Undisputed Review

Muhammad Ali, Tyson Fury, and Canelo Alvarez are a few names that come to mind whenever I think about the pinnacle of boxing. It's not very often that you get an opportunity to stand against the greats between the ropes of a boxing ring. Every skip, jab, hook, and bop of the character models makes you awe and nostalgia, taking you back to memorable fight nights filled with emotions ranging from joy to despair.

Being someone who enjoys simulation games and boxing, I found it pretty difficult growing up in a market where the number of boxing games was so scarce that the last proper big-hit boxing game in Fight Night Champions was released over a decade ago.

So, when I heard that Steel City Interactive was launching its beta in 2023, which was a much-needed competition in the genre, you wouldn't believe how eager and happy I was to get my hands on the Undisputed and give it a spin.

Undisputed, like other simulation games, will provide you with a bunch of game modes to choose from. You can curate unique conditions from the career mode online to custom creative modes, which is always good to see.

Undisputed's character creator has a comprehensive customization that allows you to modify character models in great detail, from altering their faces, in-ring wardrobe, fighting styles, and much more. Though Undisputed is grand in these categories, I wish there was a way for players to import custom items into the game due to its limited wardrobe attire.

Undisputed's Career Mode lets you go ham with the amount of creative control you have over your boxer's career; I am a big fan of the depth that the game mode offers, as you have the license to control your boxer's fight earnings, challenger, media promotion, team, training, and rest. Your team plays an important role in your progression as they offer you valuable perks and buffs, and you are responsible for the contract negotiations with your coach, cut man, and manager.

You decide how much rest and training your boxer does. Overtraining and over-resting can have negative effects on your fighter. Training too much can reduce your fighter's stamina, slow down punches, and increase the risk of injury. Over-resting can cause your fighter to become overweight, and your fight won't count, reducing your fame and money. You will need to find a balance suited to your fighter.

One caveat about the Career Mode is that it gets very repetitive once you're at the top, and Undisputed's lack of substance starts to show. Your best bet is to start the Career Mode from the beginning. I wish the game had a feature that would allow you to shift weight classes and move into a different category. This would spark a second breath in the Career Mode, allowing you to challenge yourself to dominate other weight classes.

On to one of Undisputed's best features, the roster – and oh boy, is it stacked. The roster features over 70 fighters divided into 10 weight classes from past and present. It features Icons like Muhammad Ali, Tyson Fury, Terence Crawford, and many more. Unfortunately, there isn't an open-weight class for exhibition fights just yet, but Undisputed still features one of the best rosters for any boxing game. Each of these fighters has their own style and flair, and the game does well to mimic the actual fighters in real life. Except when it doesn't…

Undisputed falls short often due to its lack of unique fighter entrances. The game uses stock entrances, which makes the prefight feel more like an afterthought; the same goes for the fighter's behavior and reaction post-fight.

Let's move on to Undisputed's backbone—its gameplay and mechanics. At first, I thought, "Wow, this game feels incredible." The punches feel surreal and satisfying, the character models look like a lot of effort went into them, and the overall movement of the game is so buttery. The character models' footwork feels a bit heavy, but I would say it makes it more realistic and better compared to other fighting simulations, like WWE 2k and UFC.

The style you want to take on while playing is completely up to you, and the game gives you that freedom by offering you 60 types of punches, from jabs and hooks to uppercuts. It does feel like you're the one boxing when your fighter is in between the ropes. You have the liberty to throw haymakers, stay disciplined, and fight defensively, all to your liking.

When the punches connect, there's such a satisfying sound that tickles the back of your brain. It's out there with the best combat of any fighting game on the market right now. Every time I was fed up with the game, it didn't have to do with the game itself; it was more of a 'skill issue' on my part.

Unlike other boxing games, Undisputed can be difficult to master as there are so many categories you must be good at. You'll need to understand distance and spacing and know to throw good combinations at the right time. Keeping an eye on your stamina, countering, and working on your footwork is crucial for you to be good at the game. Once you've mastered these skills, you'll be knocking opponents out in no time.

Occasionally, there are visual glitches, where certain punches clip through the bodies and gloves of the opposing fighter. But this is not enough to deter you from the amazing gameplay, but it does happen.

Undisputed also features a knockdown minigame, and a lot of people might have mixed feelings about it. I do like the mechanic, though I find it pretty challenging; I feel as though it's a good thing that the minigame is difficult as it is the game's way of punishing you for being knocked down.  You have to line up to meters bars simultaneously once you are knocked out, which can be pretty tricky as you have to do it quickly.

A serious gameplay mechanic that is not included in Undisputed and may be a deal breaker for boxing fanatics is the lack of a 'clinch' mechanic. Clinching is a huge part of boxing that this game does not even implement, which takes realism away from the game.

Another gameplay mechanic that also takes away from the realism is that you're unable to punch your opponent while swaying and bopping – not a serious issue, but just something you'll have to keep in mind.

One thing about knockdowns that I am not a fan of in Undisputed is that there is a lack of variety in knockdown animation, which ruins the immersion, and whenever you do get knocked down, even if it is on the edge of the ring, you're always brought to the center for the minigame, which is odd. Lastly, I feel as though developers could have implemented unique minigames into training in the Career Mode, for example, like the ones in EA Sports EA FC25, making it more fun to play.

Undisputed has a multiplayer mode where players can play ranked matches, and there's also a leaderboard. Multiplayer can be a bit annoying as other players just end up picking the best fighters, so you end up fighting Ali over and over again. I'd stick to playing custom lobbies with your friends.

Let's talk visuals. Undisputed has the best graphics of any game of its genre. The immense details that went into each fighter make them stand out and look realistic. Each landed body shot causes a ripple effect on the opponent that is capable of dilating your pupils in amazement.

Steel City Interactive outdid themselves; the punches are simply great to watch. But there's still room for improvement. When fighters accumulate damage, cuts and bruises begin to show. Don't expect the kind of realism we saw in WWE 2K24. Once again, there is a lack of variety in bruises and cuts compared to Fight Night Champions, and it does get repetitive. The crowd is also pretty stale and unreactive.

Undisputed has 18 arenas, ranging from small gyms when you start to large stadium-like venues for big fight nights. The lighting and atmosphere of the arenas make them look grand and televised as if you were watching Pay-per-view.

The sound design of Undisputed is excellent. As mentioned, Steel City Interactive nailed the satisfying punching sounds. Although I do like hearing Todd Grisham and Johnny Nelson on commentary, half the time, the commentary doesn't even make sense and is out of sync with the actual gameplay. The commentator also keeps on repeating the same phrases.

Though Undisputed isn't perfect by any means, Steel City Interactive put a lot of time and resources into creating a game that represents a realistic boxing experience. With its extensive roster and smooth gameplay, Undisputed is easy to recommend to every boxing fanatic. The developers saw a glaring hole in the market, and they filled it, and I'm sure we, boxing fans, are going to welcome it with open arms.