Fight Night Round 3 was unveiled last year during the Sony conference at E3 where it really impressed, but it's finally on Xbox 360 that the game has been released first, and the graphics certainly aren't worse. Due to technical difficulties I have not been able to use the 720p footage I've recorded, so I'll make a new video later this week and post my full impressions at that time. But I can already tell that the game is very good!
Update : The 720p video is now online, as promised. I've decided to ultimately record the first title fight of the game, as it's more interesting than everything else before. Full impressions inside!
A few people on forums said that the next generation really started graphically a few weeks ago with Fight Night 3. While we certainly got some really nice looking games at launch with Kameo for example, I'd agree that Fight Night Round 3 took graphics a step up compared to... anything else so far.
It's difficult to describe how incredible this game looks. Thankfully this is Xboxyde so you just can take a look at our exclusive 720p footage of the game to see it all by yourself. The details on the characters models, the way the skin looks realistic, the lighting, everything just screams "NEXT GEN!". If you want to show off your brand new 360 to your friends or family, this is the game you will want to use.
Of course graphics and animation go hand in hand. While the animation in FNR3 is certainly very good and maybe beyond anything we've seen so far, it's just not good enough to be on par with how the game looks. There are a few issues with the transition between the animation, and sometimes the way the boxer is guarding itself just looks plain weird. Like I said, it's definitely not bad at all, but it kills a bit of the overall realism.
Is the gameplay as good as the rest? I'm happy to say it is! The total punch control system is just an incredibly good idea for such a game. It just feels so much more fulfilling to actually make the motion of the movement with the right analog stick instead of just pressing a button, it's just *right*. It can be a bit awkward the first few minutes, but once you are used to the motions it's difficult to think about playing this game any other way than this one. Kudos to EA Chicago for such a great idea and implementation!
The career mode is a good way to get started with the game and get used to every little things you have to know about the gameplay, but it's a bit on the short side and just maybe not as complete as it could have been. Thankfully there also other modes, like the ESPN classics fights, and of course the Xbox Live mode. Playing on Xbox Live is just as good as playing with a friend on the same TV, except for a few slowdowns from time to time. This is a great feature and hopefully will be expanded next year with a tournament system.
Except what we could call almost minor details, I'm very happy with Fight Night Round 3 on Xbox 360. This game delivered graphically what no other game managed to do until now, and since the gameplay is also excellent this makes it an instant classic, until next year at least!
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All comments (22)
Commented on 2006-03-19 20:59:52
Commented on 2006-03-19 21:01:02
Commented on 2006-03-19 21:01:11
Commented on 2006-03-19 21:01:13The game is amazing graphically and the gameplay is just incredible. Do you see how intense the antialiasing is?
You should show some ring entrances so people can see how amazing the antialiasing is it appears as if its 16X AA. Working on the cuts in the corner the online fights everything is just great. Only time i've lost online is when someone choose the featherweight class and I'm stuck with some bum. I've yet to lose with roy jones I've beaten the crap out of people that have had the game longer and with some amazing win loss records. I was playing an unranked match against the 2nd best person in the world in fight night and he threw in the towel and left after i knocked him out for the 4th time in only the first 2 rounds :)
You've got to try espn classics!! Madison Square garden while the dodge calibur was parked right there next to the ring (these guys make a killer car model)
Commented on 2006-03-19 21:13:32After fighting with roy jones you TRULY see how much slower others are :O.
Commented on 2006-03-19 21:13:50
Commented on 2006-03-19 21:26:14Other then that, bring on FN4!
Commented on 2006-03-19 21:46:16I'd like while I'm working on my fighters cut other people come in the ring and start giving him water to spit out in a bucket or tossing water on his head etc lol. I'd also like to see mouthpieces fly out of your mouth or gloves tape become loose so you gotta go to corner to get them adjusted. If there is a bad cut i'd like the doctor to come up to the ropes to check the fighter's cut to decide if they want to stop the fight or not.
