EA Sports Rocks the Gaming World: EA MMA Review

Pardon me while I find the words to describe what has been an amazing 24 hours of gaming.  EA's first outing with the sport of mixed martial arts has been greeted with mixed expectations, but it's hard to argue that they've not made the case for EA MMA becoming a series.  The game brings forth a wide variety of options, with a deep career mode, game face capable create-a-fighter, gameplay altering rule sets and venues, and an astonishing online mode.  

If you tried the demo, and had second thoughts, hear me now...the demo doesn't do this game justice.  From the casual mma fan, all the way to gamers who never heard of MMA, this game brings something to the table for everyone.

Gameplay:

• The ability to switch between "Total Strike Control", which uses the right analog stick to strike, and "Classic Control" which allows use of buttons to strike, there's no reason you shouldn't be able to get the hang of new controls easily.  Easy to pick up, hard to master is the mantra though, and practice will make perfect.  Don't come in thinking this is the UFC Undisputed series, because it's far, far from it...thank goodness.
• "Fight Now" allows you to explore the entire roster of legends, prospects, and top fighters, along with every venue and rule set.  This allows for a great deal of customization for how you'd like to have your fight presented.  Rule sets include Strikeforce Rules, Unified Rules, Japan Rules, and Vale Tudo.  Although a simplistic mode, there's enough depth there to make each fight feel unique, and special.
• "Career Mode" is all I expected it to be.  The ever so witty Bas Rutten guides you through your career from amateur to legend, offering encouragement and advice along the way.  You start off as a semi-competent fighter, and build from there, Bas plotting your course to the top.  Menus are made less tedious with the use of a phone that lists options as if they were icons for applications, nifty to say the least.  Career mode starts you off with an excellent tutorial (MMA 101 may as well just be removed) that will take you through three amateur fights, first stand up only, then stand up with clinching, followed by a full MMA bout.  Once you run through these, you'll be given your first pro fight, and you're on your way!  
• EA MMA's online modes have been highly innovative, and hyped.  After playing online, I have to say, I'm blow away.  I've yet to experience lag, in over twenty fights online.  Loading times may get tedious, but I assure you, it's worth the wait.  All matches save for those that take place on a fight card are ranked, so if you're concerned about hurting your rank, give fight cards a browse and see if theres one you can join in on...or make your own!  Fight cards allow for eight friends to get together, play match maker, and watch the fights play out in front of them, waiting their turn and discussing all the while.  Quick match lets you chase after the Strikeforce title in all divisions, where stringing together enough wins will earn you a shot, and if you win, you'll defend your belt as many times as possible.  "Live Broadcast" allows for selected players to fight while live commentators discuss their bout in front of all who watch, be selected by submitting "hype videos" to EA Sports, calling out your opponents.
• Create-a-fighter isn't the deepest in the world, but with Game Face, you can upload photos of your face (or certain popular fighters who may not be in the game) and get a decent representation of that fighter's face to work with.  Tattoos and Sponsor ads are placed in zones, not freely placed, but there's a wide variety to choose from, and the system is deep enough to make a very unique fighter.