The Undisputed Boxing Game Review – Not a Champion

The Undisputed Boxing Game Has Finally Released

A long and bleak dry spell is what most accurately describes the current state of the video game boxing community. The “sweet science” fans underwent over a decade of thirst with EA’s Fight Night Champion (2011) alone being the only major release to rock the boxing game scene. Finally, we’ve got the Undisputed boxing game from Steel City Interactive and the Deep Silver publisher.

Undisputed hit the stores in October 2024 after more than twenty months of open beta access (basically early access) on Steam. Apart from being licensed, the game also boasts different layers of boxing simulation. The AsamiGames team decided to review this game to see if it is really underrated or deserves the critics’ skepticism.

Gameplay

At the heart of Undisputed is the ability to learn the science of boxing. The boxing ring made by the developers is a place to play chess, where every movement is significant. There are 4 main punches you can throw – jabs, straights, hooks, and uppercuts, but with 60+ variations and tactics. While talent and the trigger under your finger allow you to deliver powerful punches that knock your opponent down, it also drains your stamina. The health bar and block gauges keep track of the damage to certain parts of the body. For example, delivering repeated hooks to the opponent’s head can be a means to break down his defense.

The player movement system, which involves Loose Movement for speedy bobs and weaves and also Flat-Footed Movement when tired, gives a sense of real action. Also, such moves can be a source of discomfort when you are less active.

The defense options are varied and include the following: slip, weave, dodge, block, or clinch to be safe from the punishment. The knockdown mini-game seems unnecessary: when you align the analog sticks to heal, some people say it’s very engaging and some others say it is complex (it is possible to disable this feature in settings).

The AI-controlled opponents are divided into several categories, such as difficulty and play style. Defects such as too much time standing still for the opponents when they should be blocking can disrupt the players’ immersion. The feature of online play holds out much promise,but issues with lag and disconnection, and with the winning being taken away by rage-quitters still prevail in it.

As stated in Patch 1.3.3, the punch tracking and evasion have been improved, but it still feels like there is a half-second lag between your commands and the game’s actions, particularly on the Steam Deck.

The Career Mode

Unlike other single-player campaigns and ranked modes we’ve reviewed, the Career Mode in the Undisputed boxing game is too basic. The Career Mode in Undisputed promises an unforgettable journey from an amateur to an undisputed champion, but it lands on much of a letdown on the delivery. You can create your unique fighter or use a real-world boxer such as a young Cassius Clay and go up the ladders by signing contracts, training, and gaming fighting.

The RPG-like tactics of having coaches, cutmen, and managers with unique capabilities are left untouched, and the default mode seems to be a moving shell. You’ll have to be clicking and finding stats to boost or “promote on social media” on your boxing sim, which is rather off-putting by the way. What is the situation with the training montages, the rivalries, and the press conferences that made Fight Night Champion’s story mode unforgettable?

The recent addition of the weight class changes is a step forward, allowing you to go for titles in 3 different classes, but it hasn’t successfully masked the mode’s immense dullness. Without any telling points about the story or different activities, the Career Mode remains only a backbone for the potentially interesting campaign.

Unique Features

Undisputed is not another boxing game – it can become your dream game because it has been designed with a huge passion shared by boxing geeks. These things make the game unique: 

• Massive Licensed Roster. At the launch, they have added 81 fighters with such celebrities as Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Robinson, and current stars like Canelo Álvarez, Tyson Fury, and Katie Taylor. It’s the biggest in all the boxing games since it is also coupled with the WBC, CompuBox, and merchandise like Everlast;
• Revolutionary Footwork Mechanics. The game makes use of a Loose Movement toggle that lets players freely move tor around the ring and at the same time use Flat-Footed Movement that simulates real-world tiredness when the energy bar goes down;
• Deep Create-a-Fighter Customization. The character editor is the major element, that permits the construction of a person like facial traits, tattoos, shorts, and gloves. Even though it is not as complex as the character editor in WWE 2K24, it’s quite detailed to give you the opportunity to create any human being.

The game also brags a collection of over 60 punch varieties, from jabs to hooks, which are based on footwork, angle, and combos. Traits—consider them as bonuses— give peculiar qualities for each fighter, for example, having more strength or stronger stamina, to increase the excitement of the fights. 

It is still hard to believe that the developers managed to implement all these ideas into reality. The secret is in the professional concept art services they have used to turn the vivid ideas into the working features in the game. Thanks to the expert approach, the project looks polished and thought-out.

