights i've tried. In fact, for me, the exact opposite were true. The AI countered my attacks extremely well, to the point where i left myself wide open so often that in my second fight the AI counter punches are what won them the fight.

I also feel that this game does an incredible job with forcing you to box. Flailing away and not waiting for openings cause your fighter to lose both stamina and power to the point where by the middle rounds you can "feel" your fighter losing it. Example: My second fight i took Ali versus Brock. I owned the first 6 rounds simply because it was Ali and his speed and power were better. BUT, i also had very little defense going. In the 7th round i had a haymaker blocked and Brock knocked me down with a massive uppercut. I never got up. One knockdown, fight over. I had taken too many open shots and threw too many punches and weakened myself to the point where i couldn't get up. I was pissed....but felt very much like it was me and not the game.

Very impressed so far and i anticipate online to be flat out awesome.

Rodster · Post by **Rodster** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 7:42 pm

Yeah the AI is nowhere as bad as IGN made it out to be. Leonard(me) vs Hagler and I was KO'd in the 7th. I got careless and the AI crushed me. Just for the record my settings are set at "medium".

The graphics are amazing on the 360.

Blublub · Post by **Blublub** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 7:57 pm

Anyone try the PSP version, and is that out today also?

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 8:30 pm

Ah, the power of persuasion. I just got my copy at EB and yes I saw also the PSP version. Got the 360 version and this is one game to look forward online. Playing mutiplayer has always been a blast with FN.

Diablo25 · Post by **Diablo25** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 8:47 pm

I almost caved in and got this today but just didn't want to spend the $60 with MLB06 coming out next week and GRAW coming out on the 9th.

PhiPsi1 · Post by **PhiPsi1** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 9:27 pm

i am by no means a boxing expert or what not, nor do i ever feel the urge to post impressions, BUT this game has completely taken me by surprise. the graphics are jaw-dropping. just seeing el terible, erik morales, break juan lazcano's nose and see how lazcano's nose bends more to one side. also, to see the real time cuts open up and start bleeding along with the facial expressions during the replays. not to mention how i can sincerely tell how strong or weak my fighter is feeling inside the ring purely by body language, giving more of a dimension to actually care about my fighter. i swear after i saw my fighter (morales) get a bad cut under the left eye, instead of like in the past of just still sticking to the strategy of just going "balls to the wall" and try to just destroy my opponent, i would stick to being more defensive and even changing to a southpaw stance for a little while just like morales did in his first fight with pacquiao (GO PHILIPPINES!) just to get more straight jabs and flurries in.

but the one thing i noticed had to do with the environment. in the 12th round, i decided to let it all hang out and go out blazin' and go for the knockout since i was up on the cards and totally "outclassing" lazcano (Medium Level)...okay, i threw away strategy and just decided it was time for war! but anyways, i got a huge uppercut in and it went into that slow mode knockout thing, which in a way i don't like too much, but i can live with. anyways, the CROWD freakin' got up on it's feet in the background!!!! I repeat, the CROWD got out of their seats and reacted to the action in the ring!!!! i even noticed throughout the fight that they would get up during really tense moments. as soon as i noticed that i freakin' got out of my seat and went "head hunting". BUT then all of sudden lazcano nailed a stun punch back and flash ko'ed me!!!! i just sat there with my jaw dropped onto the floor (ala El terible) and was in shock....but after the match i was like, that was AWESOME!!!!!! just the fact that one punch changed the fight was great and really makes you re-think your entire strategy...and that one knockdown put me out for good was great to see. and believe me i was freakin' out trying to get those sticks in the center to get up!!!!!!

but now it's on to using my fighter of choice from my country, the philippines, MANNY "Pacman" (a.k.a the destroyer) PACQUIAO and hopefully start a rivalry with barrera or morales!!!!!

i'm stoked for this game, makes the wait for more 360 titles that much better...if only college hoops 2k6 would hurry up and get here!!!!

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 9:30 pm

Played two fights so far on 2 minutes. Loved that MSG arena, the atmosphere. One on medium the other one on hard and I am pleased to say that the AI is just fine. On hard the CPU seems to be throwing punches at a quicker pace, although I am not sure about the strengh of the punches. Does hard mean harder puches too?

Haymakers are back (don't really use them unless the opponent is almost out) and you have to be precise to land one.

One thing that is not too realistic perhaps is that it takes up to 4-6 knowdowns to KO someone. Loved the Ali dance.

Graphics are GREAT, although some background seem to be on the darker side. I am playing the 360 version.

IGN must have been playing on easy folks.

Spooky · Post by **Spooky** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 10:32 pm

Not in the mood to write too much but so far I think they really added to last years effort in all the right places. The pacing is a bit slower and more deliberate. The haymakers are much more risky to throw. The AI seems to actually box more now (rather than flail away - although I didn't really notice that too much last version), but the way they block and move around is very noticeable this version.

Graphics are amazing, although I not sure I like the overall kind of washed out, muted look. It is not bad, just a tad dull. The player models and environments are just stunning though.

