A few years ago, EA changed up their boxing game substantially with the launch of Fight Night Round 3. The game boasted a fully analog control scheme, a great roster of fighters, and some groundbreaking graphics, making it the most compelling boxing game for years. Now, EA is launching Fight Night Round 4, pushing the genre even further.

Fight Night Round 4 ups the ante from its predecessor with improved mechanics, including a great counter system, an even bigger roster of fighters, and an improved career mode (rebranded Legacy mode). Additionally, the game features a Heads Up Display (HUD), something that was missing from Round 3, which lets you know your current health, stamina, and block ability at any time, something that will undoubtedly help out newcomers unfamiliar with how to read a boxer’s fatigue. Fight Night Round 4 is another great title in the Fight Night franchise, and well worth a look from fans of the sport.

Fight Night Round 4 boasts an impressive roster of fighters. Returning or fan favorites like George Foreman, Muhammad Ali, and Lennox Lewis. However, the biggest news out of the roster is the inclusion of Iron Mike Tyson. For the first time, you can actually play as Mike Tyson at the prime of his career in a video-game, which is a great inclusion for fans of the sport.

Taking the place of Round 3’s career mode is the Legacy mode. In the Legacy Mode, you can take a boxer up through the ranks from an amateur to world champion. Instead of importing your created boxer over for this mode, you can actually take one of the existing members of the roster through the ropes to being champion. In the Legacy mode, you must choose when and with whom to schedule your fights, as well as your training sessions, while being mindful of your required rest time. You’ll also have to accept or decline challenges and rematch offers should they come your way. Also, you’ll earn awards at the end of the year, and have to track the progress of up and comers in your weight class as well as others. The Legacy mode is very deep, and should keep fans busy for a long time.

In order to improve your fighter’s attributes in the Legacy mode, the game boasts six training games, up from four in the last version. The one problem with these mini training games is that they are quite difficult if you’re not somewhat experienced with the game’s mechanics. This can lead to some undue frustration when trying to give your character some better attributes during his formative early fights. While you can auto-train your fighter in attributes of your choosing, you won’t get the biggest improvements unless you master the training sequences yourself.

The game takes a much more visceral approach to its counter system than previous years. In order to pull off a counter, you must block or dodge an opponent’s punch at just the right time, at which point the camera will shift indicating that your opponent is wide open for a hit. Hitting them at the right time will cause the screen to flash yellow briefly, taking a nice chunk out of their health (more than a regular punch) and even has the potential to stun them, allowing you to unload a torrent of punches that won’t cost you stamina while at the same time preventing your opponent from regenerating health.

The game’s AI is great, adapting realistically to your fighting style and exploiting your weaknesses. For example, if you attack your opponent with a flurry of punches, they’ll eventually start countering you pretty heavily. Additionally, if you favor punching on one side, you’ll find yourself blocked often as tire yourself out. This requires you to be a defensive player going in, and countering your opponent’s attacks and changing up your strategy often in order to win.

Graphically, the game is a tour de force, looking even better than its revolutionary predecessor. The character models sport even better animations and boast tons of realistic details like flexing muscles and dripping sweat as they fight. The licensed fighters look very authentic too, capturing the essence of their real-life counterparts very nicely. While it seems that they toned down the bruises and swelling that your boxer gets as they fight (perhaps due to the return of a HUD), the game still looks amazing, and moves at a very solid 60 frames per second as well.

The sound effects are also well done. The soundtrack is composed of rap and indie tracks, and is generally only heard in the menus and ring entrances, and the commentary does a great job of reflecting the fight action, and will even talk about your fighting style and career highlights in the legacy mode. The impact noises are the only true disappointment, as face hits and body hits sound far too similar.

Fight Night Round 4 is a great addition to the Fight Night franchise, with improved mechanics, a great roster of fighters, and amazing graphics. Boxing fans should definitely give it a look.

Gameplay: 9.0
The game makes subtle improvements to the franchise’s pugilism, with a great counter system, a much improved Legacy mode, and a fine roster of boxers, including Mike Tyson for the first time.

Graphics: 9.5
Although the bruises and facial damage that your boxer experiences may have been toned down a bit, the character models still look absolutely amazing, featuring an insane amount of detail and fantastic animations. The smooth new 60 fps framerate is also an awesome new addition.

Sound: 8.5
The music is nicely done, and the grunts and sounds that your boxer makes as they fight do a great job of reflecting the fatigue that sets in. Some of the impact noises could have been mixed up a little bit, however.

Difficulty: Medium

Concept: 9.0
The game adds some subtle updates and adjustments, turning the game away from being a button-mashing experience to one that employs a lot of strategy thanks to a great counter system. The changes to the career (Legacy) mode also make it a title that you’ll undoubtedly sink a lot of hours into.

Multiplayer: 8.5
The biggest online addition are the Online World Championships, which create a lot of potential for online tournaments.

Overall: 9.0
With a solid new counter system, a great Legacy mode, and incredible graphics, Fight Night Round 4 is one game that no boxing fan will want to miss out on.