Fight Night Round 4 Demo Impressions

[PikeJR23]

Quote: Originally Posted by Bronk_Bonin

How about instead of complaining about what's not in the game (the buttons) you actually get better at the sticks? Crazy idea I know. So you're just a guy who doesn't accept change well? You make it sound like the TCP is broken when others clearly know how to use the TCP. If others have learned to use the TCP, my guess is that with some practice you'll be just fine. This is the direction EA has taken FN4 so you either get on board, learn the sticks, and enjoy a heck of a boxing game or don't buy it. It's not like EA is going to change the game 6 weeks away from launch because some guys don't have the patience to learn the sticks.

Well I actually CAN use the TPC better than most but that doesn't mean EA should take away my CHOICE to play how I want to play. I'm actually quite good with the TPC, the problem is the TPC lol. So you're going to sit there and lie to yourself and say that TPC in the demo isn't broken? How bout the fact that its easy to mistakenly throw punches that you didn't want to throw. Like Money said, the proper way to do it would be 3 and 9 o'clock are hooks to the head, and L + 3/9 o'clock be body shots. But that isn't what the case is and it makes it very difficult to throw the shots you mean to throw. But your notion that somehow I don't want to change and I'm not good at it is wrong. I actually can play w/ these faulty controls but its too difficult. It's like when you're a kid and you have no basketball but you're dying to play, so you use a dodge rubber ball. Yeah you still can make shots b/c you're good at bball but do you really want to play w/ that ball?

The reality is it isn't SOME guys who are complaining, it's the MAJORITY of FN fans. I'm not just talking on message boards like OS or EA, but the people who have played with me in my neighborhood hate the change and refuse to play the game b/c of it. Rule #1 in game industry, never take away options that were previously available to gamers. Madden learned this a while ago, so why is Fight Night following in this path?

[PikeJR23]

Quote: Originally Posted by Complex

is it me, but where is the pop on the punches?

Same thing I said. I think its like that b/c the power ratings of hatton and pac are low in the demo. I would think that they will fix their power ratings before the game comes out. There is no way Pacquaio is a 40-anything power. I think the main thing wrong w/ the demo is the low ratings (which they fixed based on the newer boxer gallery pics I saw) and the level of play, which I think is on rookie.

[JkA3]

I still haven't seen a solid review of the demo.

Can anyone put some time providing a review of the demo - overall (not just the TPC and Stamina, but all aspects) and maybe a comparison between FNR4 and the previous FNR3? It would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks - and I look forward to downloading the Demo and providing my own review this weekend.

[TheCreep]

I'll get you one up soon. I'm at about 90% right now.

[JkA3]

Thanks, I appreciate it!

[Pappy Knuckles]

I've only been playing it for about an hour now but I'm VERY impressed with this game. I'm a guy who was very good with the sticks on Round 3, so it will take me a little while to get fully adjusted to the Round 4 control changes (I think I'm doing more curving motions than I need to). However, I can tell already that this is gonna be a great game for those willing to put the time in. This is the most realistic boxing game I've ever played. If you truly enjoy boxing, I have a hard time believing that you will dislike it. Early impressions so far, I need to run through the tutorial and practice for a while.

[NYG_Meth]

Quote: Originally Posted by all-en

I still haven't seen a solid review of the demo. Can anyone put some time providing a review of the demo - overall (not just the TPC and Stamina, but all aspects) and maybe a comparison between FNR4 and the previous FNR3? It would be greatly appreciated. Thanks - and I look forward to downloading the Demo and providing my own review this weekend.

A brief overview:

Graphics:

Simply put, the graphics are stunning. Like some have already said, the body proportions (namely the torsos) look slightly wonky, but they're not enough to take away from the beauty factor. Animations are smooth, little to no clipping. Everything looks great.

Presentation

There are some welcome additions here. The ring entrances are very nice. The staredown and touch of gloves right before the opening bell is also nice. It's just a quick glimpse in the demo, but everything looks great so far.

Gameplay:

This is make or break time. I'll admit, when I first started using the new TPC, I definitely felt out of my element. Luckily, if you so choose, you can select the original TPC scheme. The biggest difference I've noticed is that with the old scheme, you can't throw body punches while upright. I might be wrong about that. At any rate, I decided to man up and stick with the new TPC. In a few hours, I had gotten very comfortable with it, and now (1 day removed from the original downloading of the demo), it feels like second nature.

So far, there's been one thing that has really stuck out to me. The devs have made a point of eliminating the "parry, paralyze" system. While that as we once knew it IS gone from the game, it has in essence been replaced by a new counter punching system. If you block a punch at the right moment or slip a punch at the right moment, the game slows down briefly, giving you a chance to retaliate with a counter. To me, this seems VERY much like the original parry feature, albeit modified. I'm not really a big fan. I don't understand why counters can't just be performed in real time like everything else in the game. Maybe it's just me...

Overall, the gameplay (and let's remember, this is just a demo--- the game is still being tweaked) feels very good. It feels better to me than Round 3. Some people have mentioned that it's difficult to move around the ring or maintain distance. I haven't really encountered this problem. It feels pretty accurate to me, but the devs have stated that they're tweaking the ring movement to make it easier to get around and maintain distance. Also, you have to keep in mind, we're only getting a look at 2 fighters here, and these fighters aren't necessarily known for dancing around the ring and avoiding contact. It'll take the full version to be able to play with other fighters with other styles to truly get a sense of what this game has to offer. As it stands now, I like what I see.

Audio:

I feel like there's always some overlap between audio and presentation when it comes to sports games like this. With regard to actual sound effects, etc, everything is very solid here. There are some nice additions like chatter from the cornermen "KEEP YOUR HANDS UP!" etc. There are a couple bugs to work out (sometimes the ref's audio goes out), but the devs have already mentioned on the EA forums that they're working on it.

As far as commentary is concerned, as reported, Tessetore is back, and he does a fine job. Teddy Atlas is a nice addition and gives some good color commentary. They make a point of discussing each fighter's history, previous fights, personal bits, etc. It's a nice touch. It's hard to say at this point if the commentary will get stale, but it seems strong so far.

Conclusion:

I was admittedly worried after reading some of the initial feedback from some other people on the boards. After getting my own hands on the demo, it definitely took some getting used to. As mentioned, the new TPC is probably an acquired taste, but in my opinion, if you're willing to put in the time to learn the ins and outs, it pays off big dividends.

A good amount of the stuff I'm most excited about (create-a-boxer, photo gameface, legacy mode, online, etc) is not in the demo. With that said, everything will ultimately come down to how the game plays. As most of you know, it doesn't matter how many bells and whistles you have. If the foundation of the game isn't solid, the rest will crumble. To me, the gameplay feels fresh, fun, and relatively authentic to the sport. "Stick mashers" will most likely get their asses handed to them by more skilled and fundamentally sound opponents. In my opinion, that's the way it should be. Again, while this demo is really just a glimpse, I for one, am very optimistic about the rest. I think we've got a real gem in store for us when the full version drops later this summer.

[clivo1050]

I think most of the negative opinions so far are unwarranted. The TPC is fluid and responsive. The counter punching provides more realism and strategy to the game. The graphics are among the best i've ever seen in any game. The physics seem solid given this build is several months old and will be tuned further. I am anxious to play with some heavyweights to see how the game opens up. Even with Pacquaio and Hatton, the computer tries to get inside but you can still stick and move with ease. At this point, this is a strong contender for GOTY.