Review: Undisputed (Xbox)

Update: This review was originally “in-progress” while we tested out the multiplayer side of things, and has now been updated with an new paragraph about the online experience along with a final “Good” score of 7/10.

What happened to all the boxing games on Xbox? That’s a question we’ve been asking for the past decade-plus, stretching all the way back to the Xbox 360 era. Fortunately, we’ve got a new challenger ready to step into the ring in the form of Undisputed, and first-time developer Steel City Interactive has spent the past few years ironing out its kinks in early access on PC. We’ve been keeping such a close eye on this game since all the way back in 2020, and it’s quite surreal to finally be playing it on an Xbox console!

There’s an inevitable comparison to be made here with Fight Night Champion of course, which is the most recent entry in EA’s popular series – although it’s been 13 years since that game landed on Xbox. And the good news is that Undisputed should feel very familiar to anyone who enjoyed those Fight Night games back in the day, but it has a much slower and more methodical pace to it. The developer has chosen to lean heavily into the simulation side of things here, particularly in terms of its unique footwork mechanics that require your movements to be more calculated and precise, and the result is a game that, in theory, offers more gameplay depth than Fight Night ever did.

Against CPU opponents at least, there’s a nice flow to fights that prioritises short and snappy combos in-between blocking, dodging and maneuvering your way around the ring as elegantly as possible. As you wear down your opponent, you create opportunities to break their block and do some real damage – such as opening up cuts and swelling their eyes shut. The physics-based interactions mean that no two knockdowns are ever the same, and the way fighters slump into the ropes when they hit the mat looks really realistic.

Going back to Fight Night Champion after playing this, EA’s game definitely feels snappier in terms of how quickly you move around the ring and throw punches, but it also feels a bit too arcadey for our liking (and this is coming from the perspective of pretty casual boxing fans). That said, Undisputed can be guilty of the opposite, with punches feeling unresponsive and lacking in power at times. The balance isn’t always spot-on, and hardcore boxing aficionados will inevitably find more holes to pick than us, but there’s plenty of enjoyment to be had with Undisputed’s authentic approach in the ring, and we’ve found ourselves consistently getting that addictive one-more-fight feeling.

All of this is wrapped up in a presentation suite that feels, well… pretty similar to Fight Night! You’ve got a good selection of boxers to choose from, including the likes of Muhammad Ali, Katie Taylor, Oleksandr Usyk and many more, and their character models aren’t too shabby at all. The venue list is large as well, from grotty gyms to large arenas, and although some look better than others, we’ve been suitably impressed by the majority. Yes, we might be saying the presentation is comparable to a game from 13 years ago, but overall Undisputed does look better than Fight Night, and keep in mind this is a brand-new series from a totally new development team.

Beyond the standard exhibition mode, Undisputed’s main focus from a single-player perspective is the Career Mode, which allows you to either create a character or use a real-life pro to compete for numerous championships in the world of boxing. This follows a gameplay loop where you negotiate new fights, embark on fight camps to get yourself ready for them, and then hopefully find yourself climbing the rankings when you win. You recruit staff to help you along the way, and remaining loyal to them grants you continued access to specific perks, but there’s always the allure of going with better-qualified personnel that become unlocked over time.

We wish Career Mode had a bit more depth in some areas, such as putting you into gym-based mini-games when training between fights, as everything is handled via the menu interface as things stand. Otherwise though, this is a competent Career Mode that you can spend many hours with, and we’ve had a good time just grinding away and slowly leveling up our fighter throughout Undisputed’s review period.

In terms of the online suite, there’s a whole lot to get stuck into – including quick fights, ranked fights and private lobbies (but sadly there’s no crossplay support at launch). If both fighters have a good connection, these fights feel very smooth and can be extremely fun, but we’ve noticed that when the connection is worse, the game occasionally suffers from ghost punches – where you get hit even though you seem to be far enough away from your opponent. We also feel like stamina needs tweaking when it comes to online multiplayer, as it’s too easy for people to constantly spam power punches without getting as tired as they should right now. This might all sound disappointing, and it can be, but we want to emphasise that we’re still having a good time with Undisputed’s online multiplayer, and we’ve had some absolutely thrilling and memorable fights already!

Conclusion
After 13 extremely long years, we’re so glad to finally be playing a major new boxing game on Xbox. Undisputed isn’t necessarily the perfect follow-up to Fight Night Champion, but it’s a more realistic take on the sport that delivers a good amount of entertainment inside the squared circle, and we’re impressed by what the Steel City Interactive team have created with their first video game ever. Let’s hope we don’t have to wait another 13 years for a sequel!