S&S Review: Bellator MMA Onslaught

Title: Bellator MMA Onslaught 
Format: PSN, XBLA
Release Date:  July 3, 2012
Publisher: 345 Games
Developer: Kung Fu Factory
Price: $14.99
ESRB Rating: T


I'm taking a little hiatus from all the indie games to catch back up on the more "mainstream" s titles, if you will.  Bellator was an easy choice for me, any kind of MMA kind of game will always get my attention.  So far, its been a surprising joy to pulverize any opponent crazy enough to step in the ring to challenge me.

Presentation:
MMA Onslaught has its very on unique feel and look to it.  Seeing how its a downloadable title, don't expect the hyperrealistic textures and character models you saw in UFC Undisputed 3.  Don't get discouraged though, Onslaught isn't a bad looking game by any means.  The character models are solid, providing enough detail to satisfy your many graphical needs.  You'll see blood spatter on the mats, and cuts open up on the fighters as the fights progress.  There aren't that many characters and arenas to fight in, so I'm glad they put a lot of work into making each of them look as good as they do.  The developers really captured the look and feel Bellator has to offer.  There aren't as many special theatrics as in UFC, so don't expect those long presentations featuring Bruce Buffer before each fight.  Other than the generic "Ready" and "Fight", you won't be treated to the adrenaline filled commentary that I've grown to love in previous MMA games.  Overall, the presentation is stellar throughout, with just only a few minor detractions.

Core Gameplay and Multiplayer:
The gameplay in MMA Onslaught is a lot different than the other MMA style games.  Instead of going the simulation route, the development team decided to go for the more arcady type of game.  You'll notice the arcade style health and stamina bars above your fighters.  The matches are really fast paced and will never last you too long, minimal loading screens gets you in and out of matches quickly, which is always a plus.  There are a few modes for you to engage in, Super Fight is your standard exhibition mode you can play alone or with a friend.  Then you have Championship Road, which you compete against a number of fighters on your way to a championship, similar to the Ladder Mode found in other gamers.  There is an extensive Create-a-Fighter mode which lets you make up to four new fighters, and customize them to your liking.  You can change your move sets, and improve your skills through training challenges and experience earned through matches.  I still wish there was an actual career mode in the game, you can only take your fighter in the exhibition and championship modes.  The cool thing about this is any fight you put him in, he earns XP that can be used to improve his skills.  You can take your fighter online, for either Ranked or Player Matches.  The online is solid, never really suffering from any severe lag.

Final Thoughts:
Bellator MMA Onslaught is a good all around fighting game, offering you a lot of fast paced matches.  I wish there was more than 8 fighters, but the team will always be open to any DLC expansions for more characters if the community requests that of them.  If you're looking for a good MMA and only have $15 bucks in your pocket, give this one a shot.

S&S Rating: 7.5/10