Two years ago at the Electronic Entertainment Expo I had a chance to see a preview of 505 Games new MMA fighter Supremacy MMA. During that presentation the developers provided a glimpse of what would be the dark side of MMA games. Fast forward to September 2011 and I had the chance to play through a review copy of the game. Supremacy MMA in it’s current version is VERY different from the game I saw years ago so lets take a look at what we thought.
What We Thought Was Cool
Arcade Like Feel:
The problem with games like EA MMA or the UFC games is that they are very technical in nature. The average player will get blinded by button combinations and joystick moves that can cause a serious amount of headaches. Supremacy MMA gives you the bare bones experience with an MMA title. Each button on the controller is a different kick or punch and it is very easy to pick up and play. New users are able to hop right into the game and start fighting without having to read a book on how to do a rear naked choke combo with six buttons. As you build up attacks you have a power bar that once filled can deliver a devastating super attack. Health bars need to be watched as a series of blows can render you useless and knocked out on the concrete floor.
Brutality:
Supremacy MMA at it’s core is a brutal game. Focusing more on broken bones than flashy entrances, the game delivers of it’s “dark side” promise. As you are fighting, blood pours out from wounds and it is not uncommon to see a broken limb end the fight. EA MMA did something similar with their “X-Ray” effect showing injuries but Supremacy MMA is all about fighting in brutal dark alleys to maximum punishment. If you are looking for the ref to jump in and stop the fight at the first sight of blood, this isn’t the game for you.
What We Thought Sucked
The Game Is Downright Boring:
My problem with Supremacy MMA is that they utterly fail in the gameplay department. While the game is easy to pick up that doesn’t mean that it is actually fun to play. In my many sessions with the game I found myself frustrated enough to want to throw the game through a window. Fighting in story mode was almost impossible as AI opponents often knocked you out in two to three actions. I expected to find a smooth fighting game when I saw Jerome Le Banner as one of the stars. Instead, I found that throwing Jerome’s punches to be slow and with no power behind them. The story of the characters (mostly in subtitles) was a snooze fest and by no means held my attention. You can promise all kinds of things with a game but if you do not deliver on the actual gameplay then you are out of luck with your customers.
Graphics Feel Outdated:
The graphics in Supremacy MMA were dull and felt like you are playing a sub-par IoS game. Animations of the characters were clunky and very displeasing to the eye. during my play through I found several glitches where my fighter would get stuck or his limbs would bend at an odd angle for no reason. For a full priced game, this is just simply unacceptable as the game design feels rushed.
Final Thoughts
Supremacy MMA is a very different game then what i was shown years ago. As often the case with a game development cycle, things change sometimes for the worse. In this case, Supremacy MMA fails as a game and is simply just not worth the time to play. With other MMA titles coming out in the next several months I suggest all you Shogunites wait for a hopefully better play experience.