One thing I noticed right away is that the jerkiness and stiffness of the player models in the demo is MUCH improved(even though it was not bad in the demo, it was noticeable) They flow SO much better in this final build. I have not noticed any jerkiness.

I played one match online and it was silky smooth. It still has a teeny tiny bit of that signature EA delayed response as compared to the offline game, but it is much improved over last year and extremely minimal.

The overall balance is really well done, but I have a feeling we are going to see a lot more fights going the distance now, hopefully not too many (they are really mentally and physically exhausting).

Other than those things, so far I agree with all the other impressions posted here.

I'll play more and post more detail tomorrow.

vader29 · Post by **vader29** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 10:41 pm

10spro wrote:One thing that is not too realistic perhaps is that it takes up to 4-6 knowdowns to KO someone. Loved the Ali dance.

In the options you can turn on the 3 knockdown rule, it is off by default.

Ign definitely had to have reviewed it on easy as the AI is very challenging from what I've seen of it so far. I played three fights offline and lost two by knockdown both in the seventh and lost a 12 rounder by unanimous decision playing as Duran vs Leonard. Very fun game.

Danimal · Post by **Danimal** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 12:01 am

10spro wrote:One thing that is not too realistic perhaps is that it takes up to 4-6 knowdowns to KO someone. Loved the Ali dance.

What difficulty are you playing on? I've knocked Leonard out on the second Knockdown as Duran and my first Knockdown too Ali KOed himin the 9th round. This was at Medium.

I've seen the 4+ knockdown thing as well, but it doesn't always go down that way.

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 1:29 am

Danimal wrote:
10spro wrote:One thing that is not too realistic perhaps is that it takes up to 4-6 knowdowns to KO someone. Loved the Ali dance.
What difficulty are you playing on? I've knocked Leonard out on the second Knockdown as Duran and my first Knockdown too Ali KOed himin the 9th round. This was at Medium.

I've seen the 4+ knockdown thing as well, but it doesn't always go down that way.

I tried only two fights so far as my little one didn't cooperate. My main rush to test the game was my concern on the AI which is fine. The default to KO someone should be 3 on default as someone mentioned, I probably had that off as it took me up to 5 knockdowns on the Ali-Frasier bout on hard. The problem was not to how to KO someone but that it rather took longer than the usual 3 knockdowns before the refs calls it a quit.

SoMisss2000 · Post by **SoMisss2000** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 2:21 am

ScoopBrady wrote:I'll be picking it up tomorrow. I'm just waiting for the Frys ad so I can price match and save myself 12 bucks. Any impressions yet db?

best buy had it today. i price matched with the fry's ad.

Spooky · Post by **Spooky** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 10:06 am

Okay, I have to get this off my chest...

EA simply has no f*cking common sense when it comes to their interfaces!!! I just cannot believe how cumbersome and confusing the profile interface is on this game (it's as bad as their online interfaces). Anyone try creating a player, use him in an exhibition match or two, even online, then turn the game off only to realize that he is not saved??? Apparently you have to specifically go all the way back to the profile options menu and save your profile after you do anything to it before exiting the game or nothing will be saved. Where is the 'autosave' option?

Also, the ability to use multiple profiles at once is gone (like what Round 2 had). I liked the fact that you could choose your profile when choosing a boxer and then it should keep your stats and created characters there. A great feature for playing with other people. Not there anymore for some reason. Not a game killer, but annoying. Oh, and speaking of annoying, try having someone else join in with their controller and try to create a character. The game makes the other player log out, then the other controller player log in with a different profile and the re-save under that profile. Then you have to make sure you save your character again under that new profile and then go into the profile menu and load the old one for the 1st player in order to see his created characters. Sound confusing? IT IS!

Who the f*ck tests this stuff at EA???

Other than those things, the game is absolutely brilliant!!! I just cannot get over the graphics. especially the lighting. Woah! Does anyone else think that the overall look and movement of this final build is WAY improved from the downloaded demo? I didn't think it could possibly get any better and it did.

Personally, so far, I really like the new '3 Power Punch' system. Haymakers are not as powerful anymore, and also leave the boxer open to a bigger counter and stamina strain. Then there's the 'Flash' punch which drains the opponents health all the way down in one punch, very effective (at the point, maybe a tiny bit too effective) but does not guarantee a knockdown. I think more practice will enable me to counter these and use an opponent throwing them to my advantage. I have not seen the AI abuse it , but humans certainly will. Again, though, if it is missed or countered, there is a big penalty in the form of stamina loss and a pause in movement. The 3rd punch, the 'Stun Punch' is a blast. I can see some folks not liking this too much, but so far I think it is fun as hell. It is a punch that makes the angle go to first person view from the opponents viewpoint (or yours if you are on the receiving end). It is a bit awkward at first to swing away at that angle, but it is a really fun viewpoint and an extremely tense moment in the fight! Very cool.

Lots more to explore in the coming days, but I am loving it even more than Round 2 (with the exception of the profile management) so far!