UFC 2009: Undisputed is out on May 22nd 2009, but we were lucky enough to play the game a few days ago. UFC 2009 Undisputed is an explosive fighting game detailing the action, intensity and attitude of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC); developed by Yukes and published by THQ. During our few hours of game play we were able to give a few different game modes a try. The game features a Career mode, Exhibition mode, Online multiplayer and Create-a-Fighter.

After popping in the game for the first time, we were asked to install some game data to the PlayStation 3 hard drive. The installation took around 5 minutes to complete, and installed 1.3GB of data onto the system. We then jumped straight into the Tutorial Mode to learn how to play. Learning all the controls and completing the tutorial mode took about 30 minutes, but at the end we were awarded a Trophy (Student of the Game). The learning curve is pretty steep as there were a lot of controls to remember. We would advise spending at least 30 minutes learning how to play and then play a few exhibition matches to practice.

The roster is pretty extensive featuring more than 80 top names in UFC competition across five weight classes. And if that isn’t enough, you can use the Create-a-Fighter mode to create a personalized fighter. You can use your custom fighter in the career mode and in online matches. Creating a fighter and playing a exhibition match for the first time also earns you a trophy (Original Fighter). The fighters have fighting styles from martial arts disciplines, including Judo, Muay Thai, Wrestling, Kickboxing, Boxing and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Each fighter has a set of basic attacks and grappling moves. The face buttons are used to preform weak but quick attacks. and are used to preform punches while  and  are used to perform kicks. Using the left analogue stick with a face button performs a more powerful attach. The R1 and R2 shoulder buttons are used for blocking high and low attacks, respectively. Although the game states “responsive and easy-to-play controls“, we found the controls quite difficult to grasp. The basic controls are easy to use, but for advanced techniques like takedowns and submission, the controls were overly complicated.

The graphics for the game were pretty realistic – the fighters move, breathe and sweat just like their real-life counterparts. You can see ripple effects across the faces and bodies of the fighters from the impact of punches and kicks. The commentary is good too, but as with most games it does become repetitive. The game features the sport’s popular commentators, announcers, referees, trainers, Octagon girls and more.

There are 31 trophies in total to unlock, including a platinum one. Five of the trophies are hidden and only five of the trophies are bronze. Most of the trophies revolve around the online multiplayer mode in the game. We gave the online mode a try and found that there was severe lag at times, making the game pretty much unplayable. There are thousands of players online already though finding a quick match can be difficult at times. You can only take part in ranked and friendly matches.

Here is a list of features from the game cover:

• AUTHENTIC UFC PERSONALITIES – Explore a deep roster of more than 80 top names in UFC competition across five weight classes and enter the Octagon surrounded by the sport’s popular commentators, announcers, referees, trainers, Octagon girls and more.
• PHOTOREALISTIC MODELS AND EFFECTS – Experience the world of UFC as it appears on television with photorealistic fighters who breathe, sweat and move like their real-life counterparts. Players will also view amazing ripple effects across the faces and bodies of their fighters from the impact of devastating punches and kicks.
• CONSTANT CONTROL – Gain the upper hand in matchups with a brand new fighting game engine designed specifically for next generation systems. Emphasis on innovative, responsive and easy-to-play controls will give players unparalleled command of their fighters in the Octagon.
• FIGHTING DISCIPLINES – Take down opponents and get the submission with a variety of mixed martial arts disciplines, including Judo, Muay Thai, Wrestling, Kickboxing, Boxing and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
• CREATE-A-FIGHTER – Jumpstart the career of a future champion by customizing your fighter’s physical appearance, learning new fighting techniques to use in the Octagon and managing the training process through attributes such as strength and cardiovascular health.
• CAREER MODE – Develop attributes, perfect moves and fight for entry into the UFC Hall of Fame.

Let us know what you think of the game.