UFC Undisputed 3 walks a line not crossed by many sports franchises. While a distinction can be made between "simulation" and "arcade" versions of sports like football or baseball, the UFC has the distinct challenge of offering simulation style play, while also catering to fans of fighting games. It may take a little longer for simulation fans to get into the swing of things, but Yuke's has managed to put together a game that will appeal to both tastes.

UFC 3's presentation absolutely shines. One of the bigger challenges facing any sports title is re-creating something that everyone has seen on TV countless times. If something is off, people will know. UFC 3 does a great job of presenting the look and feel of a live UFC event. Camera angles are as spot on as possible without placing players in un-viewable positions. All of the real fighters are recreated down to the last tattoo. Animations are incredibly satisfying as well; every hit comes with a nice "crunch." Landing hits on an opponent has never felt so right.

A rewarding "thud" or "smack" sound joins each hit. Then there's the commentary and, even more impressive, coach advice. During matches, you'll hear your coach shout helpful words of encouragement, either indicating that something is working or, in some cases, not working.

Unless you go out of your way to create an odd-looking fighter, created fighters fit right in with existing fighters. As you progress through your career, you will also acquire authentic logos to decorate your fighter's gear with, or create your own custom logos. Further pushing the bounds of player-created fun, you also have the option to record fights, edit them and post them online to share with others.

Though you can jump into the game as one of 150 real fighters, Career is the best way to experience everything UFC Undisputed 3 has to offer. Playing like a combination of role-playing game and fighting game, the mode takes you from smaller fighting promotions up into the UFC, where you can vie for your division's title belt. You can also try your luck in Pride tournament, a mixed-martial arts promotion where just about anything goes.

The really cool thing about Career is how involved you get in your fighter's career. This is a fighter you'll bring up from nothing and turn into a fighter matched to your own style and tastes. It's nearly impossible to not get sucked into managing your fighter's career. Even better, you'll come out of every fight with some sort of story to tell. Sometimes it's the story of a last-ditch punch that ends up K.O.-ing an opponent; other times, it is the feeling you didn't prepare for a fight quite as well as you should have. Either way, it's an absolute blast and the most fun I've had with a sports title in some time.

You can also take your created fighter online to compete against others in online tournaments. By the time this review gets to you, the online community should be a little better established. From my limited time online, I can say that despite a rough start, the online experience has improved over the last week or so and is worth checking out if pummeling A.I.-controlled opponents becomes a bore.

Title and Title Defense Modes return as well. Title Mode is similar to a normal fighting game - you choose a fighter and run through a gauntlet of fighters until you're declared champ. Title Defense Mode is slightly different. Once you have the belt, you go through a survival-mode of sorts. While last year placed you against a dozen or so fighters, this year you're pitted against a line-up of 100 fighters.

Making it through to the end is a tall-order; not only are you working from the same health meter (with a small re-charge between rounds), but you have to face all 100 fighters in one sitting. There's no way to save (which, admittedly, would make it a little too easy), and if you quit, you're subjected to the ridiculing chants from the crowd. I'm all for an ambitious mode, but Title Defense goes a little too far and isn't much fun as a result.

Another slightly disappointing mode is the reworked Ultimate Fights. Rather than go through classic UFC/ Pride matches, Ultimate Fights presents players with a "script" of sorts. At certain points in the match, you are prompted to complete a specific fight goal in-line with what happened in the real match. It's cool, but only to an extent. It helps teach you how to play the game and use moves you might otherwise ignore, but also takes away some of the freedom. Each match is accompanied by a video recap of the fight, which is great for fans, though I personally didn't get much out of it.

Even if you're a UFC pro, it is best to start with the tutorials. For newcomers, the tutorials are a godsend. It is completely possible to "learn as you go," though it isn't recommended. You'll get the basics down, but without an explanation of the actual mechanics, which will come in handy during later matches. Veterans will appreciate the refresher, but will also want to check out some of the new fighting mechanics, such as submissions.

Once you're past the tutorials, the learning doesn't stop. In fact, it is only beginning. You begin Career Mode with a handful of basic moves. Its not until you get further in your career that you begin to learn the more devastating "signature" moves. Until then, you're forced to rely on pure strategy to win matches. It's a rough way to start, but is incredibly rewarding once you master the basics.

At its base, UFC Undisputed 3 feels a bit more like a traditional fighting game than its predecessors. Similar to something like Street Fighter, moves are tied to thumb stick-and-button commands rather than simple button presses. Timing is also a key component. Fighting game fans will adapt to the system in no time at all, though simulation fans likely spend some time getting used to the system. There's an "amateur" setting that cuts out a lot of the motions, reducing many of the stick-flick motions to simple direction-plus-button. The choice is, ultimately, about personal preference and style, though I opted for the "default" setting for the greater sense of control it offers.

Submissions are handled differently than past games. Rather than rotating the stick and hoping for the best, you're instead presented with an on-screen display. Once you begin a submission, two player-controlled colored bars chase each other around the octagon. To lock in a submission, you need to cover your opponent's bar with your own. The size of your bar is tied to your defense and submission ratings, so there's hope if you find yourself constantly submitting to opponents.

New moves and stat boosts are available through training, which costs "CRED," a sort of resource awarded after fights. Training wasn't much fun in past games, prompting Yuke's to replace them with a series of entertaining mini-games. Rather than turning to meaningless motions or number-based algorithms, training mini-games are based around the same mechanics used during fights. This helps reinforce what you're doing in the ring - improving the player's skills just as much as their virtual fighter's -- but also keeps you in the game at all times. It's a major improvement over spreadsheets and menus.

Training is handled between fights, which is nothing new. However, UFC 3 removes the idea of "resting" from the mix. You still want to go into matches in the best possible shape, though the system isn't as unwieldy as UFC 2010. Unfortunately, training is a bit of a trial-and-error mechanic as you learn which stats boost what, though you can set up training routines aimed specifically at tactics you plan on using in your next fight.

Overall, UFC Undisputed 3 is a improvement over past games and worth a play for both UFC fans and fight fans in general.