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As with many other genres,
I had assumed that boxing games had been honed to perfection in the 21st
century - but a quick glance at the competition reveals you've been putting up
with slow motion-captured nonsense for the past 10 years. That's my cue to
deliver the fast, responsive interpretation of the sport that fight fans truly
want! Although a boxing game was the first I ever made (and had published) in
Blitz 3D, it suffered from a plethora of novice flaws. Now, some 5
years later, I'm on top of my game and capable of training a contender that
could knock the wrestling games out cold...
Face Of The Future
The backbone of this latest
project is a new and improved graphics engine. The more detailed textures of
recent games are now fulfilling their potential via an equally detailed new
character model! It calls upon more polygons to create a bulkier physical frame
with visible contours on the body, arms and legs. The revolution even extends to
a shapely new skull, which brings out the best in face textures with visible
cheek bones, eye sockets and a protruding nose. It even moves better, thanks to
a looser neck bone that allows more expression. And some of the best hairstyles
yet provide the icing on the cake! Not only is there more of them (46 variations
in all, compared to Wrestling Encore's 33), but every single one looks
better than ever thanks to a little more detail here and there - not least in
the extension that makes long hair thicker and more seamlessly connected. Even
shaved heads have become something to get excited about - as the default cut is
now provided in sharper detail and comes in 4 different variations! Likewise,
clothing is also becoming a better contributor to the graphics - as this boxing
game pulls out all the stops to provide real exterior shorts and those
all-important gloves...
Lord Of The Rings
The boxing concept has also
demanded some minor adjustments to the ring area. For a start, there are now 4
ropes instead of 3 - and each side is bound together by a handful of vertical
ties. Similarly, the individual turnbuckles have now taken a backseat to the
all-encompassing pads that are more widely used in boxing (although the original
style is still on hand as an alternative). These pads also have the
responsibility of marking the opposing red and blue corners that each boxer
calls their home. In fact, everything about the ring is now designed to offer
more colour! Even the remaining neutral corners have the option of being either
black or white, and the accompanying ring posts adopt the same colour to
complete the effect. An even more striking revelation is that the ring aprons
can also be displayed in several different colours. Up until now they had to be
black to match the canvas edges, but even those are variable now thanks to a
series of colour overlays that can be painted over the default white base. The
result is that every apron now comes in white, black, red, green and blue - and
they even look sharper than ever thanks to textures that are twice as big!
Thankfully, this is also true of the numerous canvases - which feature a variety
of bold logos sewn into a convincing material...
Let There Be Light
In order to avoid being left
behind by the sparkling new character model, the venues themselves have also had
to raise their game! Not only do they benefit from the now obligatory high
resolution texturing, but they also make the most of it with countless
structural improvements - such as the ceiling lights that you can see in the
above shot. The stadium version, in particular, is almost unrecognizable as it
replaces the tired old flat crowd with a real network of steps that provides
viewing areas for literally hundreds of sprites. It's a revelation so big that
it inspired me to dispose of those cartoony cardboard cut-out's once and for all
and replace them with convincing 3D renders! This new crowd even gets to
surround the ring, thanks to entrance ways that tunnel into the seating areas
and allow people to gather overhead. The video screens that would normally
occupy that space have now been relocated to the corners of the arena (which
actually works out better since there are now 4 of them to catch a glimpse of
instead of one!). And yes, I was talking plural when I mentioned "entrance
ways". To honour the head-to-head nature of boxing, this game has two different
aisles at either side of the arena - from which each boxer makes their entrance.
And, as you may have gathered, that also means two backstage areas! The usual
locker room is now accompanied by a cosier lounge area on the opposite side of
the building (although a boxing match doesn't exactly give you much cause to
visit them)...
View To A Kill
What good would all these
graphical improvements be if a good cameraman wasn't there to capture the
moment? Thankfully, that part of the game has also risen to the challenge and
takes things yet another step further. Not only does the camera set the scene
like never before by briefly panning the entire arena, but it also works harder
than ever once the bell rings. Because landing punches is so vital in the sport
of boxing, this camera constantly reorients itself to make sure you're watching
from a more horizontal perspective. All the while zooming in on close combat and
zooming out to contain both fighters when they separate. And if that sounds a
little nauseating, you'll be pleased to know that it all happens as discreetly
as possible - leaving you to concentrate on enjoying the action. In fact, this
game follows World War Alpha's example by linking your controls to the
camera's current position - so your input is always faithfully acknowledged. And
that's just the default camera angle! There are plenty of alternatives to switch
to - including raised and lowered versions of the horizontal follow, and old
favourites such as the bird's eye view and arena perspectives. A variety of
first person angles also take on more significance than ever in this boxing game
- allowing you to see your outgoing punches and absorb the impact of those that
are incoming! They're as unplayable as ever, but it's an amusing little
distraction. The best news is that these camera angles are easier to access than
ever before too - thanks to a new system that puts all the variations of the
same angle (such as near or far) on the same key, and simply asks that you press
it repeatedly to browse through them. That ensures that every single one of the
countless options is available at the touch of a button. You can even specify
your favourite in the Options menu to prevent having to select it every time...
