UFC 5 is finally out on next-generation consoles. Read on to learn whether the highly anticipated entry to the brutal franchise is worth your money or not.
UFC 5 Review Overview
UFC 5 Pros & Cons
| Pros |
|---|
 Fun MMA Gameplay Best Looking MMA Game By Far Fantastic Multiplayer |
| Cons |
| Feels Like a Large Update to UFC 4 Rather Than a Full Game Spinning Attacks are Awkward to Execute Failed to Truly Capitalize on its M ESRB Rating |
UFC 5 Overall - 76/100
UFC 5 feels very much like its predecessor, but with next-gen visuals, more violence, more blood, and more profanity. It comes with a few notable improvements to its gameplay, but overall feels more like an M-rated UFC 4.5 rather than a brand new game. EA played it safe with UFC 5 as it features the same, slightly more polished, extremely fun MMA experience, but with repetitive solo gameplay.
UFC 5 Story - 5/10
UFC 5 is back with Career Mode, which was very underwhelming. It felt like the same grindey experience from UFC 4, but in HD. Sure, it featured a brand new story with new cutscenes, but neither of which are works of art by any means. The story is generic and the cutscenes are forgettable.
UFC 5 Gameplay - 9/10
Gameplay in UFC 5 feels great. The thing is, it’s always been great in UFC games. It features the same extremely fun MMA experience we’ve come to know, but with a few notable improvements, like the brand new damage mechanics, and the revamped submission system. Gameplay is still extremely fun, and now better captures the violence of the sport thanks to its M ESRB rating.
UFC 5 Visuals - 9/10
The game looks great. The character models, environment, blood, cuts, bruises, swelling, all look superb and realistic. Graphically, UFC 5 took a big step from UFC 4, and truly looks like a next-gen game.
UFC 5 Audio - 8/10
The sound effects in UFC 5 are pretty good. At no point did I think to myself that something doesn’t sound the way that they should. However, they don’t particularly stand out, hence the 8 rating. The soundtrack is very fitting, featuring a mix of hip-hop and pop songs.
UFC 5 Value for Money - 7/10
UFC 5 costs $70, the typical AAA game price. While it does feel like there aren’t enough substantial improvements from UFC 4, there’s still some value in it, in the sense that it truly is a next-gen game.
UFC 5 Review | Underwhelming but Fun Combat
As a fan of the EA UFC franchise and the overall MMA scene, I was very excited for UFC 5. Upon playing it, I couldn’t help but feel underwhelmed by how similar it is to UFC 4. Sure, there are a bunch of positive changes, but they aren’t enough to effectively differentiate UFC 5 from its predecessor.
Something you’ll notice right away is the graphics. It looks surreal, and is truly next-gen. Everything from the fighters, the arena, the referee, and the special effects, all look great and lifelike. EA took a step in the right direction visually. The movements in this game look snappy, fluid, and realistic.
The new damage systems are a nice touch to the game, and adds more realism and depth to the already great gameplay. Cuts and bruises appear exactly where they should. Injuries and pain affect your attributes, much like how they would in real life. If there’s blood running down your left eye, it will hinder your vision and negatively affect your left side defense. If your fighter’s nose gets busted, it’ll change the way he breathes, thus affecting his stamina. Finally, if an injury gets too bad but the fight isn’t over, the referee will call over the doctor to determine whether the fight should be stopped or not.
Career Mode is so bad. It feels exactly like UFC 4’s Career Mode. It features a new story, but it’s such a generic one at that. There are several cutscenes - most of which are forgettable. I’ll merit some praises though as there have been some character lines which made me laugh out loud. Unfortunately, people play Career Mode to enjoy a great single player sports experience, not to laugh at jokes. Character customization is the same as UFC 4. Same options for moves, perks, hairstyle, body types, etc. UFC 4’s Career Mode was regarded as very repetitive and this is no different.
