Fight Night Champion is a KO

FIGHT NIGHT CHAMPION

RATING M for Mature

PLOT Bare-knuckle fights, corrupt promoters, "Rocky"-like comebacks

DETAILS Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, $60

BOTTOM LINE A KO

Whether in story mode or in a one-off fight, Fight Night Champion offers more brutality than did previous editions. It's not Mortal Kombat, but cuts are damaging, and you can definitely alter another guy's face significantly if he isn't working defense into his technique. There's also the typical Legacy mode if you want to create your own pugilist. The Fight Night series has had the best character creator in gaming and continues to do so here.

-- Scripps Howard News Service