Weapon Of Choice
Spectacle may get people into the
arena, but it's substance that makes them stay. Fortunately, Reach has
put just as much effort into the gameplay to ensure that happens! The dedicated
boxing premise required a dramatic departure from my usual fighting system - as
evidenced by the fact that practically every button now triggers a punch of some
description. Much like in Tekken, the game uses a 4-button base to divide
between left or right and high or low. Pressing them while holding a direction
throws out a quick jab, whereas pressing them without a direction unleashes a
whole other 4 different attacks. Combining buttons together then unlocks yet
another level of power, and allows you to roll the dice on heavy attacks that
are a little clumsier. All in all, each character has 10 basic moves at their
disposal - which may not sound like much, but turns out to be perfectly adequate
in the heat of battle. Plus, exactly what those 10 moves might be differs from
character to character - as they each have their own assortment from a
substantial list of alternatives, ranging from every kind of hook, jab or
uppercut to all manner of novelty attacks. It's not just for show either. Even
within the same category, every punch has its own speed, range and power - so
having the right weapons at your disposal is just as important as being fit
enough to deliver them...
Deep Impact
Since punches are the only thing
to worry about in this game, it has also given me the freedom to make the
process more sophisticated. Whereas the collision detection in the wrestling
games was pretty vague, this game focuses entirely on the fists and produces an
impact the second they connect with the opponent's head or body. That means that
you're genuinely more likely to score a hit when an opponent's head veers
towards you or more likely to miss when they reel back, so you have to pay close
attention to how you're moving! Another little revelation here is that it's also
possible for two punches to land simultaneously - thus hurting both participants
at the same time. Not only is that realistically scrappy, but it also helps to
prevent onslaughts by giving the victim a better window to strike back. Best of
all, fans of Rocky II will be salivating at the fact that it's perfectly
possible to have simultaneous knock-downs!
Feel The Pain
And that's where the game makes
the fighting process even more sophisticated. As surely as the spotlight on
punches demanded that they be stepped up, the spotlight on being punched demands
that the reactions follow suit. Instead of having one preset reaction for being
hit either low or low, there are now several alternatives to mix things up - not
least of which are the melodramatic responses that send an opponent hurtling
across the ring! And the only thing worse than that is when a boxer barely
responds at all after being knocked into a stupor. This game's version of the
"blindness" from wrestling is best described as "dizziness", and leaves the
victim staggering across the ring with jumbled up controls. All of which
culminates in a fall when the boxer just can't take any more, and this is where
the game really strides ahead of its wrestling predecessors. As with the pain
reactions, there are numerous ways of falling down in this game - ranging from
flat on your front or back to collapsing down onto your knees. Getting up then
becomes a 3-tier process of clawing your way up onto your hands and knees, then
up to one knee, and finally back to your feet. But the process is also
reversible, so it's possible to crumble all the way back to the floor! It makes
knock-out's an absolute joy to watch unfold as you see the victim squirming
desperately for survival. In a nod to the game's wrestling forefathers, it's
even possible to topple out of the ring and down to the outside if a fall
happens by the ropes or on the apron...
Damage Control
If the animated reactions to
being hit don't spell it out for you, you should also notice the damage in the
state of your body! As in the wrestling games, every blow landed and fall taken
risks scarring each part of the body to increasing degrees (although it's almost
entirely the face and body in this case). There are also more particle effects
on hand to accompany this damage with flying specks of sweat and blood (which
actually produces a stain at the location it touches the canvas!). However,
where this game really takes pain further is with the injuries - which can now
afflict specific body parts instead of being an all-encompassing ailment. It's
possible to break either hand after landing a punch, and it's likewise possible
to incur a head or rib injury upon absorbing a blow. It's even possible to break
a leg while darting around the ring or taking a fall! However they occur, these
various ailments are then conveyed by a special aggravated animation - which
persists if you continue to use the damaged limb. Meanwhile, the burden of being
injured saps your health and slows you down to a crawl - which is practically a
death sentence inside a boxing ring...
