11-10-2010, 11:58 PM
Fighters Uncaged
![[Image: 517Tp633h0L._SL500_AA300_.jpg]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/517Tp633h0L._SL500_AA300_.jpg)
Fighters Uncaged - The good
Fighters Uncaged - The not so good
Fighters Uncaged - Story
Maybe I just missed it when I first started playing, but there doesn't appear to be any plot. You start off as a guy training to fight, but they don't explain why. Not that it really matters, but it would be nice to have some sort of back story. Why is this guy going around beating up people? Is he trying to fight his way up the ladder to a drug kingpin who killed his mother?? The only clue the game gives is that there are different "leagues", so I'm guessing your character is trying to improve his ranks in the local street fighting league...?
Fighters Uncaged - Kinect experience
This is where the facial recognition can be a pain. You have to hold a lamp right next to your face in order for the game to progress to the start screen. You're literally stuck, no way to bypass that part. It''s not really even necessary for the game, as far as I can tell. The infrared tells where your head is, and the game doesn't take any pictures of you, so what's the big idea? Maybe this is only a problem for dark skinned people, but I wish Ubisoft would have thought of that.
The only other Kinect-specific issue may be the combo speed. When you're executing your combos, make sure you don't get too excited and do them too fast; don't get sloppy with it. The lag is not a problem, but the clarity of your movements can be. It's easy to get carried away and start flailing around, but the game won't know what you're doing to the exact degree you need it to.
Fighters Uncaged - Graphics
The graphics are good, the characters aren't too tubular, and the scenes/settings are pretty cool and realistic. The menu interface is easy to navigate, though the text can be a little small. You'll need a big screen TV.
Fighters Uncaged - Gameplay
It starts off with a thinly veiled tutorial round, where you are training in a gym. It's not very thorough, but it gets the job done. By the time it's finished, you'll know the basic moves, and can choose to go back later and learn the more complex combos on your own. The training really gets you amped for the game too.
The first few villains are easy enough to beat, though if you're of average fitness level like me, you'll get winded after about the 2nd round. Or maybe I'm just really into it, I don't know, lol. The thing to focus on mastering while you're playing these easy guys is how to distance yourself. You'll need to know this in order to make any of your strikes connect in the upper leagues. Blocking is also essential. You will tire yourself out needlessly if you don't master distancing and blocking. There are 3 distances:
Close up
Medium Range
Long Range
and various ways of getting to each. You can't actually move your body forward and backward, you have to use certain combos to move. The game includes a guide, study it well. The best combo I've found is to get medium range, punch, uppercut, headbutt, then kick. After that you'll be at long range and can catch your breath for a minute while you figure out what his next move is going to be, so you can block it.
One of the things that might throw you off at first is that your on-screen character can do floor spin-kicks and other moves that you aren't actually doing in real life. This is accomplished by special moves, but the game kind of glosses over them. Practice makes perfect. The other thing to note is to turn your fan on, grab a chair, and a bottle of water before starting. I doubt you'll be able to do more than 4 rounds without needing a rest.
There is no way to change how you look in the game; you're always a guy in a hoodie and jeans. That doesn't bother me too much, but you'd think they'd have designed at least one more, maybe a woman? Hah, I should know better. The villains are well designed, though their "themes" are all over the place. One guy looks like an italian mobster, another a bike gang member, a pimp, etc. I guess they're all standard urban creatures, but again, it'd be nice to have a plot. Maybe show your character progressing through town, fighting different styles of people as he goes. Just.. something to tie everything together.
Fighters Uncaged - Multiplayer options
Tag team is something I have yet to try. Independent fighting is exciting enough at this point; I'll get my friends to try it sometime.
Conclusion
Overall I highly recommend this game, especially to anyone looking to get fit without thinking about it, or to anyone who enjoys simulation games.
