Review: Bleeding, bruising, swelling – ‘UFC 5’ is a change of pace for gamers

NEW YORK: The obvious title for gamers to pick up right now is “Alan Wake II.” The much-anticipated sequel to the cult classic horror game is out after 13 years.

But for those who are tired of all the Halloween festivities, there is another option.

EA released “EA Sports UFC 5” last week. The combat sport has its own gory elements, but the blood comes from cuts and bruises fighters sustain in the octagon.

With the series transitioning to the Frostbite engine, the developers at EA Vancouver introduced features such as the Real Impact System that conveys damage in numerous ways and those wounds impact how a fighter performs.

More than ever, EA’s latest Ultimate Fighting Championship game is dedicated to the gore of being beaten to a bloody pulp, with more realistic wounds, facial swelling and injuries that impact your fighting skills.

For example, a cut around the eye blurs vision and weakens defence on that side of the body. A broken nose will reduce stamina recovery by affecting the breathing.

Other new features include a revamp of the ground game, in which the team replaced minigames and introduced a system called Seamless Submissions. The developers wanted to create a more authentic experience and one that feels less gamey.

With that said, “UFC 5” is a lot to take in for novices. The game has a bare-minimum tutorial that goes over the game’s complex system. Thankfully, the team used the Career Mode as a stronger introduction to mixed martial arts that teaches key concepts so that players have a solid foundation to work from.

If you’ve ever been curious about MMA, video games are one of the best ways to learn the intricacies of the sport, so that you can appreciate it when you watch the big fight with friends.

Play time: “UFC 5” is a fairly flexible game, and players can spend a few minutes playing head-to-head matches against friends or spend the weekend diving into the Career Mode. Whatever the case, players can have fun with the game and feel like they had fun over the weekend.

For those who want a good scare,“Alan Wake II” has plenty to spare. The sequel introduces a new protagonist, an FBI agent named Saga Anderson, who teams up with the title character after she helps him escape the Dark Place.

From there, the two will have to investigate their respective mysteries. With Saga, she has to figure what’s going on with the murders in Bright Falls. As for Alan, he has to remember what he was doing in the Dark Place for 13 years. Both characters use a system where they have to line up clues that they’ve collected to find a way forward.

The process lends a mystery-solving element to the campaign that’s almost like a police procedural. It takes some time to figure how it works, but when it does, it helps players move along the intriguing plot that unfurls the secrets behind the two heroes.

Play time: “Alan Wake II” can be finished over the weekend if you can dedicate a solid two days. The game is presented almost like a TV serial with each chapter having its own ending credit sequence. If you binge the game like a Netflix series, you can complete it in a little over 13 hours or so.

Lastly, if you don’t want to spend money and just want to try a game out, Blizzard is offer a free trial of “Diablo IV” through Battle.net. Players can explore Sanctuary, but their character maxes out at level 20. If players enjoyed what they played, they can purchase “Diablo IV” at a discount, and best of all, their progress carries over. – tca/dpa