Case For The Defence
Thankfully, it's possible to
limit the damage of being punched by putting up your guard - which is simply a
case of pressing the attack commands for each side simultaneously. You can even
move when doing so, or weave in any given direction when at close quarters.
Doing so is not just a matter of survival but is also a tactical ploy designed
to lure out and absorb punches, which can then be parried into a more successful
attack of your own. And when things get too hot, another form of defence is to
embrace your opponent in a bid to halt their momentum and regain some energy at
the same time...
Fancy Footwork
Of course, the best form of
defence is to avoid being hit in the first place - which is why this game allows
you to dart in any given direction by simply pressing it twice in quick
succession. It makes agility a truly important quality - since it governs how
quickly and how far you travel during such movements, and also determines how
well you track the movements of an opponent trying to dance around you. Even the
basic movements are something to get excited about in this game. Instead of one
preset movement animation, there are now dedicated animations for moving
forwards, backwards, and to either side. The game effortlessly blends between
them as you're moving, and makes the process look and feel more graceful than
ever before. It applies to movements of every kind too - whether boxing at close
quarters or strolling around at a distance. The only downside is that making
alternative stances involves 4 times as much work, but there are still a handful
on offer - with the default stance being accompanied by raised or lowered
variations...
Cerebral Assassin
Behind the scenes, one of the
games greatest achievements is that the computer opponents have learnt to master
all of the above tools. The most sophisticated artificial intelligence of any
fighting game yet ensures that they block, evade, and attack like any sensible
player. Not only do they call on the most appropriate punches for each
situation, but they also adapt their fighting style over the course of a match.
Every missed punch causes them to think twice about using it in those
circumstances again, while every successful punch bolsters their confidence
about pushing it further. Meanwhile, every attack of yours that misses makes
them more confident about avoiding it again - whereas every blow absorbed
reminds them to consider blocking next time. Over the course of a fight, this
network of calculations gives them the same recipe for success that a human
player would be hoping to discover - and makes them formidable opponents...
The Thin Red Line
The computer does all of its
calculations behind the scenes, but you need a few in-game displays to help make
sense of the action. Since there are only ever two of them to worry about, I've
been able to make the most graphical health meters yet. Large multi-coloured
health bars adorn either side of the top of the screen, and signify how close a
character is to being knocked down. That means it fluctuates at a quicker rate
than the overall health meters that my games normally display, but you can still
get a sense of that by how far it fills back up. Your hit points are only ever a
percentage of your overall health, so the upper limit gradually wears away over
the course of a match and makes knock-downs increasingly likely. As you can see,
the meters also include a smaller yellow "adrenaline" bar - which is the
equivalent of "heat" in the wrestling games, and indicates how close they are to
enjoying a frenzied adrenaline rush. It fills up with every successful,
confidence-building action and deteriorates after every mistake or act of
cowardice. Once full, the character invokes the support of the crowd and
temporarily fights at greater strength. Strictly speaking, it doesn't unlock the
"special moves" you would normally expect - so much as it makes EVERY punch a
little more special and allows you to do with them what you see fit...
Take Your Seat
Since boxing matches tend to have
a little more structure, the presentation also makes a bigger deal of the
timing. A normal match is broken down into rounds of a specified number and
length, after which each boxer is encouraged to take a seat at their corner and
recover a little health. In true MDickie style, even these parts of the
game are fully interactive - trusting you to return to your corner if you wish
or allowing you to cause trouble by fighting after the bell! Doing so is wildly
counterproductive though, so you'll find yourself playing by the rules more
often than not. And if the prospect of watching your character take a rest
sounds a little boring, you'll be pleased to know that there of plenty of stats
to keep you occupied. After each round you get a breakdown of the punches thrown
and landed by each fighter, and what that means for the overall scores (which
are often used to determine a winner when a match goes the distance). By the
time you've cast your eyes over the figures and willed your health to improve,
the bell will ring and it'll be time to resume playing...
