Undisputed Review (PS5) | Push Square
Sports games are outrageously difficult to create, so you’ve got to give credit to Sheffield-based studio Steel City Interactive for having the guts to step into the ring. EA Sports defined generations with its Fight Night franchise, but lagging sales mean it’s moved on to the more lucrative UFC license. Undisputed swings for the fences by attempting to fill the gaping void left behind, and while it could use more iteration, it’s not a bad first effort by any stretch.
In the ring is where the game shines, with a dizzying amount of stats and attributes making each boxer feel unique. Whether it’s quick hands or knockout blows, the developer has done an amazing job of ensuring everyone handles differently. This is most obvious when you create your own character and start out in your own personal single player career; you’ll lack the deft touch and sheer power of the professionals in the roster, and will need to work hard to improve your stats.
The career mode is actually surprisingly in-depth, it’s just far too dry to remain engaging. A lot of your progress will play out in spreadsheet-style menus, as you hire a coach, cutman, and manager to oversee your success. You’ll negotiate fights, earn money, and progress to better gyms – all of which will enable you to raise your statistics. But there are difficult decisions to make along the way: too much time spent training could mean you enter the ring with low stamina – or, worse, with an injury.
While the pieces are there for a really in-depth experience, the text-based presentation lacks pizazz. We’d like to see this mode evolved in a hypothetical sequel, underlining our character’s journey from scabby apartment to glitzy penthouse and everything in between. Some minigames, both in the gym and in the media, wouldn’t go amiss – and perhaps some cutscenes to document key moments in each boxer’s career would be nice. We’d also like to see more organic rivalries emerge, as is the case in real-life.
It’s clear that the bulk of
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