More Fighters Uncaged
[news] [trailer] [gameplay] [order here]
- Official site http://fighters-uncaged.us.ubi.com
- Developer: Ubisoft
- Genre: Action, Fighting, Sim
- Rating: T for Teen
- Alternative game name: --
- Players: 2
- Xbox Live supported?: Yes
- Uses avatars?: No
- Age group: 7-50
Fighters Uncaged - The good
- First and (so far) only fighting game for Kinect
- Decent music
- Thorough tutorial
- Great workout
Fighters Uncaged - The not so good
- No plot whatsoever
- Inability to change character
- Complexity of play
- Facial recognition a PITA
Fighters Uncaged - Story
Maybe I just missed it when I first started playing, but there doesn't appear to be any plot. You start off as a guy training to fight, but they don't explain why. Not that it really matters, but it would be nice to have some sort of back story. Why is this guy going around beating up people? Is he trying to fight his way up the ladder to a drug kingpin who killed his mother?? The only clue the game gives is that there are different "leagues", so I'm guessing your character is trying to improve his ranks in the local street fighting league...?
Fighters Uncaged - Kinect experience
This is where the facial recognition can be a pain. You have to hold a lamp right next to your face in order for the game to progress to the start screen. You're literally stuck, no way to bypass that part. It''s not really even necessary for the game, as far as I can tell. The infrared tells where your head is, and the game doesn't take any pictures of you, so what's the big idea? Maybe this is only a problem for dark skinned people, but I wish Ubisoft would have thought of that.
The only other Kinect-specific issue may be the combo speed. When you're executing your combos, make sure you don't get too excited and do them too fast; don't get sloppy with it. The lag is not a problem, but the clarity of your movements can be. It's easy to get carried away and start flailing around, but the game won't know what you're doing to the exact degree you need it to.
Fighters Uncaged - Graphics
The graphics are good, the characters aren't too tubular, and the scenes/settings are pretty cool and realistic. The menu interface is easy to navigate, though the text can be a little small. You'll need a big screen TV.
Fighters Uncaged - Gameplay
It starts off with a thinly veiled tutorial round, where you are training in a gym. It's not very thorough, but it gets the job done. By the time it's finished, you'll know the basic moves, and can choose to go back later and learn the more complex combos on your own. The training really gets you amped for the game too.
The first few villains are easy enough to beat, though if you're of average fitness level like me, you'll get winded after about the 2nd round. Or maybe I'm just really into it, I don't know, lol. The thing to focus on mastering while you're playing these easy guys is how to distance yourself. You'll need to know this in order to make any of your strikes connect in the upper leagues. Blocking is also essential. You will tire yourself out needlessly if you don't master distancing and blocking. There are 3 distances:
Close up
Medium Range
Long Range
and various ways of getting to each. You can't actually move your body forward and backward, you have to use certain combos to move. The game includes a guide, study it well. The best combo I've found is to get medium range, punch, uppercut, headbutt, then kick. After that you'll be at long range and can catch your breath for a minute while you figure out what his next move is going to be, so you can block it.
One of the things that might throw you off at first is that your on-screen character can do floor spin-kicks and other moves that you aren't actually doing in real life. This is accomplished by special moves, but the game kind of glosses over them. Practice makes perfect. The other thing to note is to turn your fan on, grab a chair, and a bottle of water before starting. I doubt you'll be able to do more than 4 rounds without needing a rest.
There is no way to change how you look in the game; you're always a guy in a hoodie and jeans. That doesn't bother me too much, but you'd think they'd have designed at least one more, maybe a woman? Hah, I should know better. The villains are well designed, though their "themes" are all over the place. One guy looks like an italian mobster, another a bike gang member, a pimp, etc. I guess they're all standard urban creatures, but again, it'd be nice to have a plot. Maybe show your character progressing through town, fighting different styles of people as he goes. Just.. something to tie everything together.
Fighters Uncaged - Multiplayer options
Tag team is something I have yet to try. Independent fighting is exciting enough at this point; I'll get my friends to try it sometime.
Conclusion
Overall I highly recommend this game, especially to anyone looking to get fit without thinking about it, or to anyone who enjoys simulation games.
More Fighters Uncaged
[news] [trailer] [gameplay] [order here]
Maybe I'm just generous? Even with the problems the game has, this is definitely a "Must Own". The annoyances are not great enough to prevent me from playing on a regular basis, even when I'm dead sore (my legs hate me for that)!