There once was a time where boxing video games were all the rage. Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!! ushered in the trend on the NES, but games and franchises like Ready 2 Rumble Boxing and EA’s Fight Night kept the momentum going for a few decades. That changed somewhere in the 2010s, as every active series was knocked out. MMA and wrestling games carried on, but it looked like boxing players were down and out.
That changes this week thanks to Undisputed. The debut project from Steel City Interactive exits early access on October 11, and it’s looking to become the new world champion of boxing games — even if by default. It’s a carefully crafted simulation made by developers who clearly love the sport. Is that enough to make it the king of the ring, though? Not quite, as the limits of its scope ultimately reveal what’s ultimately a featherweight package, but we could be witnessing the start of a new legacy, so long as it can get back up after being knocked down.
Punch out
When it comes to the core boxing in Undisputed, Steel City executes a solid game plan. Each face button is mapped to a different punch style (jab, uppercut, etc.), and I can also throw attacks by using my right joystick instead. Holding R1 and pressing a button turns it into a power attack, while holding L1 turns it into a body shot. Guarding happens on the right trigger and it’s crucial to success, just like in real boxing. After a quick tutorial, I had the ins and outs down fast. That makes for an easy to learn system that peppers in nuance through techniques like countering and weaving.
There’s a lot that Steel City nails in its moment-to-moment fights. Rounds perfectly capture the different dynamics between fighters and press players to balance their offense and defense. In one dream match, I took on Muhammed Ali as Tyson Fury. I went in cocky, smashing his face in with power shots. Each one I landed came with a satisfying crunch as sweat flew off his face. I thought I had him on the ropes, but I neglected to pay attention to my low stamina compared to his. After dominating for a few rounds, he hit me with a quick combination that left me on the mat. In a much different round, I pulled out a much faster playstyle with Daniel Jacobs, nailing Connor Benn with quick combos on the way to a unanimous eight-round victory. The more I played, the more I came to appreciate the nuances in power and speed.
At their best, fights capture the thrills of boxing. A block-heavy playstyle may sound dull, until you drop your guard and land a perfect right hook and capitalize on the opening with confidence. The momentum shifts keep long fights exciting, as the scales can tip on a dime with a well-placed hit.
While the fundamentals are all there, Undisputed‘s issues come from it’s small-scale scope. This is ultimately a small project despite being published by Deep Silver and including some big ring sponsors (though it’s hard to suspend my disbelief and buy that the nation of Saudi Arabia is sponsoring dive bar boxing matches). In some ways, the final release still feels like it’s in early access. It comes with a paltry suite of modes, including quick matches, online play, and regular prize fights. There isn’t much variety in any of those, even if it has a fairly strong selection of rings and real fighters to choose from.
The biggest letdown is its career mode. Here, players either create their own boxer or choose one and follow them through a long career. Between fights, I need to heal up, train at the gym, negotiate contracts with my staff, do media appearances, and more. It’s a no-brainer concept, but one that’s desperately lacking in presentation. Everything between fights happens in menus or text boxes, leaving the whole experience feeling empty. Even neat ideas like contract negotiations end up feeling like simple button presses more than active tweaking.
It’s moments like that where it becomes clear that Undisputed can’t quite punch above its weight class. Sound design is sparse outside of some big hits, boxer entrances are anticlimactic, and it’s generally lacking in the kind of spectacle you see at high-end shows. You certainly can’t expect a firs- time studio to hold its own against a megapower like 2K or EA, but it’s hard not to pine for the glitzier franchise version of it.
Still, no great series is built in a day, just like you can’t count a boxer out after a single fight. Steel City has built a strong foundation during the past year of early access and created a core simulation that has the endurance it needs to survive. So long as the series can stay on its feet and bulk up, I’m sure it can stand tall as a heavyweight eventually.
Undispited gets its 1.0 launch on October 11 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Deluxe Edition owners can start early on October 8.
