As real as it can get when fighting psycho clowns….
As a boxer and long time lover of “the sweet science” Real Boxing 2 starts right out by slapping me in the face. If “haymaker jab” and calling a “straight” a “jab” doesn’t bother you, there is a decent niche filling game under the hood here.
Curious design decisions abound for Real Boxing which seems to be a bargain boxing title. Slightly broken terminology aside, this game offers a surprising amount of “depth” - the one player Career Mode spans multiple continents with a great deal of play. Every stop along the way offers a Tutorial, Story Fight (a small paragraph is your story for these) and a “Prize Fight” where you can win gear.
The gameplay itself reminds me of the old EA boxing titles. Analog sticks control each arm for easy to learn and use controls, but jabs and straights lie on the L2 / R2 buttons which breaks the flow of just using analog sticks to punch. Guard and slipping punches live on L / R shoulder buttons. And footwork…. well footwork oddly doesn’t exist. Unless I am missing something in Real Boxing you will stand toe to toe “fighting in a phone booth” with your opponent no matter what.
So overall, it isn’t a bad game. There are curious design choices but nothing game breaking. There is a wealth of content from mini-games to build up your stats and a loot system to gain more upgrades and gear. The lack of weight classes, foot movement, and any REAL boxers (the champions you face range from psycho clowns, zombies, and even a bad Native American stereotype - couldn’t they have paid for a few old broke fighters to have likenesses included?!) hurt the game, but don’t take all the fun away from this mid-tier title.
geisel🤐