At the end of fights I want them to show people crowd up in the ring like you NORMALLY see in boxing and boxers pacing back and forth or something as they wait for the judges scores to be announced by the announcer after the fight and then I want to see a reaction from the winner or loser and a little celebration taking place.
I WANT TO SEE AN ENTOURAGE RING WALK (showing you preparing or praying in your locker room would be cool too. I also want to see people in your entourage holding up belts if you own more than one or something and I want you to have the ability to choose which belt you wear or give to members of entourage and where you can put the belt you wear. Over left or right shoulder or waist.
I also want to see boxers raise the belts in the ring after they've won the fight as they are picked up or hugged by their corner/entourage.
And if they have time throw in some rocky type moments where he yells for adrian lol just kidding, but I'd really like those features to be put in. I'd also like to see better rival related situations, weigh ins etc) The rivalries gotta be improved.
Commented on 2006-03-19 21:50:21 In reply to mike68
Commented on 2006-03-19 22:12:36
Commented on 2006-03-19 22:23:03looks great asweel and excellent for a bit of two player fun to settle those arguements
Commented on 2006-03-20 00:18:40 In reply to BlimBlim
Commented on 2006-03-20 00:36:22
Commented on 2006-03-20 11:04:26i have this game at home....and it looks just as good as the e3 tech demo.....there is no difference aside from the animations....the realistic rippling face effect is here as well....the only difference is that there is also a crowd,something that was absent in the e3 demo....its really film quality stuff and definitively the kind of gfx i want to see in next gen...
it seems there is something else i ll have to stare at,aside from my precious pgr3 photomode pics
Commented on 2006-03-20 14:35:25http://media.ps3.ign.com/media/748/748455/img_3323...
http://xboxyde.com/pop_image.html?G=2695&N=14
http://xboxyde.com/pop_image.html?G=2546&N=1
http://xboxyde.com/pop_image.html?G=2546&N=7
http://xboxyde.com/pop_image.html?G=2546&N=10
Commented on 2006-03-20 17:57:39 In reply to Optimusv2http://media.ps3.ign.com/media/748/748455/img_3323...
http://xboxyde.com/pop_image.html?G=2695&N=14
http://xboxyde.com/pop_image.html?G=2546&N=1
http://xboxyde.com/pop_image.html?G=2546&N=7
http://xboxyde.com/pop_image.html?G=2546&N=10
what a game!
Commented on 2006-03-21 00:39:30 In reply to rustykakswhat a game!
Commented on 2006-03-21 13:44:38 In reply to miketuck3r
Commented on 2006-03-21 15:13:24 In reply to satoshiEach fighter has different skin types and certain facial characteristics which you see on the real life boxer and fight night for the 360 gets them accurately (hell if winky wright didn't ask them to remove a bump he had on his face when he came to get his body scanned for the game it would've been there lol.)
Maybe you think there isn't much geometry in the face because the fighters shown in the 360 screens don't weigh as much as the 2 shown in the e3 demo?
Commented on 2006-03-21 21:43:12 In reply to Optimusv2Each fighter has different skin types and certain facial characteristics which you see on the real life boxer and fight night for the 360 gets them accurately (hell if winky wright didn't ask them to remove a bump he had on his face when he came to get his body scanned for the game it would've been there lol.)
Maybe you think there isn't much geometry in the face because the fighters shown in the 360 screens don't weigh as much as the 2 shown in the e3 demo?
in the xbox 360 version,there are some rough edges in the faces and the rippling is less pronounced....also some fighters have dead eyes.....something ea is still stuck in, since the last gen.....2k solved this problem with glassy and realistic eyes in nba 2k6...i hope ea solve the problem......they look like zombies....lol....
though i appreciated the motion blur very much....overall its film quality stuff...i m just nutpicking.....where is the self-shadowing....?lol
Commented on 2006-03-22 21:06:37
Commented on 2006-03-23 21:33:28 In reply to Optimusv2than e3...and there is also a crowd....