[Illcat]

Played two matches before work this morning:

I like:

As I am sure most will; the snap in the punches. When you throw and land now you can see the affect of the punches. Heads jolt back and sideways beautifully.

The player models are freakin stunning! I watched the youtube videos but seeing the game in person is awesome. The in between round close-ups are spot on, at least with Cotto and Manny.

I only played with Manny but his movement seemed pretty swift compared to Cotto. I could get in and out with ease and, his lean was quite agile as well.

I don't like:

The same old commentary from last year, adds nothing to the game. I know in the final product they go more in depth but EA just needs to work more on their in game commentary across the board. It's just too repetitive after a few games and not very specific to the fight you're seeing.

I don't really see how the new full spectrum punching is so innovative. It seems like I am more in control versus last year but that's it. I dunno, it just didn't blow me away.

As far as the stamina and stuff like that goes yeah, it's off but it is just the demo. Plus, I feel like stuff like that can be adjusted with slider tweaks once we get the game.

On the other side of the puncher's snap, when they get jolted back they just reset too quickly. The fighters never really seem affected by big punches, unless they get stunned. I made Cotto step back a few times but you never see a guy wobble or get weak in the legs after a barrage. All you have is that sound and if he steps back. There should be more visual ques that a guy is struggling to stay on his feet.

So, all in all, I had fun with it the little time I had. I also only played with one fighter so I have yet to get the chance to see how different the heavier guys are or, Cotto to Manny for that matter so, my impressions are limited. But, I cannot express enough how the fighter models may be the best models I have seen in any game. I'll still be looking forward to picking this one up at the end of the month.