MMA Rise To Champion (Beta Version)

What stood out while playing.

One of the things I like most so far is that the training actually gives you a reason to spend time outside the cage. Improving your character and making them stronger can improve your chances when you go into a fight, so there is a sense that the work you put in between fights matters rather than the entire experience simply being a sequence of matches.

The fighting itself also feels fluid. Punches look crisp, the animations work well and there is a satisfying feeling to landing combinations.

Special moves are another interesting part of the combat. Rather than relying entirely on conventional MMA attacks, specials can potentially turn a fight in your favour or provide a more dramatic way of finishing an opponent. It gives the combat another layer and helps differentiate MMA Rise To Champion from a straightforward MMA simulator.

Visually, the game also makes a strong first impression. The map is colourful, bright and engaging, which gives the wider experience plenty of personality outside the cage.

This is still the beta, so I'm treating these as early impressions rather than a review of the finished game. After spending 32 minutes playing it, though, I'm particularly interested to see how the fighting, training, progression and wider world develop before the official release.