PlayStation Vita Critic Reviews

From the boxers’ entrances to the lowered house lights, Vivid Games has done a great job of making Real Boxing feel as authentic as possible. Fans of the sport and simulated fighting aficionados alike will get a lot out of this offering, and with a multiplayer mode bringing even more to the ring, this is a knockout port.

It may not be anything ground-breaking but I feel the title should be regarded as one of the Vita’s best games yet. With vastly improved visuals, animations and control schemes over the mobile version, Real Boxing on the Vita is surely the best version of the game to get.

Not the most original title for a game, but do not let that fool you. This boxing game already appeared on iOS devices with a cheaper price tag, but the Vita version looks much sharper. Too bad the touch screen controls are a bit of a letdown. [October 2013 p.94]

From the ‘no pain, no gain’ training mini-games to the upgradable boxer who forges a career by slowly skilling-up in various attributes, the influence of early boxing simulations can be seen all over Vivid Games’ Real Boxing.

Nonetheless, it's still a fun, well-made game that will meet the needs of any boxing enthusiasts who are in the mood for a little on-the-go pugilism.

Real Boxing has a lot of the core fundamentals in place. It has customizable fighters, training mini-games, a career mode and competent multiplayer online matches. Unfortunately, the whole thing is marred by simplistic controls, cheesy animation and computer opponents that don't put up much of a fight. The groundwork is done, but Real Boxing comes up short of the KO!

Manages to be suitably addictive. [Dec 2013, p.67]

For some quick bouts on the go, Real Boxing does an admirable job of capturing the sport and presenting it to the player in an accessible and satisfying way.

A realistic simulation of the sport that offers up an enjoyable boxing experience, and is only let down by lacklustre training modes and touchscreen controls.

It isn’t a perfect encapsulation of the sport, but it is the best one to have appeared on any handheld in recent memory, and one which makes fine use of the Unreal Engine to generate some high-fidelity looks on the Vita’s OLED screen.