Gaming Target - Xbox: Unreal Championship

Written by Gavin Wright on October 17, 2002

Updated Look: Just to warn you, when you find yourself getting fragged by someone named СBarbieMagicHair', you'll know exactly who the pathetic soul is on the other end taunting you to the tone of Minnie Mouse.

The launch of Microsoft's long-awaited Xbox Live network is just around the corner, and gamers everywhere are gearing up for a definitive online experience. At this point it appears that Unreal Championship, Digital Extreme's Xbox-exclusive multiplayer shooter, will be taking on a role similar to that which Halo so-aptly filled during the Xbox's launch last November. If the recently-released Unreal Tournament 2003 is any indication (as it should be, since it's the same game in many respects), Unreal Championship is shaping up to be the must-own Live launch title this holiday season.

As I already said, Unreal Championship shares more than a thing or two in common with its PC counterpart, the critically-acclaimed Unreal Tournament 2003. In fact, UT 2003 is more or less a port of Unreal Championship, considering that the Xbox version had already been in development years before its appearance on the PC. While Unreal Championship isn't a straight port Ц featuring separate weapon skins, a redesigned interface designed for use with the Xbox controller, voice chat support, a set of exclusive weapons and maps, slightly-altered gameplay dynamics, and a dedicated broadband-only network, at its core it's still very much the same game.

The main focus of Unreal Championship is its online mode. If you don't have high-speed internet service or don't intend to get Xbox Live, the single-player portion of the game more than likely won't be worth the price of admission. Of course, there's still hope for those that have the means to set up a system link LAN with a group of friends, but those without the resources to set up such a thing will probably be forced to pass on the game altogether. This inevitably shuts out a large percentage of people, but the estimated one-third of all Xbox owners with broadband access should be in for an incredible experience either way.

Unreal Championship plays a lot like Quake 3: Arena or, more specifically, its PC predecessor Unreal Tournament. It's fast-paced, high-adrenaline multiplayer insanity at its best. Don't get me wrong, UC is far from a mindless guns-blazing shooter; there's still a good deal of strategy worked in. Special moves add an entirely new dynamic to the typical FPS, making it possible to dodge or wall jump to avoid fire or navigate a level. The Xbox Communicator should make team-based games all the more enjoyable, allowing you to discuss battle tactics with your teammates in real time. Fans of Halo's multiplayer mode aren't going to find the same type of gameplay in Unreal Championship, but that doesn't necessarily mean they won't enjoy the game for what it is.

Although some effort has been made this time around to improve on the area, Unreal's single-player mode is little more than a preparation for online play. The mode takes on a sports theme of sorts, allowing you to manage a team of characters and lead them through a ladder-based tournament against computer-controlled bots. Each of your teammates can be instructed to perform certain duties prior to a match, such as guarding a flag or sniping down enemies. The intelligence level of the bots is entirely customizable, and at its higher levels they rival even the toughest human opponents. Although it's likely all for naught, it's still nice to see some effort put into a part of the game that most players will assumably never even touch.

Before Halo came along, first-person shooters were never very well-received on home consoles, mainly due to the absence of the traditional keyboard and mouse setup. Realizing what Halo has accomplished, Digital Extremes has attempted to keep UC's control scheme as close to Halo's as possible. The left and right joysticks control movement, and dodging is done by double-tapping in any direction; switching weapons is accomplished with the A, B, X, and Y buttons; jumping is done by clicking in the left joystick, and double-jumping by clicking it in once again at the height of the jump; the right trigger fires your weapon's primary attack, and the left trigger activates its secondary attack. And for those that aren't happy with the default setup, it can also be fully-customized to your liking.

UC ships with just over 40 maps, with a small set of them exclusive to the Xbox version of the game. New maps will be available for download over the Xbox Live servers as soon as the game is released, and the developers hope to release new content regularly to maintain interest in the game. The levels range from the expansive outdoor design of the Kalendra Ice Fields to the revamped edition of the popular Egyptian-styled map Facing Worlds, featuring two giant towers on opposite ends of the level and an enormous reflective pyramid between them in the middle. There's a lot of depth to the maps, particularly when you consider the possibilities brought by double-jumping and wall-jumping. With a nice blend of original levels and new takes on some old favorites, everyone will be able to find at least a few they really enjoy.

Most of the weapons are back from Unreal Tournament in some form or another, although they've all gone through some slight changes. Every weapon has some sort of secondary fire, many of which change the weapon's function entirely. The Lightning Gun acts as the game's sniper rifle, firing off a charged-up bolt of electricity at an incredible speed. The Rocket Launcher can fire up to three warheads at once, and its secondary fire shoots off a single target-seeking missile. The Bio Rifle lays down pools of sludge that cover large areas and explode on touch, making it very useful for defensive purposes. The Link Gun is best equated to the proton pack seen in the Ghostbusters movies, allowing up to three teammates to link their fire together to lay waste on targets with startling efficiency. The Shield Gun fires off a powerful plasma wave in primary fire mode, but its main purpose is for deflecting oncoming attacks and breaking falls from high places. The Ion Cannon is an impressive little weapon that allows you to Сpaint' a target with its laser, sending down a powerful blast seconds later by way of a satellite orbiting high above the level. The Redeemer is the ultimate in overkill, firing off a single devastating nuclear projectile with an enormous blast radius, effectively destroying everything in the area. The Translocator is a personal transporter device that can be laid down and used to escape from dangerous situations. It can also be stuck to a wall and used as a security camera. The Assault Rifle, Minigun, Flak Cannon, and Shock Rifle round off the game's impressive arsenal.

There are six gameplay modes in UC: Capture the Flag, Bombing Run, Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Domination 2.0, and Survival. In Bombing Run, the team must pick up and carry a ball into a goal deep inside the enemy's base. The ball can be passed to other teammates and even shot into the goal, but the ball-carrier is totally defenseless and must rely on support from teammates to stay alive. In Domination 2.0, the goal is for a team to hold two points on the map for a set amount of time without being overtaken. Survival is exclusive to Unreal Championship, but it's also the only mode that isn't currently playable online. The mode pits your team against wave after wave of enemies to see how long you can survive. For a game based entirely around its multiplayer component, the variety of game types does look to be a bit thin, although what's there will likely keep people going for a long time.