IGN Hands On!

IGN have finally managed to wrangle a hands on preview of the game, featuring the three main bouts from the upcoming UFC 92 PPV.

First impressions seems very positive

Everything we'd seen of UFC 2009 Undisputed heading into our hands-on session had been impressive – superb fighter renderings, fluid animations and an extremely authentic, true-to-the-broadcast presentation – but, all that would be for naught if the game didn't handle well. So, heading into our first hands-on session with the work-in-progress, our attention was focused purposefully on the title's gameplay.

Still, the first thing that caught our eye was just how incredibly true-to-life the fighters looked and how authentic the game's presentation felt. We played the three biggest fights on the UFC 92: The Ultimate 2008 card, beginning with the main event, Light Heavyweight Champion Forrest Griffin versus Sugar Rashad Evans. It was impossible to ignore that Griffin's character looked and moved just like the real-life champ, right down to the combed-down bangs and tufts of chest hair, and that Evans looked legit, stenciled beard and all.

We also couldn't help but notice the level of detail THQ poured into the Octagon and its surrounding areas. Every element was a nearly perfect match to a live UFC event, including advertisements for the company's real-life business partners, cameramen stationed exactly where they would be during a live event meticulously following the action as the fighters move around the Octagon, as well as commentators Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg seated at their Octagon-side broadcast location.

However, it wasn't until the opening bell sounded and Griffin and Evans charged out of the gates that our biggest questions began to be addressed.

You can read the full preview on the IGN website.