Undisputed has officially released for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and PC. I’ve been playing the game for over a week and had a chance to fight in every mode available at launch.
I’ve already published an article focusing on the five things Undisputed does well. Here are the five things I’d like to see in an update.
More Consequences for the Movement
I’m the kind of Undisputed player who prefers to choose faster-moving boxer punchers like Roy Jones Jr. and Sugar Ray Robinson. I hit up on the D-Pad and utilize lateral movement to create angles, slip, and counter.
It’s the most fun way to play.
However, there are users who seek to exploit the system. They move around, all fight, and barely engage. At launch, the game doesn’t penalize movement as much as it needs to for balance.
Movement should carry a stiffer cost to stamina, and over time, fighters should begin to slow down, lose snap on their punches, and potentially become easier to hit.
There are built-in traits and even more that could be added to slow this process for fighters with excellent gas tanks. Still, we need a more considerable stamina cost for movement–especially in free-flowing mode.
Improved Hit Detection
The punch arcs and accuracy have improved from early access, but there are still moments when a punch lands or misses, and the result doesn’t align with what I’ve seen on the screen.
In boxing, very few punches are thrown and don’t land somewhere on the opponent’s body. We need better visual and sound representation when punches hit the gloves, shoulders, and arms than when they landed flush on the face or the torso.
It sometimes seems like punches that don’t connect to one of the hot areas are no-sold from a presentation standpoint. The punches that don’t land squarely should still make a sound and perhaps a visual impression–even though they don’t have the effect as the strikes that hit the intended target.
More Fighters Added
Steel City Interactive announced over 80 fighters not included in the game at launch. I spoke with the studio’s head, Ash Habib, and he told me every announced fighter is still on the roster; it’s just a matter of finding the right spot to add them to the game.
I have confidence the game’s roster will grow steadily in post-release updates.
Fleshed-Out Career Mode
At launch, the Undisputed career mode doesn’t have a ton of layers. You can create a fighter or use one of the licensed boxers in the game. You can hire managers, trainers, and a team, but no narrative exists.
Habib told me there are plans to flesh out the career mode, but it’s unclear when that will happen.
Improved Commentary
There needs to be an increase in the number of lines Todd Grisham and Johnny Nelson have recorded in the game. Additionally, the stitching could be improved to make things sound more conversational.
The commentary isn’t making or breaking Undisputed, but it would be nice to see this area of the presentation improved.
Overall, Undisputed has its moments. The fighters look great, and there are some exciting boxing sequences. However, a few areas need improvement before it can reach its full potential.
Thankfully, the game was always planned to be an evolving title that grew with community feedback. I expect to see some changes that address some of the concerns I’ve shared.
