Fans of fighting games are spoiled for choice, whether they are hardened PC gamers, Xbox enthusiasts, or PlayStation devotees. There are dozens upon dozens of games in the fighting genre, but there are relatively few realistic titles. It is all well and good if you want to sling fireballs from your fists or if you fancy flying through the air performing a physics-defying 1,080-degree helicopter kick, but what if you simply want to land a right hook into the side of your opponent’s head? Where do you go for that?
The gaming world has a distinct lack of what you would consider realistic combat titles. Why this fact is anyone’s guess. Obtaining a license for combat sports’ biggest stars is an expensive process. In addition, the amount of work needed to fully motion-capture a fighter’s full range of movements realistically poses its own challenges. EA Sports is rumored to be working on Fight Night Round 5, a game those who frequent boxing betting sites have been begging for since the late 2000s. Until EA Sports pulls its finger out and creates Fight Night Round 5, these are the best realistic fighting games you can play today.
Fight Night Round 4
It may have been released in June 2009, but Fight Night Round 4 is still the best boxing game you can play on any platform. EA Sports’ epic boxing title was made available on the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Windows Mobile, and the now-defunct Blackberry. You can try this classic game via Gamepass if you are an Xbox player, while Sony is hoping to make Fight Night Round 4 available via its new-look PlayStation Plus subscription product.
The game’s fast action, online play, and excellent physics engine (for the time) made FIght Night Round 4 stand out from the crowd. It did not matter if you were a die-hard boxing fan or a casual gamer; Fight Night Round 4 delivered knockout content from start to finish.
EA Sports pulled out all the stops regarding image rights because Fight Night Round 4 contained 48 licensed boxers, including Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, Ray Robinson, Manny Pacquiao, Lennox Lewis, and many more.
It is, frankly, bizarre that a money-hungry company like Electonic Arts has not brought out a sequel in more than a decade. Everyone who played Fight Night Round 4 has everything crossed the rumors of Fight Night 5 are true.
EA Sports UFC 4
Before we see Fight Night Round 5, EA Sports is focused on releasing the sequel to EA Sports UFC 4, the best MMA game available today. Launched in August 2020, UFC 4 made vast improvements on its predecessor, including adding more animations using Real Player Motion Technology to make clinches more believable.
Where boxing is only about punching, UFC 4 is far more complex with kicks, knees, and elbows, in addition to fights on the ground using a range of wrestling variants. This makes the fact EA Sports created 229 unique fighters and 81 alternative versions remarkable at the very least.
UFC 4 is the game you want if you have ever dreamed of stepping into the octagon and fighting for your life.
WWE 2K22
It may seem crazy talking about WWE in the same breath as the words “realistic fighting games” when the WWE is all simulated battles, but WWE 2K22 from 2K Sports is a credible combat game.
Of the trio of games in this article, WWE 2K22 is the weakest, yet it is incredibly good fun even if you are not up-to-date with the latest wrestling stars. 2K Sports created arcade-style gameplay with superb visuals and, as we have come to expect from the company, a fantastic production surrounding each fighter and the wrestling matches in which you compete.
WWE 2K22 is not for everyone, but you could do much worse if you are in the market for something you can occasionally pick up for 30-minutes, enjoy a fight or two, and go about your business.