Fight Night: Round 4 (Xbox 360)

What a great game. I loved fight night round 3 on my 360 and was so excited to see the round 4 coming out. I will be playing this game for some time with all the new features and let me say that the graphics are alot better than round 3 and 3 was awesome. Highly recommended.

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Finally, I have found a fighting game that I'm addicted to. This game is fantastic on so many levels... where to begin...

Legacy Mode - Hands down the best career mode in a fighting/sports game to date. Unlike UFC, your player gets older as the years go by (thank you). The detail put in to all of the statistics/rankings/fight history is truly amazing - not just your own stats, but ALL boxers in ALL weight classes. Creating/Downloading boxers and placing them in your Legacy Mode as an opponent is quite fun as well - I've been playing as Rocky Balboa, and I just beat Ivan Drago for the championship. I wish WWE Legends & even UFC had a career/legacy mode this in-depth & realistic - It has kept me entertained for days & days. I only have two minor critiques regarding Legacy Mode:

1) In UFC, you have to manage your time by balancing training with publicity. It would have been nice to have your boxer attend autograph sessions, do TV interviews, etc. in order to boost his popularity (at the potential expense of training/performance).

2) As the years go by, I wish I had the option of changing the hair style, adding tattoos & even changing the nickname of my boxer. You do get to change wardrobe & entrance music, but as the years go by, I'd like to see my George Foreman lose his hair & gain weight. Boxers age in statistical years, but not in appearance... that should change.

Controls - I actually like the "Total Punch Control" system; although I do agree, you should have the option of using buttons or the stick. I find TPC to be quite accessible & fluid - it didn't take me long to jump in and start using it with ease. FNR4 controls make for a MUCH more realistic boxing experience than its predecessors. For those looking for a slugfest, FNR4 gives you the option of adjusting the strength/weakness of your boxer & your opponent; I was able to lower the defensive/blocking skill of the AI, and turned the game into a Rocky-like slugfest. FNR4 can be as realistic or unrealistic as you want it to be. Minor critique: TPC can be a bit too sensitive when trying to execute specific punches in the heat of battle - this leads to throwing body blows when you are trying to land uppercuts.

Graphics - Best in the series - I could use a little more blood though.

A few more minor critiques...

1) Audio Commentary - It can get a bit repetitive at times. A several more days in the voice-over studio would have done the trick.

2) Create a Boxer - when you play as Iron Mike Tyson, you are referred to by the announcer & commentators as "Iron MIKE Tyson". When you create your own boxer, you can choose from a list of last names (as well as nicknames) if you so choose, but you can't pick from a list of first names. I'd like to have the option of creating a boxer who is announced/ referred to by his full name.

3) Venues - I'd like more gyms/theaters/arenas available to stage fights.

4) Ring Entrances - I LOVE the fact that you control some effects of the ring entrance (smoke, lasers, pyro, music), but the entrance cut-scene itself is WAY TOO SHORT! I would like to have the option of watching my boxer make his way from the locker room all the way into the ring.

In conclusion, FNR4 is an excellent fighting game which has kept me entertained from the minute I pressed "start". FNR4 is better than UFC Undisputed 2009, and in my opinion, FAR superior to FNR3. What truly "makes" this game superb is its detailed & immersive Legacy Mode.

10/10 - Hands down the best boxing game to date.

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This game has met my expectations and then some. First, the details in creating each boxer is unbelievable. If is far more detailed then any other boxing game. You can even upload your own face into the game. Once your fighter is done, you can upload it on the net for others to use. You can also use other people's fighters as well. All ready people have created fighters that were left out of the game.

When using Tyson and fighting Ali, I really got into the fight. The game play gives you the freedom to create your own combination of punches based on the strengths of your fighter. You can be winning a fight and suddenly let your guard down and get caught with a sold punch that turns the fight around.

The legacy mode is also great. I have not gone far in it but it seems to be very detailed with training and selecting fights.

This game was well done with proper planning and execution. EA or anyone else will be hard pressed to top this one.

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