Whether you’re a BJJ nerd or a fan of Rock’em Sock’em Robots, EA Sports UFC 2 has it all

The game has changed, in every sense of the adage.

EA SPORTS UFC 2 hits the shelves on Thursday and what better way to celebrate Paddy's Day than with some top-quality action in the octagon? The second iteration of EA SPORTS' trip down MMA Lane has been a long time coming but it's certainly worth the wait. The developers have not missed a trick as they've improved on literally all elements of the first game which came out almost two years ago. We got the chance to get stuck into the action at EA SPORTS HQ in Vancouver and were blown away with the improvements. Whether you want to set up a fantasy card or have a quick two minutes of a stand-up battle, EA SPORTS UFC 2 has everything you could hope for. What first strikes you in the game's main menu is the abundance of options available to you. Presumably, if you're like us, you will go straight for the 'Fight Now' option. We set up a five rounder between Conor McGregor and Rafael dos Anjos and, luckily, dos Anjos didn't break his foot before we got underway. The realism in terms of the fighters' appearance genuinely took us off guard such was its quality. It is impossible not to notice the attention to detail when it comes to the fighters' hair moving with the punches. A heavy shot to the jaw sent pre-shaven McGregor's fringe skyward. The striking exchanges are on point and the fighters in the game actually move like the fighters in real life. Dos Anjos' flat-footed forward pressure was just like the real thing and McGregor, who we were playing as, was just as 'nice and flowy' as you'd imagine. RDA took us down but we followed the on-screen instructions, which are far more detailed than those in the first game, to sweep and get back to our feet. The ground game is no longer dictated by furiously rotating the analog stick. There are options. You will be directed to pull one way to sweep, for example, and another way to threaten with a submission. From a dominant position like mount, you have the option to move towards a sub or to posture up and strike, depending on your preference. We never made it to mount. We lost a unanimous decision which was expected and moved on to try another mode... the brand new 'Knockout Mode.' The premise is that you take on an opponent in an all-striking affair where the aim is to land the cleaner shots, defend intelligently and finish early. You can pick best out of three, five or sudden death and choose how much endurance each fighter has which makes for a fun-filled introduction to the stand-up elements of the game. Among the other modes is the 'Custom Event Creator' where you can put together your dream card. Don your Joe Silva hat and go all in with title fights, super fights and rematches of some of the most legendary bouts in MMA history. If you're less of a 'quick-fix' kind of gamer and in it for the long haul, you'll love the new and improved career mode in which you break into the UFC through The Ultimate Fighter and slowly climb your way up your division's ladder before realising your dream with a title shot. The roster is almost twice as big as the last one we remember, with the addition of legendary fighters like Bas Rutten and Kazushi Sakuraba, and combat sports icons such as 'Iron' Mike Tyson and Bruce Lee. https://twitter.com/MikeTyson/status/689842217339334656?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw Build your Ultimate Team of your favourite fighters, go online to put your skills to the test against fellow Ultimate Gaming Champions or just get some training under your belt. They've really figured it all out. Whether you want to unwind after work with a quick few fights on career mode, have some friends over to go through a 'Knockout Mode' tournament or want to settle an argument with your girlfriend by going toe-to-toe in the octagon. It really has it all. Trust us, you're not going to run out of things to mess around with in EA SPORTS UFC 2. Out now on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.  Find out more at easports.com/uk/ufc