UFC Undisputed 3 Review

The world of UFC is a curious one, in which kicking someone else's mind out of their ears is considered championship material rather than a criminal offence.

For those interested in the scrapfest but not quite ready to step into the octagon and risk haemorrhaging out their own vital organs, THQ's UFC games have been the next best thing, and this third entry in the series is the most feature-filled so far.

There's a lot of fisticuffs packed in, with a massive 114 fighters from the world of UFC to choose from, as well as the ability to create your own brawler (though the customisation options are more serious than THQ's WWE games - you won't be fighting in a zombie mask). On top of this, Undisputed 3 is also the first UFC game to feature Pride, UFC's Japanese equivalent, complete with another 33 fighters and the option to fight under Pride rules in a Japanese arena - a ring instead of an octagon.

Before all that you need to know how to fight. There have only been a few tweaks and minor additions to the control system since the last game, so UFC devotees who owned Undisputed 2010 shouldn't take long to get back into the swing of things. Newcomers are in for a shock however, as this is a complex game to learn.

Even after the many in-depth tutorials and learning every nuance of how to strike, defend, grapple, take down and reverse, it's likely you'll step into the octagon for your first fight and get your rump politely served to you, even if you opt for the new beginner control method which simplifies the right analogue stick commands.

Keep with it and you'll learn how to time your attacks, when to try and get extra leverage and when to go for that final knockout blow or submission. You'll get used to the chain of grapple positions, start winning and start having fun. We'd usually say that if you owned the previous game you'd want to consider whether it's worth getting this, but the addition of Pride and a more detailed career mode makes that choice far easier.