E3 2011: Supremacy MMA - Hands On

by: Sean - posted: 6/9/2011 11:56:00 PM

505 Games is entering the MMA game arena with Supremacy MMA.

Developers were shooting for a cross between classic fighting games like Street Fighter or Mortal Kombat and the popular sport of Mixed Martial Arts fighting, and I'm happy to report they nailed it, with a few key innovations long missing from the fighting game genre. GNers, let's get a little personal: I used to box. The reason that's relevant, aside from my rapacious ego, is that one of the lessons i learned in boxing is that when you use one arm to block for too long, it starts to hurt and gets tired a little faster than the other limb. Common sense, right? Yet in fighting games, you don't see that kind of real-world thinking applied all that often. In Supremacy, it's not only applied, it's a gameplay mechanic.

One of the several selectable fighters, based on real MMA fighters, is a Muay Thai devotee. Muay Thai relies a lot on strong kicks and lower body attacks. In Supremacy, each portion of  a fighters' body (head, torso, arms, and legs) has its own little health bar, and if you focus your attacks on the Muay Thai fighter's legs, you will slowly wear down that health bar and reduce that limb's effectiveness. This leads to a particularly strategic form of gameplay, encouraging the player to not just button-mash, but to consider their opponent's choices and actively counter them. This isn't just fireball vs. sonic boom here; this is realistic tactical planning.

Supremacy spreads out these battles over 14 different arenas, from seedy underground bars to professional octagons. The gameplay was smooth and responsive, if a little stiff, and the graphics made sure to demonstrate every little cut and bruise, with great lighting effects.

Look for Supremacy MMA on Xbox 360 and PS3 in September 2011.