The hair, trunks and music remain relatively unchanged.

The create-a-fighter mode is similar to Fight Night Round 4 in that it allows you to select from pre-made faces, upload your image from the EA servers or take your own picture using a USB camera.

Muhammad Ali dances around the ring, making you chase him. Mike Tyson, for example, goes straight for the kill with hard hitting punches.

The AI is improved as well, to the point that some boxers are downright nasty to fight. From the drops of blood that drips on to your shorts to the beads of sweat that go flying as your fighter catches a murderous right hook, the game looks crisp and sharp. The graphics have also been given a boost, adding to the realism of the game. Button-mashers can still use the face buttons, if they must. Throwing punches has been made simpler in Champion with the Total Punch Control system getting a revamp. I break each one in by wailing on a punching bag to get accustomed to the controls - and for the second game in a row, that man was Anthony Mundine.Īs Mundine caught combo after combo, I thought about how I would never be able to wail on The Man like this in real life without losing a few teeth in the process. It's not the best story in the world, but it is a step in the right direction.īut enough about story - let's get to the fights. However, the inclusion of the Story Mode is actually a welcome change from the long haul of Legacy Mode, which tends to get repetitive. Thus begins the clichéd tale of a corrupt manager, his attractive daughter, a naïve brother and a trash-talking rival. The story centres on Andre Bishop, an amateur middleweight who turns pro after winning a gold medal. The new title, number five in the series, adds something new to the fray.įrom the early days of Knockout Kings, EA Sports has cornered the boxing simulation market with fresher and flashier gameplay every time.ĭespite spending hours jabbing and hooking my way to the title in Fight Night Round 4, I was quite sceptical when I heard Champion would have a Story Mode.Ī sports game with a script is like Star Wars with a love story - it’s bound to be hackneyed and over-dramatised. Fight Night Champion is EA Sport's sequel to Fight Night Round 4, which was the first of its kind to feature Australian boxers.

Fight night champion review