UFC 5’s issues have less to do with the quality of the game, and more about the lack of significant changes other than the ones I’ve discussed above. If you turn down the graphics and make it more kid-friendly, you’re left with UFC 4. Despite that, UFC 5 is a fine next-gen game.
Pros of UFC 5
| Things UFC 5 Got Right |
|---|
|
Fun MMA Gameplay Best Looking MMA Game By Far Fantastic Multiplayer |
Fun MMA Gameplay
Whether you’re throwing strikes, grappling for dominant positions, taking down your opponents, or submitting them, you’re bound to have fun thanks to UFC 5’s strong gameplay. Gameplay is one of the most important elements of a sports game, given its emphasis on realism. Luckily, the EA UFC franchise has some of the best gameplay in a sports game. While UFC 5’s gameplay isn’t too different from its predecessor, this is still a pro because gameplay has always been UFC’s strongest point. The sport simply just translates well as a video game and EA has been able to figure it out ever since the first game.
The M ESRB rating takes UFC’s gameplay to the next level with more graphic violence, blood, and a lot more obscene language, which is great because that’s how UFC actually is. Additionally, the new damage systems and submission mechanics freshens up the game. When you take something that’s already very good and add even just minor improvements to it, you’re left with something outstanding, which is exactly how it is in this case.
You can expect the same, excellent gameplay that’s been the standard in EA UFC titles.
Best Looking MMA Game by Far
UFC 5 looks stunning. As someone who’s enjoyed all of the UFC titles before this, I can confirm that this is the best that the game’s ever looked. It shouldn’t come as a surprise though as this is the first game in the franchise to be released on next-generation consoles. The amount of detail put into the character models, the environment, blood, and sweat, all look true-to-life. The movements in the game are smooth, snappy, realistic, and fluid. For example, during strikes, you’d notice the pivots that fighters make with their bodies to generate power. Of course there’s a touch of that clunky robotic weirdness that comes with game movement as opposed to how it is in real life, but that’s totally fine since it’s unavoidable with video games.
Thanks to the game’s ESRB Rating of M, which used to always be T, the game looks and feels much more like its real-life counterpart. There’s undoubtedly no shortage of violence, blood, and profanity in the UFC. This time around, UFC 5 did not have the limitations its previous iterations had to work around for. Gone are the days of UFC games lacking blood and the complete absence of bad words other than sh*t. These add a layer of authenticity to the game, and we’re all here for it.
Fantastic Multiplayer
EA UFC games have always thrived on its multiplayer features. Whether it’s local or online PVP matches, this is where UFC games shine. Matches are exponentially more thrilling against real people rather than the AI. Additionally, they changed Online Championships Mode to not include created fighters anymore, which adds to the game mode’s authenticity as a UFC experience. In my experience on a PS5 with a wired connection to the internet, I didn’t experience any input lag at all, and playing online modes felt very responsive. However, players have reported that in their case, the input lag was a game-breaking issue that made the online modes unplayable.
Cons of UFC 5
| Things That UFC 5 Can Improve |
|---|
|
Feels Like a Large Update to UFC 4 Rather Than a Full Game Spinning Attacks are Awkward to Execute Failed to Truly Capitalize on its M ESRB Rating |
Feels Like a Large Update to UFC 4 Rather Than a Full Game
Without the things that we’ve discussed in the pros section of this review, the game is essentially just UFC 4. UFC 5 features the same roster of playable fighters from UFC 4. Not one new fighter was added, and the roster is somehow even smaller than it was in 4. Despite running on a new game engine, it still feels exactly the same as its predecessor - only this time it looks better, and has some new elements sprinkled in. Again, UFC already had some of the best gameplay feel in a sports game so some things left unchanged isn’t inherently a bad thing.
