[Mush xx]

Put on your boxing gloves, step in the ring, it's time for Round 3. The first thing that strikes you about this game are the amazing graphics, you just can't help oogling at the detail EA has managed to place into Fight Night 3, it's a taste of what's to come. You can see the fighter's expressions as they use that devastating left hand hook with a blow to the face which sends your opponent down to the floor! Once on the floor you have to try to get the circle into the green to stop the countdown. This truely is a next-gen game and EA have done a good job with the graphics, even showing off the sweat on the boxers bodies while they sit in their corners, being grilled by their trainers. Creating a character is easy, making it look like you though comes with practice!! You have several options here including giving your boxer a name and hometown, style, genetics, physique, head, features and ratings, for which you have a limited amount of points. Get sponsered by Burger King! and he will train you, yes there really is a guy dressed up in a Burger King outfit! As you would expect there is a career mode and a training mode. Feeling like taking it out on a friend? Take your boxer onto xbox live where you can get yourself a ranking on the leaderboards! K.O Graphics 8.9 Gameplay 8.7 Sound 8.4 Addiction 8.2 Overall 9

[Sniper 007]

How can you only give those graphics 8.9???

I am so tempted to get this... it'll be game number 10 that I'll never have the time to play if I do..

[Bank of Dank]

This game was the first ever to trounce Soul Calibur from the top spot of what games my friends and I like to play when they come over to the house. Soul Calibur has reigned supreme for a few years now, so that is quite a feat.....sad to say that after a while, I'd imagine seeing us going back to Soul Calibur however

Good review Mush

[Mush xx]

Sniper 007, on Mar 23 2006, 03:44 PM, said:

How can you only give those graphics 8.9???

The reason for this Sniper is that this is a taste of what is to come, there are still faults in the graphics, (I.E) the crowd in the background. In a few months time we will look back at games like this and the graphics won't seem all that brilliant.

I rarely give games more than 9

[Sniper 007]

'nuff said, you harsh, harsh reviewer you!!!

[Cammack]

Top Review, for a Top Game.

[Ding Chavez]

Like my other reviews, this is for the original xbox version since I have not played the 360 version yet.

The game being reviewed is Fight Night Round 3, the highly anticipated annual sequel to the hit boxing series released by EA Sports. Since others my have found my previous posts relatively long, I'll keep this one short. I will also break down into pros and cons so if the review seems long to read you can skip to the bottom. I have also added an overall rating of the games I review from 1 to 10. 1 being lousy, 10 being top notch.

Although Round 3 is by no means a bad game, it is definately another title that didn't get the deserved effort required to make it amazing. The graphics by no means are any better then Round 2. Honestly they look identical. Which isn't bad per say, but I would like to see an upgrade in graphics over previous Fight Night games.

The career is yet again displayed in a very organised fashion as you fight your way to the tops of the boxing world ranks. Training has a small upgrade. Now the sparring section is always available and doesn't effect your attributes to fine tuning is there anytime you need it before a big fight.

Fortunately EA has toned down the haymaker punch that dominated Round 2 so fights aren't always a giant slugfest.

Unfortunately, what EA has toned down is the speed of the fights. Boxers appear sluggish and punches just don't have the realistic speed of real life boxing. A friend of mine and I timed or punches with those or Roy Jones Jr (as a middleweight) and found ours were much much faster. Because of this real boxing fans may become annoyed at the incredibly slow speed of punches which effects the ability to put together successful combos.

Overall, Fight Night Round 3 is still a good boxing game. The only hinder in its gameplay is the slow punching speed and recycled graphics. A recommended pick up for loyal fans to the series.

Pros
- Total punch control
- Still unmatched in boxing video games
- Good graphics regardless of being recycled
- Customization is top notch (player creation, fight gear, etc)
- More detailed training enabling practise with sparring
- No more dominating haymacker

Cons
- Slow punching causing inability to throw effective combos
- Recycled graphics

Overall
8.0 / 10

[Spirit X]

Nice one Ding. Shame it didn't really seem to out-perform Round 2 for you.

If you get a chance to sit down with the 360 version for a couple of hours then grab it! Play a few bouts and you'll soon be couging down the phone at your boss, it's easily the greatest boxing game I've played thus far in the history of the Universe (Mike Tyson's Punch Out on the NES not withstanding). The punch speed seems very realistic on the 360 too, with pugilists throwing clean, crisp, darting punches in the early rounds, that gradualy degenerate into more weary, tiresome swings as time goes on. What's more, the impact you get from a well-landed hook, uppercut or haymaker is so weighty it'll have you wincing and squirming in delight. In fact, one of the funniest aspects of the online game is that "voice-chat" in FNR3 usually amounts to lots of "OOOOOOOH's", plenty of "EEEEEEE's" and a whole lot of "AARRRGHH's".

Graphically it's stunning and shows the kind of detail that most of us didn't expect from the first wave of 360 titles. It's a superb title and for me personally, it demonstrates one of the most intuitive control systems I've ever seen in a game. I know the controls are very similar to Round 2 but I missed that one so I'm doubly impressed coming to this one "fresh".

Have I convinced you to go out and purchase a 360 yet? Although it was a little meagre out of the gate, I think the rather seductive combination of Fight Night, GR:AW, Oblivion and the upcoming Battlefield 2 now make it well worth a purchase.