EAs UFC franchise is back this year with UFC 4 and its forming up to be a punishingly effective entry in the series. EA is making a series of major changes to the gameplay this year, broadening and improving on striking, grappling, takedowns, and the clinch game. In addition, UFC 4 generates EAs own Real-Player Motion innovation from Madden, FIFA, and NHL to provide a more authentic representation of MMA cage matches.
GameSpot just recently overtook innovative director Brian Hayes, who dove deep into the many gameplay enhancements this year. He says the modifications to the clinch video game will be really impactful and right away recognizable, while players ought to appreciate the enhancements that EA has made to submissions and striking, Hayes stated.
Likewise in the interview, Hayes spoke about why UFC has parted ways with commentator Joe Rogan, who calls battle in reality for the UFC. “He hasnt been shy about stating this on his own podcast like he dislikes doing it,” Hayes said.
Make sure to examine out the full interview listed below, as Hayes likewise speaks about the advantages of going for the tail-end of the console cycle and more.
UFC 4 launches on August 14 for PS4 and Xbox One. Those who pre-order get the unique fighters Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua:
What are a few of the biggest changes and improvements the gameplay this year?
Most likely the single biggest modification that weve implemented/undertaken this year was simply completely upgrading and rewriting the clinch game, taking EA Sports, genuine gamer motion or RPM tech, as we call it, and simply broadening that from beyond just locomotion and striking into an all brand-new clinch system. The clinch game is much more accessible, fluid– your capability to get into it and out of it utilizing mobility, tossing strikes inside of the clinch transitioning to various positions and really doing takedowns and trips, its just an entirely brand-new system. The part thats unique about it is that formerly on other models of the game, the clinch was basically an extension of what is the ground game.
And you were basically playing the ground game standing, you know, in the clinch. Now, its in fact more like the closest possible range of stand fighting and striking. Its simply much more available and enjoyable in that method. Its from playing the beta on a weekend or you know, earlier today, just you know, rapidly grabbing somebody in single collar and throwing some uppercuts prior to they break away, it simply totally changes the way that clinch elements into every fight compared to previous iterations of the game.
” If youre trying to throw a spinning side-kick to the head you do not need to hold down as many buttons to pull it off as it utilized to in the past.”– Hayes
Thats the most considerable change weve made. Then its also been the addition of grapple assists controls to just make the existing ground game more accessible to more gamers. And weve updated the stand striking controls with sort of vibrant striking inputs. Theres a tap/hold mechanic to make every single strike not only more responsive, however make some of the more complex ones formerly more accessible to throw. So if youre attempting to toss a spinning side-kick to the head you dont need to hold down as lots of buttons to pull it off as it used to in the past.
What about subtle modifications?
Some subtle things weve done is actually adding levels to a few of the strikes. So for a great deal of, of the more sort of hardcore fans like that, having the ability to see that when youre, if youre in career mode, or if youre a licenced UFC fighter that does not have like high striking capability. The technical expertise with which a fighter throws some strikes will be various based on whether or not its a level one or level 2 strike or level four or level 5 strike.
As some strikes get greater and level, they are really thrown with more technical expertise as I stated, so thats a great subtle nod that we, we in fact hope to expand on moving forward. Hes got kind of sloppy looking leg kicks, as opposed to people like Edson Barboza.
Theres elements inside the submission video game like having the ability to strike. I imply, its not truly its not subtle when someone punches you in the face when youre, you know, theyre attempting to put an arm bar on you however like, its something thats never ever existed before in our series. So like when including new aspects like that to the submission game. The huge thing is that there are two brand-new submission video games, one for choke submissions and one for joint submissions. So are circumstances depending on what submission youre in, where youll get the opportunity either as the assaulter or the protector to throw hammer fists or various strikes at your opponent to attempt and mess them up throughout the submission video games, various methods to leave from submissions to like, some slam escapes chances that will develop during those experiences.
And after that, I mean, I believe theres a great deal of subtlety within the clinch game– it is an overhaul obviously, like a technical thing, but the positions, the shifts that take place the, you understand, the fluidity with which the players sort of change positions and navigate throughout the octagon when you know when theyre in the clinch. Theres a great deal of subtlety in that like, its not just a its not just its not simply a big ticket function. Its truly something thats the amount of a great deal of parts.
How has the application of Real-Player Motion tech affected UFC 4?
Then also an overhaul of how takedowns are done in the game. Yeah, clinch video game has actually seen a complete overhaul. And then theres theres likewise an entire list of new takedown animations in the game just depending on context– if I time its incredibly well and you have low stamina itll be simply a dynamic like driving spear directly to the ground.
Theres high impact slams, where do you like Daniel Cormier person up on your shoulder and generally put them ass over kettle, pardon my French, and slam him on his head. So real gamer motion tech, generally the two greatest things the extension of that from not simply striking mobility, but upgrading the clinch video game and after that rewriting the takedown system as well.
In regards to feedback, how much of the modifications this year are based upon what fans told you about previous video games versus your own game design concepts?
I think that a great deal of the a great deal of the big ticket ideas or a lot of the big things will be based more on sort of internal sort of concepts like looking at wider sets of data, and then a great deal of like the subtlety modifications … theres a great deal of tuning and balancing that occurs in terms of like, just how much just how much vulnerability should a fighter have when theyre leaning this instructions and their challenger throws a hook. When we are sharing the game through like an internal test environment with our neighborhood, those kinds of tweaks and changes and tuning and balances are things that. Thats where a lot of those conversations are driven.
In terms of balancing the minutiae, the subtlety, the subtlety of like, really, really sort of, like deep meta modifications and rebalances. If were looking at in terms of code change, it probably alters greatly towards like, you understand, a lot of the code modification is things that the group comes up with, however a lot of like the tuning modifications pack that we partner with that, that sort of core neighborhood so if that makes sense.”
Youre launching UFC 4 at the tail-end of this console cycle; what are you doing to maximize the brand-new systems?
And weve just done whatever we can to sort of capture the most out of our existing technology to produce a compelling visual and gameplay experience. And then theres simply new experiences with things like profession mode, having a brand-new onboarding experience with a bit more of an initial cinematic story, introducing characters to assist you sort of get onboarded to the experience, but for the many part … weve been quite excellent at making games on the current generation. This was more of a, how can we create new experiences provided our knowledge of developing games on Gen 4?
” Weve always been a title that prides ourselves on strong visuals.”– Hayes
For the commentary group this year, youve moved far from Joe Rogan. Can you speak about that?
He was open with us from the extremely starting that he hated his experience of doing voiceover on previous models of other UFC games, and things were no various for us. He hated doing voiceover on these video games. That has absolutely nothing to do with us in particular, or, you know, our games versus other video games.
Probably the single greatest change that weve implemented/undertaken this year was simply completely revamping and rewording the clinch video game, taking EA Sports, real gamer motion or RPM tech, as we call it, and simply expanding that from beyond simply mobility and striking into an all brand-new clinch system. The part thats special about it is that previously on other iterations of the game, the clinch was basically an extension of what is the ground game.
Its from playing the beta on a weekend or you know, earlier this week, simply you know, rapidly getting somebody in single collar and throwing some uppercuts prior to they break away, it simply entirely changes the method that clinch aspects into every single battle compared to previous iterations of the video game.
And then theres theres likewise an entire list of brand-new takedown animations in the video game just depending on context– if I time its incredibly well and you have low stamina itll be simply a vibrant like driving spear straight to the ground.
That has nothing to do with us in specific, or, you understand, our video games versus other games.