One thing that I hated about UFC 4 was its Career Mode, with its very generic and underwhelming story, and its gameplay loop of repeatedly beating the snot out of your sparring partners to prepare for your UFC bout, which you’ll probably end via KO in the first round anyway. Unfortunately, like a lot in this game, UFC 5 is the same with UFC 4 in this regard. It’s the same underwhelmingly boring, repetitive grind to the championship belt. The gameplay mechanics in this mode are exactly the same as it was. The customization options? Exactly the same. Progression system? You guessed it. You’re able to play as either a created fighter, or a real UFC fighter. However, the latter is kind of wacky since the feature isn’t integrated well enough. Imagine playing as Jon Jones in a backyard fight, going viral, getting a shot in the UFC, people calling him a kid, and having the default voice. Yeah….no. I’ll just make my own, thanks.
Spinning Attacks are Awkward to Execute
Something they’ve changed is how to execute spinning attacks. Back then, it would usually be a combination of a left stick movement, L1 or LB, and one of the attack buttons. Now, it’s a combination of X and O (or A and B) to spin, and another button after the spin to throw the attack. The previous controls felt natural but this new way to do it just isn’t it. It’s so awkward and difficult to pull off now that you’ll notice how everyone is avoiding it altogether. The online matches I participated in had zero to few spinning attacks thrown, which lessened the move variety and reduced the "woah" moments in bouts.
Failed to Truly Capitalize on its M ESRB Rating
My expectations for UFC 5 were high because I thought that the M ESRB rating would give us a game like Fight Night Champion, which was EA’s last sports game rated M. Sure, we got more blood, more graphic violence, and more cussing, but is that all? Fight Night Champion was able to portray the sport, culture, and lifestyle of boxing very well - even the ugly parts. It included a critically acclaimed story that featured plot points about prison, crime, and corruption. There are countless of incredible true stories from real fighters in the UFC, like Francis Ngannou’s inspiring journey to become the UFC Heavyweight Champion as someone who grew up in extreme poverty, forced to work in a sand quarry in Africa at only 10 years old. There’s also Conor Mcgregor, who went from an Irish nobody to the biggest star in MMA. There’s so many stories to draw inspiration from, and no kid-friendly limitations this time around. How come we get the most generic story ever for our digital UFC experience?
Is UFC 5 Worth It?
Yes, if you like multiplayer. No if you’re playing alone.
The game’s value depends on what you intend to get out of it. UFC 5 has a terrible single player experience, but is loads of fun against friends or other real players you can get in a match with online. Additionally, if you have UFC 4 and don’t play it religiously, you probably wouldn’t play UFC 5 as much as it's essentially the same game. UFC 5 is recommended for die-hard UFC fans and people who didn’t play UFC 4. Despite its issues, its truly next-gen graphics and new gameplay features make this game somewhat worth the $70 in my opinion as an avid MMA fan.
UFC 5 Overview & Premise
UFC 5 features the closest gaming experience you’ll get to the UFC. It features realistic MMA matches with real UFC fighters. It also has a Career Mode which serves as the game’s story mode, and features a story to go along with your journey in becoming the best MMA fighter ever and cement yourself as a UFC legend.
UFC 5 FAQ
How do you get UFC 5 in Early Access?
You can access UFC 5 three days earlier than its official release date if you purchase the Deluxe Edition of the game.
How do you perform takedowns in UFC 5?
You can perform a single leg takedown by holding L2 or LT and pressing X and Square or A and X simultaneously. Double leg takedowns can be done by holding L2 or LT and pressing Triangle and Circle or Y and B at the same time.
UFC 5 Trailer
Official Reveal Trailer
First Look Trailer
Game8 Reviews
UFC 5 Product Information
 |
|
| Title | UFC 5 |
|---|---|
| Release Date | October 27, 2023 |
| Developer | EA SPORTS |
| Publisher | Electronic Arts |
| Supported Platforms | PS5, Xbox Series X|S |
| Genre | Sports, Fighting |
| Number of Players | Single Player, Local and Online Multiplayer (2) |
| ESRB Rating | Mature 17+ |
| Official Website | UFC 5 Website |
