The bell rings, and I find myself standing across from Canelo Álvarez, one of the best to ever put on a pair of gloves. The excitement rises and my heart rate increases, but not because of nerves, it’s because Undisputed truly brings the tension of a real title fight to life.
As Canelo moves in, with movement similar to what you’d see on a Saturday night, I quickly realize this isn’t just another arcade boxing game. Every step I make, jab I throw, and punch I take feels calculated, like I’m really squaring off against Álvarez.
It’s been over 13 years since the last major simulation boxing game, and as I cover up and look for an opening to counter, it becomes clear that Undisputed isn’t just a game trying to fill a void. They’re trying to redefine the entire boxing game experience.
Undisputed offers a variety of modes that give players plenty of ways to step into the ring. From Career Mode – where you can guide either a real boxer or your fully customized creation – to Prize Fights offering unique conditions to quick offline or online fights, there’s no shortage of options.
The create-a-fighter feature is deep in areas while weak in others. It allows for fine manipulation of a boxer’s face and body. However, I wish there were more customization options, particularly in terms of tattoos and gear. Also, the ability to share and download created fighters from others would’ve added another layer of fun and community engagement.
One of the highlights is the huge roster of over 70 past and present boxers, including Tyson Fury, Terrance Crawford, Mohammed Ali, Oleksandr Usyk, and more. It’s the deepest we’ve seen in a boxing game, and the variety helps keep things fresh. There’s no open-weight option for exhibition fights, but a number of boxers do appear across multiple weight classes.
The main mode for most is the Career Mode. As said, you take either a custom or real fighter through the ranks to become an undisputed champion. Get it?
While you could expect a system of just pick a fight, fight, repeat, there’s a bit more depth here with the mode. Throughout your career, you’re able to negotiate fights with specific demands, including payout, rematch clauses, and training time. Once you have a fight signed, managing weight, energy, and readiness adds pressure to make smart decisions, especially early in your career when it’s tough to make up for shortcomings. The deeper you go, the tougher the opponents get, making those early wins crucial to rising up the ranks. Those early wins also help prevent you from being in a rut facing the same few boxers over and over again.
The mode can drag a bit once you reach the top, but the overall journey remains engaging. And there’s no real narrative here, forcing you to use your imagination to create one. While that’s something I personally love, I can see some being bored by it.
One thing I would’ve liked to see is the option to change weight classes, which would have added even more longevity. Hopefully, this is something that can get introduced in a future update
Undisputed shines in its moment-to-moment gameplay. Movement is smooth, and punches feel fluid, though there are occasional visual issues, like punches clipping through arms or connecting when they visually don’t appear to. These minor hiccups, however, don’t detract much from the experience.
The beauty of Undisputed is its adaptability. Whether you prefer a tactical, measured fight or want to throw haymakers from the start, the game accommodates various playstyles through difficulty settings and modifiers. This flexibility makes the game accessible while still offering a challenge for those who seek it.
After months of fine-tuning and, in some instances, even overhauling before the full release, the gameplay has become one of the most enjoyable boxing experiences I’ve ever played. Real frustration never came from the game’s design but rather from my own skill – or lack thereof – inside the ring.
There’s also a major difference depending on the overall and skill of your fighters. Not every fighter will feel the same. You’ll notice in things like stamina and punch speed just how low-level you are if you try and take your 60-something overall fighter up against someone in the 80s or 90s. Speaking of how fighters feel, not every fighter will match their persona in the ring. Some boxers definitely feel more studio developed than others, but it doesn’t take away too much from the feeling.
I do have a couple concerns with how body uppercuts connect and how the AI acts strange in the ring. Whether it’s a bug or something intentional I don’t know, but, sometimes, my opponent would stay in a blocking stance for far too long. It’s one thing to be a defensive fighter, but when a fighter stays blocking for nearly a whole round, that’s when it becomes kind of ridiculous. It’s enough to break the immersion at times.
Speaking of immersion, the knockdown minigame is nice, having to use the triggers to line up within the right and left meter. I just don’t like how, no matter where or how someone is knocked down, they are always back in the middle of the ring for the minigame.
Visually, Undisputed captures the essence of a televised boxing event. In the ring, the fighters look stellar. Álvarez, Fury, Usyk, and Ali all look as realistic as you’d expect a current-gen boxing game to look. Even the way some punches land just look incredible, especially hard body shots that make your opponents stomach and chest ripple.
The pre-fight atmosphere and fighter entrances are broadcast-like, making big fights feel like grand occasions. However, a few areas could be improved. The crowd could be more reactive during intense moments, and the game sorely needs a replay suite to capture those amazing fight highlights.
That said, the variety of venues, including small gyms and major arenas (with 18 unique locations plus 2 nighttime variants), adds to the authenticity. It’s clear that Steel City Interactive put a lot of thought into making the game’s presentation match the grandeur of real-life boxing, and, for the most part, it pays off.
Undisputed isn’t just a boxing game – it’s a full boxing experience that fans haven’t had in years. With a deep roster, fluid gameplay, and solid modes, it hits all the right notes for fans of the sport. Minor visual issues and a few missing features and gameplay hiccups, like the ability to change weight classes or a replay suite, are easily overlooked when compared to the sheer joy of stepping into the ring.
Whether you’re a casual player or a die-hard boxing fan, Undisputed is the game we’ve been waiting for, and, when it’s all said and done, could wind up as one of the best boxing titles we’ve ever seen.
Undisputed was reviewed on PC with a code provided by the publisher. For more on Insider Gaming’s reviews, view our full review policy. Let us know what you think of Undisputed and Insider Gaming’s review in the Insider Gaming Forums.
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