February 24, 2006 - To many, myself included, boxing seems very much like a sport in which grown men pound each other senseless for others’ enjoyment. Of course there’s more to boxing than that, but besides the movies we’ve seen, the sparse terminology we’ve picked up and the few recognizable faces of the sport, we don’t really know what it’s all about. And now, EA releases what is hands down the best looking game ever made and everyone, boxing fanatics and neophytes alike, take note. The problem however, is that many sport titles feature complex control schemes, obscure rules and intricacies/nuances and a learning curve that punishes those unfamiliar with the sport thereby alienating casual gamers that may have an interest in the game. Well, unlike the Maddens and NHL/NBA games, Fight Night Round 3 is a game so well designed that any gamer (boxing fan, casual gamer, grandparent, sister, mother, stand-up comic, coma patient, etc) can pick up, enjoy, appreciate and even learn something from. And yes, even the brutal realism of two grown men pounding each other senseless sure looks pretty.

Fight Night Round 3 is, as of this writing, the best-looking video game on any platform. With the advent of the X360, it seems like that phrase is being uttered more and more, and it seems to always coincide with an EA game. Rightfully so, EA has put every other developer to shame with its mastery of the X360 hardware and its photorealistic games. From the various venues, the crowds, the background details and the boxers themselves, every square inch of FNR3 looks so real you’ll swear you’re looking at video as opposed to a game. Much has been made of the graphics and deservedly so, every punch, drop of sweat, ounce of blood is perfectly rendered. So good are the X360’s graphics that all HUD have been removed from the series (although they can still be turned on if needed). If your opponent is starting to feel the effects of your uppercuts, you’ll see it. If your own boxer is starting to lose stamina, you’ll see (and feel) it. Never has there been a game before FNR3 where the quality of the graphics is as integral to the game as the control scheme. But such is the state of affairs and although a few clipping errors occur from time to time (feet going through the mat, gloves meshing into one another) there is truly nothing that detracts from the spell that FNR3 casts. I have played games that have been “immersive” before, but when playing Fight Night Round 3, it’s more like being captivated. You twist your body, fidget in your seat, sway and bob from side to side and are powerless to stop it. The line between game and reality blurs even further.

The prettiest game would still get a low score though if it didn’t have gameplay in its corner. This is where the beauty of Fight Night’s control scheme comes in. Veterans will love the total punch control where the left thumbstick controls your boxer’s movement while the right thumbstick is used to perform every single blow you can think of. The thumbstick is divided into two planes (right and left) each mapped to a hand. Hitting the right thumbstick up-right will perform a right straight, a right hook motion with the stick performs a right hook and winding the stick up a bit before hooking it produces an upper cut. The same happens to the left. The triggers control lean/parry/blocking while the face buttons are mapped to specific actions such as illegal blows or clinching (hugging) your opponent. Needless to say, the control scheme is brilliant and very intuitive. Newcomers not as familiar with the series can opt for various other control schemes which facilitate matters as well, but an online victory using buttons over thumbsticks feels a little cheap.