It's very hard to write this review without thinking back to the previous iteration, but i'll do my best. UFC 2010 is the sequel game to the profoundly successful UFC game of 2009. It takes what made the original game a success and builds on it, but the real question is - is it so different to justify the investment?

When I loaded UFC 2010 for the first time I told myself to go through the tutorial mode to remind myself of the intricacies that the sport and the game offers but I soon regretted this decision in some ways. After maybe 15 minutes I was familiar enough to start kicking ass but frustratingly I found no exit to the tutorial - I HAD to finish it. All of which took a good solid 30 minutes (maybe a little less) but without a way out, I felt horribly frustrated with the option to leave left out. Moving on to the game then felt natural: I started a few exhibition games using my now slightly superior knowledge and suddenly the game felt worth it. Once you enter the ring (and you know what you can/can't do) the game really begins.

The career mode for me (even though it contains some changes) was a drag. It didn't feel real at all. It reminded me of the stale, over-used and rather boring career mode that the Smackdown games have contained as of late. Drawing a comparison to the first game and I realise that the two career modes are very alike: and I hated the career mode the first game offered. THQ did include the new feature "The Gaming is watching you" which sees the game track your progress and cater the commentary to place emphasis on how you play. Some could dub this as the saving grace of the career mode. It will tell you who you fought last and your history with people/fighter and rivals. For example, imagine you fought one of the UFC fighters (from any weight class) and the last time you faced off you went say 3 rounds against him, only to be knocked out. The commentators Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg will (during your next match/face-off against either another person or the same) talk about your last downfall, what you can do to improve the match and your techinque. This to me is one of the most interesting aspects of the game: not by any means revolutionary but a great way to keep the game fresh and interesting.

A sudden and rather sharp realisation hit me during career mode: it resembles a manager mode more than anything else. There are emails to read, attributes to assign and so so much to read (if you're that way inclined) and the majority of this garbage gets sent to your inbox of emails. Like the previous game and the Smackdown games before it, your inbox becomes a real mess of emails, requests, questions and other things that bear no form of real significance to the outcome of the game.

The graphics are awesome and I know a lot of people might wonder why there hasn't been more of a significant and substantial change. The game displays some truely top-notch character models, some nice effects like blood and sweat and some convincing muslce movement. Elements like the crowd (in the background of the arena) haven't seen much of an improvement and again look like the generic crowd used in not only the original game but in the majority of the Smackdown games. I'm not complaining here about the low-poly view of the crowd as by keeping things like the non-essential people to low-poly models it means that the main people (the player and the NPC) can remain super high quality models, but you do wish that THQ reached slightly further out beyond their knowledge of this and created a view marginally more interesting.

There are some additonal moves/elements added to the plethora of moves/elements already in place within the game. My favourite has to be the ability to enter a submission but then by storing your energy you can unleash a more powerful submission. Others include the new dodge move, improvements to the clinch and ground work and being able to slam your opponent against the wall of the octagon and go from there. The dodge move allows you to duck and sway like a boxer to dodge incoming attacks: this works extremely effectively and can literally decide a match. UFC is about not only the punches you give but the punches you can take so by fighting smartly - you can be the judge of where the fight goes.

Some of the animations within the game are great, like the typical movements, punches and more work well but there's always the ones that let you down. During career mode you will see several times when Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg are facing the camera talking, hyping events and talking about the next fights. The animation of both Joe and Mike work well as in fairness all they are doing is talking but you'll clearly notice the cheeks of Mike Goldberg freaking out. As the face is animated it looks like he's on the verge of sneezing or something but he holds his urge back to refrain from painting the camera but this clear lack of attention bothers me: call me a perfectionist but I think details like this should be addressed. In truth it won't imapact or affect the overall game but small things like this shouldn't be ignored. What I did noticed aswell was not matter how I approached a situation and inevitably its outcome, all the characters fell the same with a TKO. Granted, my character was mainly a boxer but even when the opposition knocked me out my character slumped down onto the ground into the recovery position. I was hoping to see more variation here as to hit the opposition with a heavy blow and only to witness them fall face first, sometimes back of the head first onto the mat was one of the sick and twisted highlights of the first game. To see them crumple into a non-resposnsive puddle is extremlely satisfying.

UFC 2010 contains, like the previous outing, a good solid "Create a Fighter" element in which you can completely make your own characters who can then be played within the career mode or indeed in exhibiton games. The new abilities with the create a fighter are great but the most noticeable chance is the sticker, tattoo, scar placement. You can literally (by moving) your analogue place the desired parts wherever you want: a welcome change. A word of warning though when creating your character: if you intend to use your created character in the career mode then start your career and make the character there and then as I leaned the things the hard way. By creating a character outside of the career mode I simply couldn't access them, so, my only option was to create the same character from scratch but within the career mode. Whether THQ intended it to be this way or this was just part of the game that didn’t get the attention it should have - it's very disheartning.

This year also sees the return of the Ultimate Fights Mode which asks you to recreate the conditions of some of the most revered matches of all time. Like the previous outing you are treated to a usual bit of eye-candy explaining what you have to do before hand and it’s clear they have no clue what they are talking about, but that's not the point I guess. Some of the matches include matches like UFC 94' Bonnar vs Jones, UFC 88' Liddel vs Evans and more. If you like the restrictions and hard-work involved behind going for these challenges then this is right down your alley. Some of the challenges within this mode include things like win by submission in the second round, win by a judge's decision in the third round etc.

Some extra modes in the game now include the ability to "Create your own PPV" (Pay Per View) matches. By doing so, THQ have allowed the game to live on, far beyond the life span of the single player campaign. Your PPV can extend into a massive event based around 16 individuals (or down to 4 if you wish) and during which you can choose who plays what meaning if you had friends willing to play/participate then you can give them the option to take part by parting with your already worn-down control pad.

The online play of UFC 2010 is very much a 50-50 deal. Similar to the last game with the matchmaking is resolved at a decent pace and you tend to find games quickly. The lag though of the last game overshadowed the online play and sadly this year hasn't improved: in fact it managed to make it worse. The collection of random games I played both with my created fighter and with a roster fighter were horrific. The lag was so attrocious that the game was similar to two people fighting in the dark covered in baby oil. Punches barely connected, grapples didn't occur even though they were chosen: it's a real mess. It makes you wonder if the online play was tested at all or was the single player mode created and then just before the master copy of the game was made the multiplayer was stuck on just so they could say it's there. Unless the game gets patched/updated I’d advise you to stay away from the online play.

The lag is an issue but it really is unfortunate that it's so prominent as the addition of the "online fight camps" is certainly a feature that will win people over. The fight camp is in essence a "clan" set-up which allows a group of people to create a team based on the people they want to be fighting along-side. One of the best features of this mode was the fact that, based on what kind of banner you design, it will be placed behind you before matches. This adds a real sense of brotherhood and honour to bouts as you find your fingers moving at a shocking but strategic speed to not only impress your friends but to keep the team’s statistics above par.

UFC 2010 give you a real punch for your money. Sure, the game is alot like the previous game but if you are new to the franchise the game will rock your belief that sports games have become boring. The game gives you a huge landscape of moves, create a fighter, on-line play and more. If you have UFC 2009 you might feel a little bored but if you don't then this is a game that will keep you going long after the blood has turned dry on the mat.

TGL score 8/10