by Mike Lanier - April 29, 2005

The score is currently 48-49 in your team�s favor, but this deathmatch isn�t over. Enemies can come from literally any direction. Gripping your sniper rifle a little tighter, you beckon your teammate to follow you into the next room. Before he can reach you a sniper round rips through his chest and a teleporter zaps him out of there and to a respawn point. 49-49. It�ll take your teammate too long to get back here and help; you�re on your own. As you swivel around your opponent holsters his sniper rifle and pulls out a rocket launcher. He fires. You jump backwards to give yourself a little extra time before impact, put away your own rifle, and ready your blade. At the peak of your jump the rocket is inches from your face. You swing and send the rocket back to its owner with a little extra momentum. It blows your opponent apart and an announcer says �Rejected!� You win. It�s just another day in Unreal Championship 2.

Running with Sabers

When Atari published the first Unreal Championship for Xbox in September 2002, it was merely a port of Unreal Tournament 2003 for PC. This brought a score of problems including control issues, graphical slowdown, and a general lack of innovation. It was a decent game, but it didn�t bring anything new to the first person shooter genre. In Unreal Championship 2 (UC2), rather than just building on its predecessor, Epic Games takes the Unreal franchise in an entirely new direction by drastically increasing character mobility, adding melee combat, and even tweaking the existing weapon system.

At first, UC2 seems just like any other first person shooter (fps). You can run around shooting at people with sniper rifles, rocket launchers, pistols, and the like. The first difference you�ll notice, though, is the option to play with a third person perspective. Epic has added this view to give the player extra awareness of their surroundings and make navigation easier. In addition to merely running and jumping you can lock onto enemies, double jump, and even wall jump. Executing these moves works very well and the addition of the new wall jump has been integrated very smoothly into the move set. Mastering these moves becomes crucial as you move deeper into the game as there are some parts of levels you can�t reach without them and these moves� defensive and offensive benefits are substantial. Locking onto enemies and using the wall jump become especially critical for survival. For instance, say an enemy has you cornered with your back against a wall and columns on either side of you. You could try to outgun him from that position or you could lock onto him and jump from column to column, going high above his head. Once in the air you could rain down bullets on your opponent while your lock on him keeps him on screen and easy to aim at. Situations like this arise frequently in UC2 and keep the action interesting, but UC2 isn�t all about guns. Melee weapons have been thrown into the mix, making UC2�s gameplay even deeper.

Melee attacks aren�t necessarily new to the fps genre. Anyone who�s ever knifed someone in Counter-strike or hit someone with a plasma sword in Halo 2 can tell you that. But UC2 does something entirely new things with melee combat. When you switch to your melee weapon the camera automatically shifts to a third person perspective. Pulling the right trigger executes a spin attack that can be repeated relatively quickly. Hitting B executes a heavy attack that, while stronger, leaves you open and unguarded for longer than a spin attack. While in the air these buttons perform entirely different moves. Pulling and holding the right trigger while in the air will charge a jump attack. When you release the right trigger, your character will lunge forward. This move is useful in combat and in navigation. For example, if you need to get from one side of a level to the other you can jump into the air, hold down the right trigger, face your target, and launch yourself across the map. Pressing B in the air performs a pounce attack that sends you rocketing towards enemies. These moves make attacking enemies more interesting, but UC2�s melee mode also offers some great defensive options. By holding down the left and right triggers simultaneously you can create a shield to block bullets, rockets, melee attacks, and whatever else comes your way, but this shield is only temporary and doesn�t absorb all of the damage from attackers. Very often you�ll find yourself using the shield to block melee attacks while timing your own. In addition to shielding against attacks you can actually deflect incoming fire from opponents. If an enemy is shooting at you, pull the left trigger just before impact. If timed properly this will deflect the shot. By facing or locking onto an enemy you can actually send shots back at them. The timing for deflecting shots is difficult, but pays off very well. There is nothing quite as satisfying as hitting an opponent�s rockets back at him to earn a kill. While the new melee mode makes UC2 more than just another fps, guns remain at the heart of this game.

