It's nice to see an effective clinch control enter the mix, and it's even better that clinches can be shrugged off or avoided altogether, preventing the move from being an automatic fail-safe. New for Round 2 is the clinch, a last-ditch effort to regain some stamina just before you get hit with a knockout blow. Shoring up cuts and reducing swelling will keep you busy between rounds.Īs flexible as the offensive mechanics are, Round 2's defensive controls are just as much so. In fact, the controls in Round 2 are so subtle that slight movement of the right stick will let you pull off shoulder feints to fool your opponent into getting his guard up on one side while you pile on a flurry of damaging punches to the opposite side. But with a little practice, you'll be stringing together one-two-three combos in no time. In fact, you'll often feel like your flailing punches at random. In the heat of the moment, it's easy to forget to let that hook you've wound up continue through its arc, as it's equally easy to simply switch to an opposite side jab. In fact, most combinations are easy to pull off with Fight Night Round 2's control scheme, provided you stay disciplined with your right stick movements. The most powerful punches are best reserved for those times when you have your opponent backed up against the ropes or, better yet, in the corner.īody shots are executed by combining punches with the left trigger, and it's easy to quickly and effectively mix up your punch types between body blows and head shots. Punches can only be fully wound up when a boxer is standing still, though power punches can still be thrown when the boxer moves. A haymaker hook, for example, starts out as a normal punch-moving the right analog stick directly left or right-but instead of letting the punch fly immediately, you'll need to wind up the power by pressing down and then up along the arc of the controller. Controlling haymakers is simple and feels just as natural as regular punches. If you're looking to deal some heavy blows to your foe, you'll need to wind up your punch a little and toss some haymakers into the mix. The design of each control is even set to resemble the punch you throw, so that a quick stinging jab is executed with a single flick of the right stick diagonally left or right a hook is accomplished by moving the stick to the right and then arcing up and a devastating uppercut starts out diagonally down and moves up and around, much like the way your boxer's arm moves along the path of the punch. Simple punches-jabs, hooks, and uppercuts-are at your fingertips with a simple flick of the right stick.
Nearly everything is controlled with a combination of the right analog stick and the trigger buttons. A great boxing game hinges on the effectiveness of both the offensive and defensive controls, and it's here where Fight Night Round 2 shines. Movement, however, is only half of the formula. On the downside, a fighter's movement doesn't seem to slow down even when fatigued, though punch speed and effectiveness do drop. You can close on an opponent quickly yet backing away from punches is just a tad too slow for comfort, which seems exactly right. Fight Night Round 2 directly addresses both of these concerns with controls that are responsive, subtle, and effective, giving you a real feeling of mastery over your boxer, even if you're picking the game up for the first time.įirst of all, the boxers move across the length of the ring at a nice pace-neither lumbering across the canvas, nor moving too quickly at an unrealistic pace.
When you enter the virtual ring, the last thing you want to feel is that your boxer has glue on the soles of his shoes, or that you won't be able to execute a simple three-punch combo without memorizing long strings of button sequences. The plodding pace and an overly complex fighting system are what have hurt boxing games. Now Playing: Fight Night Round 2 Video Review By clicking 'enter', you agree to GameSpot's
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