Before I go any further, I should let you know that I'm not a fan of UFC, but the demo was good enough to convince me into buying this game. What really impressed me was the realistic ragdoll physics that also showed some actual damage to the opponent with top notch graphics, and also it was a lot of fun playing against friends.
Probably the first thing you'll notice when you start the game is how horrible the menus are. Not only do you have to listen to generic metalcore in the background (there's about 5 songs), but the whole user interface is excruciatingly slow and illogical. Something simple like continuing your career can be a true test of patience. I'll explain what you need to do to load a career. When you pick career mode, the game will always expect you to pick "New Career". So you have to press down and then x to load a career. After that, a menu comes up asking you to choose a career to load (even if you only have one). Then it'll ask you if you want to continue your career with this character, assuming you don't. So again, you have to hit down and then "yes" as if you wanted to load the career and then quit like an idiot. Oh, and did I mention that there's a 5-10 second loading screen after every choice you make, AND that this is the patched version. If I remember correctly, in addition to this bullshit, the game also asked whether you were sure, every single time you chose something.
The gameplay in the ring is a lot of fun, though mainly against a human player. Playing against an AI opponent is ok, but some players, like myself, don't feel like learning all those technical grabble moves. When I want to play this game, I want knockouts, but every once in awhile the AI will throw a grabble on you. Not knowing how to defend yourself, you will likely be defeated by submission. I wish you could turn off the ground attacks or vice versa.
I can't stand metalcore, and I can imagine even fans of the genre getting sick of the songs after having to hear the five songs about 1000 times whenever you have to use the menus. The announcers are interesting enough but they do get repetitive. Also there's some glitch that silences the entire audience for the rest of the match.
Everytime I've tried the online mode, I've ended up having to host, as the game is unable to find a match for me. There's also lag, at least a noticeable amount of it. The game will spend a lot of time trying to find a game for you and after that you get to enjoy another loading screen and then you have to wait for an opponent, and once one arrives you have to wait 'till he/she choses a fighter. In most games, once you've pressed x once to choose your character, this is your confirmation that you are ready, but in this game you have to press x again after you both have chosen a character. It's really easy to miss unless you are constantly looking at the screen. It doesn't even make a sound when the other player is ready.
- Presentation
Well, there's plenty of fighters in the roster, but what do I care. The menus are the most illogical and slow in recent games and the game is full of technical flaws. - Graphics
Like I said, the game looks good, and really contributes to the overall experience. - Sound
I prefer muting the game, but I'm not saying it's absolutely necessary. - Gameplay
Don't buy this game exclusively for your self. It's definitely worth it if you always have a friend to play with. - Lasting Appeal
Finishing the career once should do, but the lasting appeal lies in the multiplayer.