Lace up your gloves and down some raw eggs, because "Fight Night" returns to the ring for a third round — and it's set to be a knockout.

Picking up where last year's iteration left off, "Round 3" is a rather ambitious offering. Electronic Arts has upped the polygon count of player models (staggeringly so for the Xbox 360 version), retooled some game-play mechanics and ironed out some of the kinks of the somewhat lackluster career mode from "Round 2." In doing so, it has almost completely reworked an already solid title, tossing in some ESPN coverage along the way.

Does it work? Well, sort of.

The visuals of "Round 3" are awe-inspiring, to be frank. Blood and sweat pour from boxers in what is somehow simultaneously beautiful and painful at the same time. Players can almost feel the impact behind the powerful punches, as spit and mouth-guards fly from mouths with each jarring hit. It's almost enough to make superficial gamers cry — almost.

In a somewhat ingenious move, EA has managed to deliver visuals so great that they actually affect the gaming experience. The Xbox 360 version has completely done away with any on-screen health display, instead relaying the information to players through boxers' appearances. If a fighter is teetering around the ring and looks about as coherent as Helen Keller, chances are he is not going to be standing much longer. When a boxer shows a confident smirk with every punch he lands, he's probably doing pretty well in the match. Attention to detail is one thing, but EA has gone above and beyond the call to deliver graphics that arguably change game play altogether. It's something that simply must be experienced to fully understand.

While the 360 version features what are easily some of the best graphics yet seen on the console, that's not to say the current generation ports are left in the dust. Though they are not as intricately detailed as the 360 pugilists, the player models are still relatively decent and are most certainly a step forward from those seen in "Round 2." It's not as impressive as the 360 iteration, but gamers can turn off the display for these versions as well, opting to use visual cues for insight as to how they're doing — and would be wise to do so if they want a truly unique experience.

But a good game can't be built on flashy visuals alone, as anyone who has played "The Getaway" will attest. Thankfully, it's here that "Fight Night" truly excels. EA has slowed down the overall speed of the game this go-around, giving the title less of an arcade feel and adding a substantial amount of strategy. At the same time they have toned down the ridiculous effectiveness of haymakers from "Round 2," making them much easier to counter.

Players are no longer free to throw haymakers like they are going out of style this time, as their boxer will quickly run out of stamina or fall prey to an onslaught of counterpunches. Whenever a haymaker is countered, the boxer making the block is given unlimited stamina for a period of time. So, while haymakers are much more powerful in "Round 3," they have a greater risk attached to them as well.

The EA Cut Man mini-game of sorts returns again, yet feels somewhat spottier than the version seen in "Round 2." Last year's title allowed skilled players to effectively heal their fighter between every round, yet "Round 3" feels more hit-or-miss overall. There's no real strategy to it anymore and it feels almost as though randomly moving the analog stick does as good a job as anything else.

Career mode returns again, with some minor tweaks as well. Players are again free to either create their own boxer or use a professional, moving their way up the ranks of the boxing world. EA has included a new "rival system" whereby players can create lasting rivalries with other boxers as they progress. The main problem herein is the overall indifference to one boxer over another. Don't get me wrong, I hated George Higgins (my rival) more than life itself, but not for the reasons EA intended. Rather than have him question my masculinity or something that would build tension in the real world, he'd just headbutt me every chance he got. Add that to the fact that I had to fight this tool a whopping eight times throughout my career, and you've got a recipe for hatred.

But what's most perplexing about this all was that I beat the tar out of Higgins all eight times, winning by knockout, yet people kept scheduling me to fight this guy. You'd think after three fights max people would realize that one fighter is clearly superior and move on — but you'd be wrong. EA needs to think this one through a bit more if they want to include it in future titles, as it just seems a bit absurd as it stands.

And while the ESPN Classics mode is pretty sweet (who wouldn't want to relive the Thrilla in Manila?), it doesn't have a lot of replay value after the matches have been played once.

So is "Round 3" the knockout everyone said it would be? Not quite. But it still packs a considerable punch and arguably ranks as the best non-"Punch-Out!!!" boxing title to date. Anyone jonesing for a heaping helping of gorgeous, enjoyable boxing, look no further — "Round 3" is clearly the winner.

Rating: 4 out of 5