In the world of movies, Sylvester Stallone's legendary boxing persona has passed the torch to Adonis Creed and will not appear in the upcoming Creed 3. In the world of games, Big Rumble Boxing: Creed Champions aims to do something similar, giving the title role to Michael B. Jordan's character while still including Rocky-era characters on its roster. Developer Survios has created a boxing-themed arcade fighting game with a lot of heart, even if it does lack some of the more basic features expected from the genre in 2021.
One thing Creed Champions understands better than previous Rocky games is the atmosphere. Every major fighter from the series is here, and each character has a varied moveset that feels faithful to their big-screen counterparts. So, while there isn't any sign of Tommy Gunn from Rocky V or Hulk Hogan's memorable turn as Thunderlips, players can match up Adonis Creed with his father or pit Ivan Drago and Clubber Lang against each other for the first time. The actors filling in for the Hollywood stars do decent imitations, and it's easy to get caught up in the action whenever Eye of the Tiger or another licensed song from the film starts up.
Filling out the playable roster are characters from Survios' previous Rocky VR title, Creed: Rise to Glory. In fact, the two games could really be described as sister projects, as the models and assets from the VR title come over to Creed Champions with few changes. Thankfully, the two games play out very differently, with Creed Champions offering a pick-up and play fighting system reminiscent of Ubisoft's two Rocky games back in the PlayStation 2 era. This isn't going to be a game for those who miss EA's Fight Night, but there's enough of the sweet science mixed in with the brawling to make it feel like an authentic Rocky experience.
Fighters need to time out light and heavy jabs while dodging incoming blows and blocking heavy strikes. Each fighter has different moves that are limited to directional strikes with each of the two attack buttons. It's a simplified system compared to most fighting games that should appeal more to movie fans than those inclined towards hardcore brawlers. Fights are divided into rounds, with opportunities to knock down opponents and briefly rest up to recover health, eventually building to a strong knockout. In the heat of the moment, ducking under an incoming finisher to land a round-ending uppercut can be very satisfying indeed.
Outside of the arcade gameplay, Creed Champions shines in its arcade mode. Presenting a string of fights in classic style, each fighter has their own tale to tell. Characters from the films will stick to the script for the most part, although villains will end up winning in the end if they're chosen. For the original characters, Survios has written some new scenarios, stretching from the mundane to the absolutely absurd. For example, the game's Glass Joe stand-in goes from landing a lucky punch against Creed in his first fight to restarting the Cold War in short order. It's all over-the-top in a way that feels true to Rocky IV in the best way, and it makes the process of unlocking the second half of the roster a real treat.
Despite how much Big Rumble Boxing: Creed Champions gets right about its source material, the game's real issue is how limited it is as a console and PC offering. The main menu houses the aforementioned single-player arcade ladder, a local multiplayer mode, and a training mode, and that's the entirety of the experience. There's no online play, no challenges, and no real sense of progression after a few rounds with the AI.
Ultimately, Big Rumble Boxing: Creed Champions has the same depth as one of Capcom's arcade home port from decades ago, and no amount of Survivor music, Rocky quotes, or arcade gameplay can distract from how little there is to do. For big fans of the films, Creed Champions might just be worth a pickup for the arcade mode's absurd spins on Rocky lore, but anyone else will have to really consider their options before getting into the ring.
Big Rumble Boxing: Creed Champions releases on September 3, 2021, for Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. Screen Rant was provided with an Xbox One code for the purpose of this review.