The Grappling Assist HUD in UFC 4 has been reworked a fair bit from previous games. It has been tuned to have a bunch of new options and some more complex interactions with the other skills and combos in the game. This combines with a complete revamp of the grappling HUD that makes the game mechanic much more fun to play, and adds new layers for long-time fans.
The development team has augmented the base HUD with the Grappling Assist HUD in UFC 4, which is what you will see pop up alongside the main HUD elements.
In UFC 3, the Grappling HUD would show a slew of available options, creating a bit of a messy interface that took time to get used to. The old system is still in the new game, and it can be a bit dizzying to get used to. Players can pick their response when in a certain position, such as moving to Full Guard, a Mount position, or if you held LT/L2 while the opposition was in a vulnerable spot, show any potential submissions that were available.
In UFC 4, the main Grappling HUD has been re-designed. Now instead of a bunch of options, the new elements have been streamlined and given new names. Each option is listed as follows: Submit, Get Up, or Ground and Pound. Depending on which one you select the AI routines will pick the response that flows naturally from the situation you’re in, so in essence, it’s easier to handle. And the game does all of this while retaining complexity and fluidity.
Experience fighters can easily opt for the older system though, as it’s kind of better to be able to pick your own response to add to the difficulty of fights. Start by heading into the “Settings” menu and look for the “Gameplay” tab, that’s what you want.
You will have a number of toggles and options in this screen. You will want to scroll down until you find the “Grapple Assist” option. Change this selection from “Assist” to “Legacy”. This will disable the new HUD system and replace it with something much more akin to the analog stick system from the previous games.
