THQ has been down on the mat of late. The game publisher recently laid off about 240 employees and completely exited the kids videogame market (a business that the company was originally built upon) as part of a restructuring. CEO Brian Farrell saw his salary cut from $718,500 to $359,250 as part of the changes. And the company faces delisting on NASDAQ if its stock doesn’t improve. But things are looking up for the game maker.
One of the franchises that THQ is focusing on moving forward is UFC. As Ultimate Fighting Championship has exploded into the mainstream over the past few years, THQ has been able to ride that success with four games. UFC Undisputed 3 is the latest offering, and it’s been receiving rave reviews from gaming sites (earning an 86 for Xbox 360 and 87 for PlayStation 3 on Metacritic.com).
And for good reason. The game offers more depth than ever before with over 150 fighters, including Mike “Quick” Swick (see video above). There’s a robust career mode that now allows fans to take their favorite fighters through an entire career. The addition of PRIDE fighting mode, a “no rules” Japanese league that no longer exists, has also been integrated into the game, and career mode. This allows current UFC fighters to battle PRIDE fighters during their heyday. Of course, there’s also an extremely detailed fighter-creation mode, which offers enough sliders to put any fan into the Octagon.
One of the things that stands out in UFC 3 is the new amateur control scheme, which was designed to allow those new to the sport an easy way to not only play, but learn about what they’re doing. With Fox broadcasting UFC fights live, more people are being exposed to MMA than any time before. THQ infused the new game with educational videos and gameplay elements, including a new graphics-based submission system that drastically improves the experience.
Whether you’re a veteran fighter (the original control scheme remains intact with additional advantages over the amateur game), or a newbie, it won’t take long to have fun playing this game. And along the way, you’ll learn the ins and outs of a full range of fighting styles. There are even real training camps and gyms like Greg Jackson’s in the game (see video below).
This is a win-win for THQ and for UFC. The more fans out there, the more games the company can sell. Just look at the success THQ has had with WWE games. Although UFC may not warrant a new game every year (UFC 3 has had a two-year development cycle), the game franchise is strong. Working hand-in-hand with UFC President Dana White and his team has paid off. THQ has delivered a knockout with this latest game, which bodes well for the future of this game publisher.