Fight Night Round 3 (Xbox 360)

Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: EA Chicago
Release Date: 02/20/2006
Genre: Sports
Number of Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: Teen


So, if my last review wasn't necessary because the game was already out for several weeks, then typing this is just a waste of time. I'd like to write up a review of Mass Effect, but to be true to my theme, this week was spent playing Fight Night Round 3.

Not a whole lot of back story here. If you were a fan of the previous Fight Night games, then there's nothing here that would keep you from wanting to play this one. Again they give you the option of using buttons or the analog sticks to control your punches. The offer several modes of play, including Career Mode which is fun if you're enjoying the boxing, but if you're just there to unlock new gear (which is done through special event fights) then buckle in. The game does not move fast, and it can take around an hour to get your popularity up high enough to get a special event fight (on easy difficulty).

Within the career mode you are presented with a variety (read: 3) mini-games that are used to raise your stats. They're fairly simple, and while the boost to your stats isn't anything spectacular, it is done so that the game makes you focus on what aspect of boxing you want to follow, speed, or strength. You can also attempt to be an all around fighter, but as a result your stats will not get very high, as the mini-games add to some stats while taking away 1% from the others (with exception).

After you're in the ring, the boxing is pretty straight-forward. You can throw everything from jabs to hay makers, even though the game is a year old, the graphics are still rather decent. In between rounds you are presented with the cut man interface, where you can mend cuts, and reduce swelling in order to keep your boxer in the ring and off the mat.

If there is one beef I have with the game, it's that EA decided to not go with the GameFace face designer. Instead you are given some generic face shapes and features. It is possible that with all the swelling and cuts that show up on your face the longer you box, it may not have been possible to realistically add this to a custom face. My hope is that they can adopt the new Gameface that was added with the latest Tiger Woods game into the next Fight Night game.

Graphics – Pretty decent. It's obvious that they were trying to add things for the early adopters of HD. The bodies sweat, and spit/blood flies when the boxers are punched in later rounds. There is some crazy modeling issues with some of the ring girls, but as far as the playable elements go, the game is still easy on the eyes, even after games like Gears of War.

Sound – I think I'm going to remove this category from future reviews until I have a sound system in which to properly test this.

Gameplay – Fun. This game has single handedly been keeping me from breaking the seal on Mass Effect. Of course, I know that once I open Mass Effect, it's quite possible that I will not be able to pry it from my 360 for a while.

Lasting Appeal – I feel like this is an unfair category for any sports game as there is no real "end" to the game. They have done a good job of keeping the game fresh with various difficulty settings, and by allowing you to box it out over Xbox Live.

Overall – It's a good game. It's not the best game ever made, but seeing as you can now buy this for around $17, it's definitely worth picking up if you enjoy boxing games.