It’s been two and a half years since EA Vancouver’s UFC 3, and the developer wants players to know they’re not just buying the same game with a new number on the box.
“Before the game becomes available, we wanted to provide a deeper look into the biggest gameplay changes to give you a better understanding of how and why they came to life,” EA says in a new blog post.
“When you get your hands on the game,” the post reads, “the best way to learn these new features will be through the new career mode amateur phase, the new training manual, or in practice mode.”
Dynamic inputs
To simplify things while also making the game more accessible, EA Vancouver has developed new “new dynamic striking inputs” to make more inventive use of the gamepad.
“Dynamic striking inputs are a new control scheme that recognizes button ‘taps’ and button ‘holds,’ allowing us to reduce the overall number of button inputs needed to be pressed simultaneously to perform certain strikes,” the devs explain. “This allowed us to simplify overly-complex input patterns while simultaneously increasing the number of possible inputs and strikes for a fighter.”
Whereas UFC 3 had strikes that required five or six button presses, the sequel will require no more than three inputs for any individual move.
Grapple assist
While experienced players can switch off grapple assist and revert to UFC 3’s “legacy” controls, EA wanted to remove some of the barriers to entry this time around.
“The grapple-assist control system was created as a way to make the ground game less complex for newer users,” the developer says, “but in talking with our Game Changers and community we knew that it was important to maintain the option for deeper and more advanced controls.”
New submissions, takedowns, and presentation
It sounds like a big priority for UFC 4 was a more fluid and streaming-friendly approach to the presentation. Better animations, improved tech, and more context-based game physics are all ways that the sequel looks to deliver a superior MMA simulation.
Release date and platforms
UFC 4 arrives August 14 on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
According to a developer FAQ page at EA’s website, UFC 4 will include at least one all-new mode, online ranked play (playable with either created or licensed characters), and cosmetic-only microtransactions. According to EA, all cosmetics can be earned “by playing the game.”
There are currently no plans for a PC or Switch release.