So I picked this up. I have to say, the demo and alpha did not really sell me on this game, given that both lacked tutorials (I haven't played since the original release). It was taking my time with tutorials in a full version at Best By that ultimately won me over.
Words can not express how happy I am that the shine is mostly gone and button-mashing is completely gone. I still wish there was a better way to resolve takedown attempts, but those sequences are short...as long as I don't have to sit there wearing a hole in my palm for submissions I can't really complain.
Fundamentally, I think the problem this year is that many of the good changes are subtle, especially in the gameplay engine itself. Do nothing but whip some people in the demo and I think you can easily pass this off as "Yukes hasn't done anything since 2010!" which is a shame.
Leg kick TKO's are amusing, if a little cringe-inducing...seeing a guy buckle like that makes me squirm. You have to really wail on the leg kicks though...which seems to open you wide for shots to the head.
Also, I wish body shots from the mount did more stamina damage...if I sit there and tee off to the body while the opponent covers up their head, they don't suffer too too badly unless I sit there all day wailing away.