Tale Of The Tape
One of this game's crowning
achievements is the significance of the statistics. It's a fairly predictable
cocktail of "Power" (their ability to inflict damage), "Reach" (their ability to
travel with a punch), "Dexterity" (the speed at which they punch), "Agility"
(the speed at which they move), "Stamina" (the rate at which they recover
health), "Toughness" (their ability to absorb punishment), and "Popularity" (how
well supported they are by the fans). So far so familiar, but this game has
somehow managed to make them mean more than ever. Here you can literally feel
every percent of power and speed - and it makes the characters from the
wrestling games seem identical by comparison. Every single attribute is so key
to what happens in the ring that it really does become a matter of life and
death, and learning to cope with everybody's strengths and weaknesses becomes
some sort of puzzle game! The real killer is that all of these stats are further
filtered through a character's health over the course of a match - so those
strengths and weaknesses are accentuated even more once fatigue sets in. Even a
character's size and height is of paramount importance in this game, because it
has an inherent effect on the range of their punches and the size of the target
- so much so that those figures have earned a place alongside the main stats...
No Pain, No Gain
As if seeing those stats pan out
wasn't tense enough, the process of building them up in the first place has even
been made more agonizing thanks to the addition of interactive training
sessions. Instead of being a passive option, training in the Career mode is now
a Track & Field style sub-game that asks you to work up a sweat by
bashing buttons! How far you manage to fill the meter up in the allotted time
dictates how much progress (if any) is made in the specified area. Not only is
that a fun little distraction, but it also makes you feel like you're working
hard on your body and serves as a constant reminder of where you're at. Purists
needn't fear though. It's perfectly optional, and you can get back to basics by
asking the computer to do it on your behalf as usual...
Best Of The Best
Statistics are so important to
this game that they've even managed to dominate the character selection screen.
Because of boxing's rank-based nature, the classic grid of boxes has been
replaced by a scrollable list - and the remaining space at the sides has been
littered with facts and figures. You can even click on a specific category to
resort the list with that criteria in mind - which means the "Database" feature
is built in as standard! The character boxes themselves have also been modified
to include a tiny portrait of the boxer in question, which means you can
identify them at a glance instead of studying the names. There are 100 of them
in total, spread across 3 separate weight classes rather than the competing
promotions of the wrestling. The differences between them are just as keenly
felt though, with the "Lightweight" division favouring fast weaklings as opposed
to the sluggish monsters of the "Heavyweight" division. One revelation here is
that the game is able to store 3 entirely different such universes on file. The
wrestling games shared the same old mangled universe that had a propensity to
get messed up, but this game preserves the default universe and gives you a
clone to tear up in the career mode. You're then free to make your own way in
your own unique world before returning to normality, and yet you always have the
option to keep that world going in another career...
New Dawn Of Creation
As ever, a new career starts with
you inserting a character of your own creation into this world. And, as you'd
expect, the editing process has evolved to accommodate the new model. Since the
shorts and gloves are now separate entities, they're also separate options that
you can change independently of the arms or legs. You can even change the shoes
independently of the legs, which is great for combining trousers with footwear
of any kind! The headwear has also become a more versatile feature - allowing
you apply any texture to it as if it were any other limb. That means you can
have hats, caps, and bandanas of any colour and emblazoned with a variety of
logos. Not that many boxers wear hats in the ring, but it comes in handy for casual wear. As
in Hard Time, you can also switch between different types of clothing in
real-time instead of having to load up a whole other "baggy" model type. In
fact, your character's build is somewhat automated in this game. The most
appropriate option is automatically assigned based on how you configure the
character's height and weight settings. The editor has been refined in other
ways too, with a main menu from which you can directly access any category
instead of browsing your way to it. There are also different stances for each
costume to drill home what its purpose is, and when it comes to selecting your
punches and taunts you can finally see previews of them in action! All those
extra animations add a few seconds to the loading time, but it's worth it to see
what you're doing...
Gone 'Til November
Once your career is underway
everything should look pleasantly familiar. The time-honoured format of working
your way through a schedule one week at a time has returned, and benefits from
much better presentation - with the weeks and months clearly divided into boxes.
The schedule tends to be a little different for this boxing game though, because
the emphasis is on preparing for one monthly bout rather than fighting every
week. These compulsory matches determine the rankings, because one month you
must defend your rank against your nearest competitor and the next you get a
chance to overtake your superior. The intervening weeks are yours to spend as
you wish. You can choose to fight more by supplementing your rank matches with
specially arranged pay-per-view contests that shake off the shackles of
regulated matches and let you call the shots. Most excitingly of all, this game
even has tournaments to take part in - whereby you're thrown into a 16 or 32-man
draw and must work through a series of opponents to get your hands on a trophy!
