What makes a game good, and what makes writing about games so hard, is that what can distinguish a great game from a good game is simply how it feels to play. That’s a tough thing to correlate. Fight Night Champion feels like how a boxing game should feel. Using just the analog sticks and the four shoulder buttons on a PS3 controller, players can dominate an opponent across the recently-released demo’s three rounds through adept, graceful contortions of their selected boxers body.

Punches are handled with the right analog stick. A tap forward gives a quick jab, straight on. Swing it upwards either left or right and your boxer will throw hooks. An uppercut is delivered by pressing down. Punches are fluidly delivered with precision. Holding the left trigger gives you control over your boxer’s body. As you push the left analog stick right, he nimbly leans out of the way of a fierce right hand. If you hold the lean for just a little bit, you can come up with a mean uppercut as his head twists into range. It’s like ballet in the ring. The two characters move around the square like predators stalking prey.

Four fighters are offered in the demo - two heavyweights (Mike Tyson and Muhammad Ali) and two middleweights (Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto). The full release will offer 50 fighters. Ali has great range; shots can be peppered as he constantly backs out of his opponent’s reach. But Tyson is a bulldog; when he can back Ali into the ropes and get inside, he can bruise him with unrivaled power. The demo offers online functionality, and when the game is played against an experienced rival, the challenge is significantly upped. It’s all about finding weaknesses in your opponent’s strategy as quickly as possible - maybe they leave their right side open after throwing a hook - and exploiting the advantage before they figure out your fatal flaw.

It was amazing how quickly I got caught up in the experience. I went from booting up a game in a genre that I’ve never touched to gushing about the game and telling everyone I know just how excellent the demo is in just a few rounds. I am very eagerly anticipating this game. The full-retail release promises an extensive story mode that tracks the rise of an amateur boxer, and EA has dared to push the franchise to an ESRB ‘Mature’ rating. Though certainly not an indicator of quality, I’m hoping that the adult rating will allow EA to touch on the darker aspects of a boxing career. Fight Night Champion looks to be one of 2011’s strongest contenders.