The Unity engine is quite dazzling in its portrayal of the warrior characters. The trends, blood, and deformities on faces were excellently rendered to present the fights as brutal engagements. Unfortunately, the animations lack versatility and variety.

You can also visit the official Reddit thread about the Undisputed boxing game. Fans share their thoughts and videos. 

Undisputed vs Boxing Games of the Past

If you truly want to understand the place of the Undisputed boxing game in the ring of boxing video games, let’s compare it to other fan-favorite predecessors – from arcade classics to full-fledged simulators.

Why the Mixed Steam Reviews?

We won’t miss the elephant in the room. Despite our personal biased attitude, the game has quite a cold shower of reviews on Steam with Mixed reviews prevailing. Its rating is less than 65% with 16,000+ reviews in total. The Steam players have not appreciated the Undisputed boxing game completely because of: 

• Unpolished gameplay;
• Bleak Career Mode;
• Many lags and bugs, though, the patches partially have fixed them;
• Lack of online mode’s features and general stability;
• Too high expectations compared to the Early Access version;
• Community’s anger and disappointment about the project’s price – on the consoles, it is a full price.

Tips for New Undisputed Players – How to Survive the Ring

Playing the game of Undisputed can be really challenging if you have not had any training at all. To shine even during the first hours of playing, consider the following these tips: 

• Use Loose Movement (toggled with LT on Xbox) to make a circle around the other players and form new angles;
• Stamina management is half the success. In the game, if you throw power punches, your energy goes away quickly. At the start, just use jabs and straights, and later, save up powerful hooks for the moment when your attacker’s guard falls;
• Look at both the health bars and your opponent’s stamina meter. Concentrate on their head or body to cause damage, and use pads to protect your own weak areas;
• Each of the AI opponents has different fighting patterns. Fights usually have swarmers rushing in and out-fighters keeping their distance.

Pros and Cons of the Undisputed Boxing Game

Like all video games we review this particular title also has flaws and benefits. The following table shows the major pros and cons of the Undisputed boxing game.

The Verdict

Undoubtedly, as a boxing game Undisputed is a wild and enigmatic experience that accomplishes its ambitious goal. But, unfortunately, it is also one that fails due to a minor detail. An extremely broad range of fighters, visuals, and in-game physics are the surest indicators of potential this game demonstrates.

The sweaty licensed fighters we can choose for playing and the number of tactics available for use create a picture where every punch counts. In certain aspects, the slow gameplay, the too-basic career mode that lacks content, and regular connectivity problems are the main problems — it is still impossible to win the championship belt.

Without a doubt, Undisputed is a game that boxing enthusiasts can’t miss for any reason, regardless of its flaws. It is the only boxing game available, and at the same time, the developers’ dedication to the game and their passion for the sport is visible. You may be one of the casual players who may want to wait for a few more updates to come or better still, a potential Undisputed 2 to be released just to check whether Steel City will make a winning move.

FAQ

Is Undisputed released yet?

Yes, the Undisputed release date was on October 11, 2024, on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S after almost 2 years in early access on Steam. There have been a few patches and updates added since the release.

Can you play the Undisputed boxing game on PC?

Yes, Undisputed is playable on PC via Steam, released on October 11, 2024, after Early Access. It supports controllers and keyboard, though some players report input lag and performance issues.

Is Floyd Mayweather in the Undisputed boxing game?

No, Floyd Mayweather is not yet on Undisputed’s roster. However, the game includes 81+ fighters like Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, and Canelo Álvarez, but Mayweather’s absence has disappointed fans, with no confirmed plans for his inclusion.

Did the patches wipe most bugs in Undisputed? 

There has been released the patch 1.3.3. with the fourth update in five weeks to show the studio’s commitment to polishing their passion project. The patch mostly focused on gameplay improvements, bug fixes, enhanced evasive moves, responsive dodges, stamina mechanics and resolved desync issues. Also, they promise to add new fighters. Check the full review of all changes brought by patch 1.3. to the Undisputed boxing game.

Conclusion

Despite a few flaws, we’ve enjoyed playing the Undisputed boxing game a lot. It is full of heart, raw potential, and a few bruises that still make it unique. Steel City Interactive built a nice foundation that can be improved both by them and fans. We will continue to follow this interesting project. While you can keep following our blog. The AsamiGames team will keep on posting interesting articles for you.