UFC 4

EA Vancouver has done an excellent job of building up its UFC series since it started up in 2014. This time out the studio has worked on making the game a little bit more accessible to newcomers without throwing out what's become a very sophisticated combat system. There's an 'if it ain't broke don't fix it' ethos at play here. While UFC 3 offered a serious overhaul of the striking system, UFC 4 is all about tweaks and adjustments. In the ring, the biggest change is to the clinch game. Rather than having to cycle through clinch positions to work your way free, so long as you have the space you just need to move away from your opponent. The upshot is a system that feels like its own thing, rather than an upright version of ground gameplay, and allows you to shift naturally from strike to clinch. Submissions have also been through a change, splitting them into two different minigames that basically involve filling up either the escape meter or the submission meter. Meanwhile, for newcomers there's the grapple assist system, which boils grapples down to directional moves that enable you to transition easily into whatever you want to do next. The structure of the game, however, is largely intact. You can develop and customise your fighter through a single progression system that covers all modes. Career mode sees you take your character from amateur to pro, while Blitz Battles and Online World Championships let you take the fight to other players. Plus, UFC 4 offers two new environments - The Kumite and The Backyard!