Which boxing themed video games pack the biggest punch?
The gap between the virtual world and the real one is shrinking in various aspects of our lives. That’s particularly the case in sport, where we are now seeing the eSports versions of Premier League football and NBA basketball attracting media attention and even TV coverage.
Given the speed at which Virtual Reality is developing, it seems inevitable that sooner or later we will see boxing matches taking place in cyberspace. We might not be quite at that stage yet, but there are certainly plenty of boxing-themed games out there to choose from. Here’s a run-down of some of our favourites.
UFC 3
OK, so this is actually a UFC game, but given it has the versatile Conor McGregor on the cover, it deserves our attention. Despite taking place in an octagon instead of a ring, it is probably the best game out there for practicing your boxing skills in the virtual world.
As a product of gaming giant EA sport, the game is licensed to use all the biggest names in marital arts, so you’ll get to guide your favourite fighter through a boxing career that carries all the surprises, drama and sometimes disappointments of the real world.
Mike Tyson Knockout Slog
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The game itself has a nice story arc and top quality graphics. There are also plenty of free spin features and bonus knockout rounds to add to the gameplay, meaning there is more to it than just spinning the reels and hoping to get lucky.
Fight Night Champion
The fifth entry in the Fight Night series had a new, darker feel and focused more on the underlying story than just the fights. It’s definitely taken some cues from the likes of Grand Theft Auto, and is none the worse for that.
The biggest difference between this and previous versions is the movie-style production values, and you will find yourself genuinely drawn in to the story. Just remember, this was the first EA game to be given a “mature” rating due to the strong language and violence, so it’s not one for the kids.
Facebreaker
This is an odd entry, but is worthy of mention as it makes you wonder what could be achieved if the developers remade it today. It uses the face capture technology that caused such a stir in the Tiger Woods PGA golf game, and literally puts the gamer right there in the virtual ring.
Sure, the game had its shortcomings, particularly in terms of the AI functionality, but there have been few games that have done such a solid job of capturing the essence of boxing and transferring it to the virtual world.
