Ultimate Fighting Championship: Other Fighting Games Shouldn?t Feel Threatened... Yet Company: Crave Remember that Ultimate Fighting Championship is still being developed, but Crave is going to have to do a bit of tweaking if they want to develop a winner here. The graphics of UFC are modest, but nowhere near their final destination (I hope). Everything seems very pixilated, especially the non-player characters and environment, as well as the blood. Of course, a lot could change in the coming time before its release. UFC?s sound is pretty decent now, but could also be touched up. For the most part, the sound effects of fist against flesh sounds pretty good, but other elements are far from done, including the announcer introductions, as it takes forever for him to spit out his words. UFC is similar to some wrestling titles you may have played. But this ain?t your typical wrestling... In UFC, you?re out for blood every time! There are four modes of play: Exhibition, UFC Tournament, Multi-Player Tournament, and Road to the Championship, where you defend your title (after winning it in UFC Tournament Mode) against the competition. There is also a Create-A-Fighter option, but it is quite generic when compared to those of the previously mentioned wrestling titles. Ultimate Fighting Championship does have some potential here, but there are some issues to consider. Beside the lackluster graphics, the controlling of characters will hopefully be improved upon. If not, UFC may become a highly anticipated waste of time. UFC is actually quite challenging. Of course, I am not the best of the best by any means, so your results may vary. Difficulty doesn?t necessarily come from computer A.I., but instead from learning and implementing the different combinations of moves successfully. My problem is that once I end up with my back on the mat, I can?t seem to ever break free... flip my opponent, yes... but break free, no. UFC?s controller configuration is very simple... almost too simple. There is something to be said about making the controls easy to use, but not taking advantage of the PlayStation?s shoulder buttons seems to be a bit wasteful. Instead, you have to hit multiple action buttons at once. Only time will tell if the controls will change. Other than that, Ultimate Fighting Championship is coming together nicely. It seems as though a new twist to the wrestling genre has entered the ring (or shall I say octagon?). Look for UFC to be hitting your PlayStation this October. -Woody, GameVortex Communications AKA Shane Wodele