MMA Federation - Fun for those into that sort of thing

Is this one of those fighting games then?

In a manner of speaking, yes - it's a game about fighting people using mixed martial arts.

In terms of gameplay though, it's not really a fighter - at least not in the Street Fighter or Tekken sense. Instead, it's basically a turn-based card battler.

You choose an attack or defensive move depending on whether you're, well, attacking or defending, and have to try and juggle a stamina system. Each move costs energy, you see, and you only have a limited amount.

It all sounds very tactical

Well, it is. The perks on certain moves adds a further element of strategy because you can completely control the battle if you use them wisely.

It's not perfect though. And, in fact, it can be quite frustrating at times. In a fighting game, you kind of want to be in full control of your moves but that's not the case here.

Instead, you're given three to use and you can only hope that they'll be effective. There's no actual way of telling whether your move will work or not.

Doesn't that system work really well in card battlers though?

Yes, totally. But card battlers are completely different. In those you can choose which cards to bring with you from a limited pool. Here you bring every move you've mastered (and instead choose which two fighting styles you want to fight in).

The end result just proves far too random to be satisfying.

So should I just not bother then?

That all depends on how much you like MMA. If you're a fan, the awesome visuals, ton of game modes (like training, career, and multiplayer) and the ability to fully customise your character from appearance down to equipment will appeal massively. None-fans will likely just find the combat system too random and frustrating to enjoy.