5 things the newest boxing game does well

I've been playing Undisputed in Early Access on PC for over a year and on the retail PlayStation 5 for over a week.

The online servers aren't fully operational yet, but I've logged more than enough rounds to get a feel for what we have to offer in the first new AAA boxing game in over a decade.

I don't want to post a review without playing at least ten online games, but I can highlight at least five things that Steel City Interactive did well with this entry.

Undisputed squad

There are 81 unique fighters at launch, and the overall selection is even larger when you count the guys and gals available in multiple weight classes and alternate versions.

The fighters are spread across ten different divisions. There are eight men's and two women's divisions.

The squad size is more than sufficient at launch and Steel City Interactive has promised that it will grow post-launch with some free and paid updates. Roster expansions have always been a DLC concept that I'm willing to pay for in sports games.

If it's good, bring it on.

The roster also gets a boost from a create-a-fighter suite that's much more comprehensive than it seems at first glance. At first I felt like the sculpt changes had no effect on the face of my created fighter, but the more changes I made, the more I realized how well it worked.

It's interesting and profound.

The undisputed fighter renders

Not only is the roster numerous, but the renders for almost every fighter in the game – past and present – are crucial. Legends like Riddick Bowe, Larry Holmes, Muhammad Ali and others are depicted with the same level of detail as current stars like Canelo Alvarez, Tyson Fury and Terence Crawford.

From a pure rendering standpoint, Undisputed passes the eye test with flying colors.

The concept of features

Whether you call them badges, skills, X-factors, perks, or traits, the concept beyond rating that differentiates characters is essential in all sports games. It's crucial for fighting games like Undisputed.

In Undisputed, the concept manifests itself in characteristics, and the game offers a whole range of options. They're not just there, but you can tell the properties were designed by people who know boxing.

For example, Canelo has the Bodyworker trait, which increases the damage of punches he lands to the body by 25%. He also has a Liver Destroyer, which further enhances his body attack as it increases the damage dealt by hooks to the body by 50%.

If you're an informed boxing fan, you know that Canelo has a legendary physical attack and these traits help show that, but from a gaming perspective it helps develop a fighting style for fans.

This aspect of the game is probably my favorite aspect.

The price war concept

Live event concepts in sports video games have become an important part of the live service portion of top titles. In Undisputed, prizefights will fill this space.

Although conceptually not fully populated at the moment, the section is an excellent way to stay up to date with current boxing scenarios and recognize significant moments from the sport's rich history.

I'm curious to see how or if this part of the game will disappear after release.

Sets growth expectations

Undisputed is a fully functional retail release, but Steel City and Deep Silver have made it clear that the game will be continually updated in terms of gameplay and content.

It doesn't look like the team will settle for an annual release. Instead, the version set to release on October 11th (with Early Access on October 8th) will feature numerous content updates, similar to EA UFC.

Both EA UFC 4 and 5 have been and have been updated post-launch with new fighters, arenas and more. This approach makes sense for sports games and it seems that Undisputed is heading in that direction.

Once the game is released and the online servers are filled, I will publish an article about the five things I would like to see improved.