We have new gameplay footage from EA Sports UFC, and this one is cool. Today, we get to see a fight between vicious rivals Ronda Rousey and Miesha Tate.
Those of you who actually watch UFC regularly know these two do not pull their punches, especially towards each other. We get to see a pretty heated match here that demonstrates the game’s battle system, particularly Strategic Submission Battles.
The Strategic Submission Battles system is basically EA’s way of trying to simulate the reality of grappling in MMA. Unlike, say, in fighting or wrestling games, MMA grappling isn’t reducible to the timed press of a button. There’s a sense of progression in locking on a submission in real fights. EA also sought to simulate the resistance coming from a fighter trying to get out of a grapple, which again other games do not capture as accurately.
So here’s how the SSB system works. There’s an HUD that appears with four gates. A blue Right Stick icon appears, giving the defending fighter directions on how to get out of the submission. The idea is you move and maneuver your way out of the HUD.
In turn, the attacking fighter can block the escape. When the Right Stick icon turns red, they then get instructions directions on how to stop the defender from getting out of the submission. When the escape is successfully thwarted, the attacked then gets a Left Stick icon, prompting them to bring the submission to the next stage.
In the end, either the attacker gets through all the stages needed and submits her opponent, or the defender successfully gets out of the attack. Stamina and player submission ratings factor in as well.
The SSB is a deep methodical system that shows EA Sports UFC is not your everyday fighting simulation. We look forward to seeing it in action this June 17 on Playstation 4 and Xbox One. Check out the full trailer below.
