How do you seel an alarm clock to someone who already has one? Put a radio in it? Give it wheels? Rename it the iClock? That's what must be going through the mind of publisher EA whenever it updates a sporting franchise. How do you turn last year's hit into this year's love? The original Fight Night's graceful analogue implementation felt like a revolution, enabling you to guide your punches with sweeps of the right stick, but now it just feels like we've gone full circle, and are back where we started. Let's not be too down about it, though - it's still a wallop of fun to play, regardless of the deja vu. And there are, of course, the refinements...

The new Cutman option, for example, initially seems like a good additin but soon becomes a pain. Like some Florence Fightingale, it lets you tend to your boxer's wounds between rounds, using the analogue stick to gently dab at oozing cuts or rub away the swelling. Better is the Haymaker feature, which enables you to throw overpowered knockout punches, at the risk of leaving yourself wide open for a counter-fisting. The extra facial customisation options are also welcome, and you can now take a number of real-life boxers through a whole new career path, helped in part by the extensive gym training options. If you haven't played the first Fight Night then don't worry; the changes for this sequel aren't particularly major, as is often the case with year-on-year sporting updates.

Ironically, the game's biggest shortcoming is its lack of punch. Landing blows feels nowhere near as violently satisfying and psychopathic as the meaty thuds of the Rocky games. The zoomed-in knockout cam helps, but the punches still don't feel as weighty as we'd like. The advantage Fight Night Round 2 does have over Rocky: Legends, is that it really makes you work for each KO. Which is why Round 2 still feels rewarding, and continues to rul the ring despite the lack of any real innovation. But next year we'd like more than just an alarm clock with wheels, please. Around here we're partial to 'foxy boxing', so how about throwing some women into the mix? Or online play. Or maybe online play with women. No, that'll never happen.

Graphics 70%
Solid stuff and faces get beautifully ruined.

Sound 60%
Punches lack oomph; bland soundtrack.

Gameplay 80%
Pleasing analogue punch system.

Lifespan 80%
Ample modes and unlockable bits.

Overall 70%
Engaging and enjoyable, but unlike last year's instalment, Round 2 feels like it's punching slightly below its weight.