EA Sports UFC 2: 10 Essential Fixes That Must Be Made

4. Deeper Stamina System

The absence of a traditional health bar is one of the game design decisions which shapes the way we play MMA games. The sometimes chaotic, random nature of a UFC fight means that there needs to be room for sudden changes of fight balance, shocking flash knockouts and so on, so the usual health meter just won't suffice. The stamina mechanic which takes its place works well, but needs to be developed and expanded in key areas to bring us closer to the real thing. The most essential tweak needs to be a persistent stamina drain based on specific limbs you're using. This needs to carry through both striking and absorbing strikes, as well as specific pressures applied during ground work and the clinch. They've already added a few good ideas, like how your fighter struggles to defend against head strikes when he's been rocked by a few thunderous body blows, but this needs to be refined. Ideally they need to implement a stamina system which removes the incentive for strike spamming - right now a lot of the stand-up game boils down to a flurry of one-sided head kicks. Limb fatigue (both from giving and taking strikes) should last right through the fight, and possibly even bleed through into your career post-fight if severe enough.