Along the way, the calendar stores more information than ever before - allowing
you to study the exact details of matches coming up or look back on the results
of weeks gone by...
Headline Act
With each passing week, the usual
selection of newspaper reports and magazine articles keep you abreast of the
latest happenings in the world of boxing. It should all be very familiar to
players of my other industry sims, but one difference in this game is that
there's a greater emphasis on match results and what that means for the
rankings. Instead of being entirely random, the CPU boxers have genuine
opponents of their own that they've faced - and they'll often be acknowledged in
the news to make things sound more convincing (i.e. "XXX got injured in his
recent match against XXX"). The newspaper itself has even gotten more
interesting thanks to a variety of photo backgrounds mock advertisements that
make sure every issue looks different! Meanwhile, the post-match magazine (which
is the imaginatively titled "Punch Line" for the sake of this game) goes into
more detail about your recent match and reports any meaningful changes to your
profile. Again, there's greater context to be found here - as the rank you've
climbed to or fallen to is often acknowledged, and in the case of tournaments it
even mentions who you'll face in the next round...
Stand By Me
One of the biggest changes to the
career mode in this game is that managers are a major part of your life rather
than a meaningless accessory. In fact, it's with them that you sign a contract
rather than any given organization. By default, you cruise along with very
little pay and no rights - but by convincing a manager to take you on, you can
negotiate a larger cut of the gate and all manner of other luxuries. It's all
very similar to what we've seen in the wrestling games, but a lot more
sophisticated. For a start, "Image Rights" has evolved into "Creative Control"
because your image is just ONE of the things that it affects. Having no creative
control means you don't get to arrange your own matches and can't veto any of
the career choices that people make on your behalf. So, far from being a quirky
gimmick, it's actually an important issue. As are the "Performance Clause" and
"Health Policy" from the wrestling games - which return here to govern how much
you get paid in the event of losing and how much compensation you get when
injured. However, one key difference here is that negotiating them just got a
lot more sophisticated. Managers have their own unique qualities, and those
strengths and weaknesses will affect what they can and can't offer. Those with
poor business skills can't offer much pay, those with poor medical skills can't
offer you much compensation, and those with a bad attitude can't offer you an
easy life! On your side of things, it's also possible to figure out the best
deal that works for you - by taking a smaller cut in exchange for more
sweeteners or trading in those benefits for a juicier pay-off. All in all, every
deal is different and makes for a very interesting career...
Blind Date
This game brings all the fun of
contract negotiations to arranging matches too. Holes in your schedule are yours
to fill as you see fit, and the best way is to get talking to other boxers about
setting up a lucrative pay-per-view match! It involves the same back-and-forth
banter of contract negotiations but with very different subject matter. Since
your payment is governed by your contract with your manager, these match
arrangements focus on deciding the date, venue, and match rules. As with
business matters, every character has their own unique requirements and there's
a surprising number of things to disagree about. Not least whether or not the
match should go ahead in the first place, because boxers are very careful about
who they step into the ring with...
Backstage Meetings
In addition to formal
discussions, there are also plenty of "yes or no" meetings that influence the
course of your career and affect your relationship with other characters. These
might involve fielding suggestions from your manager or confronting demands from
your peers (not least for a rematch after a controversial result!). However, the
most important meetings of all are with the big boss that presides over the
"Boxing Entertainment Commission". He has the power to kick you out of the
entire industry, and will regularly make you jump through hoops to prove that
you belong there. These little assignments can involve anything from improving a
given skill to changing your body shape, but they're ultimately for your own
good and help to spice up to your career. One thing that you'll notice about
this game is that these meetings take place in a wider variety of locations -
from all 4 corners of the arena to a plush new office with a skyline view. There
are also more animations for these segments (especially when seated locations),
which helps to make the conversations look and feel more convincing...
War Of Words
Perhaps the biggest "meeting" of
all is the one that happens before each and every match! The "promo" system in
this game takes the guise of a formal press conference - where each boxer and
his manager sits either side of a host and discusses the upcoming match. What
elevates it above a meaningless gimmick is that there are actually real talking
points. Each boxer boasts about a legitimate strength or picks out a legitimate
weakness in their opponent, which is revealing in its accuracy and hints at how
the match really will pan out. Plus the game keeps a record of what happened the
last time you faced each opponent and brings that up to add yet more context to
the proceedings. They even acknowledge the recent deaths of fellow boxers!
Complete with an intro that refers to the match type and circumstances, it's the
best preparation that you could ask for...
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