



EA UFC was a bitter disappointment after two years of excited anticipation. It's a gorgeous looking game, but a real step backwards for MMA games in terms of depth, resulting in an experience that quickly becomes rather boring, the last thing a good MMA game should be.

I'm going to do a poll to see what missing features people consider most important, but first I want to gather a comprehensive list so everyone please help.





By missing I mean only features which have been included in previous MMA games but have been omitted in EA UFC.





If some of these features are already in EA UFC then please let me know.





Maybe some of them could be patched in, but I doubt it. I'm hopeful all or most will be in EA UFC 2 though.





1. Touching Gloves/Taunts

This personally irks me the most, it's the only means of communication mid-fight online unless you're rocking a jaunty headset and it improves people's experience and eases frustration. I am irked.









2. Pride mode/Pride ring/Lenne Hardt/Legend fighters/Pride Roster/EA MMA Roster/Fedor!

Hopefully at least Pride Mode/Ring/Rules and Pride Roster will make into EA UFC 2, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was left for EA UFC 3. There are other priorities.





3. Open-weight fights

This was a glitch in UFC Undisputed 3 but what a fun glitch! It's doubly annoying in EA UFC as online there are some inter-weight class options, but not offline. Frustrating.





4. Cut stoppages

I'm not that fussed, but it's omission is just another example of the somewhat unfinished quality of the game and the lack of depth. Damned impressive damage modelling though.





5. Leg kick TKOs/Actively checking leg kicks/"The Destruction" Leg Break

More ways for fights to end equals more variation in strategies equals more fun for everyone and a more authentic experience.





6. Vale Tudo rules/Pride Rules

I really liked the way EA MMA did this as I want to be able to have Pride Rules and UFC Rules, but also have the option to have fights with both grounded elbows AND soccer kicks/head stomps/grounded knees. Their inclusion improves the depth of the ground game as it makes some positions like sprawl and north south more dangerous. Plus violence is good.





7. Ultimate Fights/Classic Fights mode





8. Strength play a role in some submissions submissions like Kimuras and Leg-Locks

This is controversial as it was poorly implemented in UFC Undisputed 2009 but I'd still like to see it return if done well.





9. Shaq





10. Fighter Share

EA said they can't do this due to copyright issues, but WWE 2k14 manage it ok.





11. Position Contextualised Move list

The in-game movelists in the Undisputed games was much better in my opinion, EA should shamelessly pilfer it.





12. Distance Contextualised Strikes

As in the strike your fighter attempts is dependant on your distance from your opponent.

I'm still 50/50 on whether I prefer this or not.





13. Pulling Guard.

I haven't fully researched this, maybe some EA UFC fighters do have it?





14. Butt Scoot

Thales Leites vs Anderson Silva style. Also like to see taunts and submissions from this position.





15. Entrances in 3 round fights

Why wouldn't they include this? They've already done the hard work.





16. Non-Binary Takedowns

Depending on your success there should be different positional outcomes from a takedown attempt.





Shining

Just kidding, I f**king hate shining.





17. Standing Submissions

The flying armbar omission is unforgivable, but I was also really disappointed we didn't get a Jon Jones vs Lyoto Machida standing guillotine/murder.





18. Follow Up Strikes/Finish the Fight/Nonchalant walk off

This was best exemplified when Dana White and some UFC and EA guys were playing EA UFC, the fight ended and everyone said "Is that it?!"

I want be able to follow up my KOs, but I also want to be able drop my opponent then casually walk off like the baddest man on the planet if I feel like it. It's all about having the option.





19. Flash submissions/Charged Submissions

Technically two different things but similar enough to include together.

Charged submissions were included in UFC Undisputed 2010 but were poorly explained at launch and hated as a result.

I don't think the same exact system would work in EA UFC and I'm not adverse to EA UFCs current system but I'd like to see more variation and options within it.





20. Submission Switching

The same as for charged submissions I think this would add much needed depth to the ground game and help differentiate the fighters more if only the Maias and Jacares had it.





21. Diving Heel Hook

There's no Paul Harris in EA UFC but that's no reason to omit such a spectacular move. Even Anderson Silva has fallen prey to it.





22. Full Mount Slam





23. Guard Slam/Powerbomb

BROCKLESNARRRRRRR!!!!





24. Piledriver/Powerbomb from Dominant Sprawl

Eventually removed from the Undisputed games as it's technically illegal but Nate Marquadt used it on Thales Leites and it's pretty spectacular looking. Bring it back for Vale Tudo rules!





25. Seated cage transitions/positions/submissions/wall-walking





26. Referee interactions/Referees stopping fights





27. Transition Reversals

Abused in past Undisputed games but somewhat corrected by a patch.





28. Feinting Strikes





29. Ground Sways





30. Bas Rutten

As a commentator, as a fighter, as a legend, as a guide and trainer in the career mode, all games need more Bas Rutten.





31. Release submissions tactically/voluntarily

This has been abused in past games but could be implanted well.





32. Event Mode

With User Created Events, preferably with fighter interviews like UFC Undisputed 2010, and also with Downloadable PPV Events.





33. Tournament Mode

With cumulative damage option, UFC dark ages style please.





34. Using the cage to transition on the ground





35. Option to choose simulation/arcade settings

Controversial is it splits the online community, personally I think Simulation should be the default setting, and there should be option for Arcade mode included.





36. Running

So when one guy goes to touch gives the other guy can sprint across the cage and launch flying knee.





37. Sprawling

Genuinely bizarre omission, bound to have been the next thing on the developers to do list.





38. Catching punches into the clinch





39. Catching kicks





40. Body triangle and all the other missing ground positions





41. Flying mouthpieces





42. Takedown reversal submissions

For example into a guillotine choke





43. Slams to escape armbars and guillotines

There's no Rampage in EA UFC but I can't imagine anyone not wanting these slams, in UFC Undisputed these could rock you, I'd like to see that and even the occasional KO. Also no game has ever done the full Rampage vs Ricardo Arona slam to date, how awesome would be?





Super CAFs

Just kidding.





44. A reasonable number of CAF slots

I don't use CAFs but if I did having only ten of them would enrage me.





45. More referees

Mneh.





46. Relevant corner advice between rounds





47. Responsive intuitive follow up to knockdowns





48. The sway button being the block button

On the right, where it damned well should be.





49. Being able to actually look at the (admittedly very well done) submission animations

The EA UFC submission mini-game feels quite good to me in some ways. My biggest gripe with it is that it demands so much of my attention that by the time it's over I have no idea if I won by Honda-bar or Peruvian Necktie.

The UFC Undisputed 3 mini-game had its own flaws, but overall was less intrusive so you could also actually watch the submission as while trying to lock it in. I also liked the EA MMA submission presentation (with the visible bones, and the tunnel vision) although the EA MMA system itself was deeply flawed.

I think at the very least the last stage of the submission animation in EA UFC should be after the mini-game is completed so you can actually watch the fruit of labour and the resulting tapout. The EA UFC submission replays are also much too short.





50. A developer presence on the forums

Many lies were told to us by the UFC Undisputed 3 Developers on the forums, but at least they were there to listen/lie to us.





Ok, if anyone actually read this far, what have I missed?





I back. Es normal.