Fight Night: Round 3

Fight Night: Round 3 is a boxing game developed by EA Sports. It is the sequel to EA Sports' previous boxing title, Round 2, which was released in 2005. Round 3 was released on February 22, 2006 for the Xbox, Xbox 360, PSP and PlayStation 2. The Cover Art features Arturo Gatti and Micky Ward, except the Xbox 360 and PSP versions which have a photo of Oscar de la Hoya on the cover.

About the Game

Fight Night Round 3 is the third boxing title to carry the Fight Night name from EA Sports, it features the usual improvements such as better graphics and gameplay. "Impact Punches" are one of the most drastic, along with ESPN Classic fights and a new career mode, in which you fight to gain popularity in order to reach sponsored fights, or to be featured on ESPN. Unlike in older versions, Round 3 (or at least the 360 version) defaults without a HUD, alowing a player to judge where their stamina and energy ratings are based on their stance, movements, and facial features.

Xbox 360

While available for the Xbox and PlayStation 2, the main buzz around Fight Night Round 3 has been for the Xbox 360 version, primarily because it's a next generation console with vastly improved graphical capabilities, like increased polygon count, high-resolution textures and enhanced lighting.

Critical Reception

Official Xbox Magazine awarded Fight Night Round 3 with a 10, the highest score ever given out by the magazine. The rating is described as not flawless, but still set to be a classic which every gamer should buy. OXM.

G4 TechTV's Reviews on the Run's Victor Lucas stated this was the best graphics he's seen on a video game ever.Reviews on the Run, 2006 March 11.

Criticism

The game has been criticized for its highly intrusive product placement. While brands for boxing apparel like Everlast is expected, "sponsorship" by Dodge and Burger King, including having an unlockable Burger King king as a ring second, is regarded as excessive.

The career mode also lacks reality to boxing with a simplistic ladder to the top, taking on present and historic characters as well as made up boxers. The intelligence is also limited as for example, the game automates a rival during your path as an amateur boxer and throughout the career of your boxer. The problem is that your 'rival' leapfrogs your progress and despite beating them in the amateur final and early in your career, they are the person you fight for the world title. Your fighter does not have a world ranking and world titles cannot be won, lost or unified, unless you follow the automated progress.

Furthermore, the minigames are the same as from the previous version, with essentially the perspectives altered. Additionally, the Xbox 360 version has several glaring flaws on what is largely a modified version 2, including a cutman who warns of cuts before they appear and random warnings of referee stoppages in favor of a fighter who is being dominated.

Boxers of Fight Night: Round 3

Some of the boxers that are represented in Fight Night: Round 3 are as listed but this list does not include some of the boxers that can be unlocked as your progress through your career as a profesional boxer.

References

External links