Fight Night Round 4 (FNR4), has been long awaited since the release of Fight Night Round 3 in February of 2006. Is it as hype and jazzed up as the rumors have been speculating? Well your about to find out!
FNR4 is a much prettier game than its predecessor which is a lot to say considering how FNR3 wowed anyone who played it with its character models and arenas. FNR4 has improved upon every detail, making each fighter more detailed and not so unfinished as the last game. Each fighter looks just as great as they did in their prime, especially the likes of Mike Tyson and George Foreman. If you didnt know better, you would think you were watching old footage from HBO from time to time.
FNR4 has been made primarily to be played with the analog sticks (Sorry Button Mashers) but it holds its own and the flow of the fight still plays out smoothly, even if you are a beginner with the analog sticks. The sticks are not as brutal as was the case of UFC Unleashed (which would piss you off from time to time) and will allow you to continue your pace as you see fit. Each direction of your right analog stick has a different punch and can be used easily to string combos together. Your left analog stick controls your movement including your all time favorite, bobbing and weaving. Your face buttons, control your clinchs, pushes, illegal moves, and signature punches. This allows for quick decision making when stuck in a rut during a match.
The sound of FNR4 is great! The soundtrack surpasses FNR3s and keeps you content while going through the menus and beating the heck out of your opponents! The voice overs are also done very well during the commentary of the fights. They allow you to experience the game as if you were watching a PPV or Live show on TV. The punches sound realistic, and the noises and grunts from the fighters dont sound overexaggerated.
FNR4 now features a Legacy mode which would replace the old Career mode from FNR3 and allows you to go in-depth with your created boxer. You can schedule fights and train as often as you can to build up the perfect boxer, during the path for the championship. There is also a Fight Now feature which allows you to select your favorite boxers and beat the snot out of each other! The online mode could probably be worked on and allow more functionality with your fighters.
The achievements in the game are also very flexible during your offline play, but can be a pain in the butt, while trying to get those online achieves. The offline achieves, can be completed in both Fight Now and Legacy Modes. In about 90 minutes, I had unlocked about 410 points! BUT, whoever played online first, and won each belt, will be a happy camper, as everyone else will be pissed off trying to get those belts. Not to mention, people have a bad attitude online.
All in all, the game is a huge improvement over FNR3 and will offer Fight Night Fans a nice new refreshment of boxing. I am tempted to say this game topples over UFC Unleashed. FNR4 can be picked up by the biggest noob and can be learned very easily and will have you enjoying it for days!
GRAPHICS: 9.3
SOUND: 8.8
CONTROLS: 8.7
GAMEPLAY: 9.2
ACHIEVEMENTS: 9.0
OVERALL: This game Gets The JUNIORMT AWARD at 9.0!
Thanks for reading
Gabriel