  
| 
| |||||||||||||
Review: 'Fight Night Round 3' a knockoutBy Marc Saltzman  The boxers' facial expressions are among the incredibly realistic features of "Fight Night Round 3." RELATED
YOUR E-MAIL ALERTSWhen designing "Fight Night Round 3," game maker EA Sports set out not only to create the best game in the popular series but also vowed to deliver the finest pro boxing simulation in video game history. The company succeeded on both counts. "Fight Night Round 3" is the undisputed heavyweight champ of boxing games -- regardless of the platform you're playing it on. In this third game in as many years, you return to the ring to play as or against your favorite boxing champs, such as Oscar De La Hoya, Bernard Hopkins, Marco Antonio Barrera or Erik Morales, as well as legends Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, Sugar Ray Leonard and Evander Holyfield, to name a few. In fact, one of the more compelling modes, called ESPN Classic, lets you watch vintage footage of some of the greatest matches caught on tape -- including Ali vs. Frazier at Madison Square Garden on March 8, 1971 -- and then step into the trunks of either fighter to re-create the bout. Alternatively, you can easily create a custom boxer from scratch by tweaking his physical appearance and fighting style. Whether you play a single-player match against the game's artificial intelligence (which, by the way, is adaptive, so it will learn and then exploit your weaknesses) or log online for a head-to-head game against a friend, "Fight Night Round 3" excels in three major departments: control, graphics and emotion. Rather than forcing you to learn complicated button sequences to deliver uppercuts, body blows or defensive blocks, EA Sports has developed an intuitive punch system that focuses heavily on the controller's two analog sticks; the left moves the boxer's body around the ring, while the right is used to line up a punch and deliver it. If landed correctly, devastating hits called Impact Punches likely will send your opponent in a downward spiral to the canvas. Graphically speaking, "Fight Night Round 3" is incredibly realistic, from the boxer's facial expressions to the sweat and blood that flies into the air after a monstrous punch, to his smoothly animated body that dances and sways in the ring. The visuals are so good that EA Sports has abandoned the typical on-screen info (such as a health meter or stamina bar) in favor of, well, nothing. You can tell how the fighters are doing by their faces and body language. The photorealistic graphics, especially on the Microsoft Xbox 360, coupled with no on-screen information, helps make the game feel more authentic. As with past games in the series, "Fight Night Round 3" also KOs the competition when it comes to showing -- and evoking -- emotion. After a major blow, boxers wince in pain before their eyes glaze over and roll back into their head before dropping to the floor. Players then are treated to slow-motion replays from multiple angles, complete with sound effects such a thud and crunch of a glove hitting a jaw, and a heartbeat as your fighter lies on the floor while the ref delivers the count. Other game features, such as a career mode, minigames, unlockable content and a toe-tapping soundtrack, all add to the game's replayability. Casual or hard-core boxing fans will find "Fight Night Round 3" a gratifyingly deep and compelling sports game well worth the price of admission. 
|
| |||||||||||||
| © 2007 Cable News Network. A Time Warner Company. All Rights Reserved. Terms under which this service is provided to you. Read our privacy guidelines. Contact us. Site Map. |
 |
|
Pay service with live and archived video. 
