After months of waiting for this title and viewing all the developer videos, Fight Night: Champion hit game store shelves on March 1. EA wanted to bring the grittier side of boxing to life with this title by providing a story arc of the rise and fall of a boxing champion and just a few minutes into the game, you can tell that they definitely delivered on that end. I don’t know if I should spoil it’s basic storyline, but let me just say that most elements of a standard boxing movie are there; Let’s just say with the hour I spent on it that it’s a little cliché. I have to note though that because of what EA wanted to accomplish in the story, this is the first M rated sports game, so parents be wary of this.

Let’s talk about gameplay. EA has been known for their great control schemes and with the release of Fight Night: Champion, I can honestly say that they have outdone themselves again. Total punch control is still there but has been simplified and works a whole better. Player movements seem more real than they have ever been. The inner working of stamina and endurance have been tweaked to be more realistic as well. The character models have been improved and look better than ever. Everything across the board is a whole lot better than last years offering.

The only real weak point here is the cliché story plot and that is easily forgiven. Boxing fans, let’s get ready to rumble!

Fight Night: Champion is available in Data Blitz for P1895 or P1795 if you pay in cash.