Unreal games have always had great weapons. From the Flak Cannon to the Bio Rifle, the weapons are original and fun to use. The myriad of weapons from the Unreal universe have returned in UC2, but with a few important changes. First, each character you select has a default pistol set and melee set of weapons. The pistols fire different types of automatically regenerating ammunition and all have paralyzing secondary attack options. Holding down the left trigger while using pistols will charge them. Once fully charged, they can fire a paralyzing shot that will leave anyone it strikes helpless for a moment. This allows you to execute a finishing move (done by hitting randomly selected buttons in a sequence displayed on screen) or to merely attack your opponent while he is defenseless. In addition to pistols, each player can choose two additional guns. These weapons are broken up into two categories: energy and explosive. This adds an extra layer of strategy to UC2 because you are stuck with the two weapons you select for the entirety of each match. This is balanced, though, because there are only two types of ammo to collect (energy and explosive). This allows players to select the weapons they�re best with and makes it easy to find compatible ammo. In addition to changing the ammo system and number of weapons a player can use, UC2 also modifies these weapons to keep things interesting. One of the best examples of this is the Bio Rifle. Shots fired from the Bio Rifle actually hop after opponents. This sounds simple, but it makes combat more complicated since you have to deal with enemies as well as little green blobs chasing you. Other additions like drunken rockets and triple sniper shots add even more variety to this game. The last big addition UC2 brings to the fps genre is a revamped adrenaline system.

While playing through UC2 you can find adrenaline pickups that fill your (wait for it) adrenaline meter. Filling this meter allows characters to use special abilities. These abilities range from increased speed and agility to healing and blocking explosive attacks. Proper use of the adrenaline system often determines the winner of a match. Healing at the right moment or using a speed burst to return a flag add yet another layer to UC2�s strategy. Increased mobility, melee attacks, and the adrenaline system are all governed by the overarching and best improvement in UC2: control.

UC2 was built from the ground up for Xbox and it shows. Where the first Unreal Championship stumbled, UC2 gracefully intertwines new moves with old and controls like a dream. The action in UC2 is extremely fast and, with all the options available, control was what could make or break this game. Running and shooting has been tweaked to work better with the Xbox controller and locking onto enemies compensates for the difference between mouse control and joystick control. Everything in UC2�s gameplay shines. New moves balance with old and increase the number of offensive and defensive options available. UC2 revitalizes the shooter genre by changing a lot but keeping just enough the same to create a totally unique gameplay experience that allows several different methods of play to coalesce smoothly.

Flashy and Frenzied

The graphics in UC2 are absolutely astounding. Everything works together creating a visual style that is cohesive and stunning. While everything in this game looks great, the things that you�ll be wowed by most are the environments, characters, and effects.

Epic Games has created 40 maps exclusively for this game. While not all of them are drop-dead gorgeous, many of them are. Style works with technical magic in UC2�s environments. Everything has a futuristic feel that seems to blend all the best parts of science fiction with Egyptian design (think Stargate, but with cooler guns). Industrial settings and organic temples offset each other. Statues and lakes sit amidst computer screens and spaceships to create environments that are truly a feast for the eyes. The texture work in these environments is top notch. Tiny details like pools of water and broken machine litter these maps. Little lighting touches, like light shining through a grate to create grids of shadows, abound. All the details, lighting, and texture work are held together by a very capable graphics engine that keeps these environments looking great even when you�re zipping through them at top speed. The character models and animations are equally impressive.

All of the characters in UC2 have been carefully modeled and textured. Each has a unique look and stance. There are robots, warriors, aliens, and even a certain familiar lightning god. But it is seeing these characters in motion that is truly amazing. UC2�s increase in character mobility and third person perspective meant that character animations had to more fully realized than ever before. Epic Games has risen to this challenge and has done a great job of creating animations that move smoothly and intricately. Characters will sometimes flip or execute corkscrew motions while airborne before rocketing earthward to attack an opponent. You�ll see your opponents jumping from wall to wall smoothly as rockets and sniper rounds riddle the walls around them. This really has to be seen to be appreciated. Watching someone dodge my rocket shots while charging with two swords and flipping over my head is a sensation I won�t soon forget. And while the character movement and animation is technically and aesthetically impressive, it also has a direct effect on gameplay. With action that moves so quickly, smooth animation is an absolute necessity when trying to track an enemy or dodge a Flak Cannon blast. Sprinkled throughout UC2 are a plethora of effects that make for an even more amazing visual package.

It seems everything in UC2 triggers some sort of effect. Sniper shots will leave bullet holes with edges that glow momentarily with heat. Bio Rifle shots bounce about tracking enemies. Powerups and adrenaline abilities make characters glow with pulsating light. One character�s healing ability actually makes tiny repair robots fly about him repairing his body with short laser bursts. Every effect sparkles and, miraculously, doesn�t cause any in-game slowdown. Even amidst explosions, texture filters, and countless other effects the action remains quick and smooth. Epic Games has really worked technical magic on the Xbox and the smooth integration of so many effects into an already beautiful game proves that.

Unreal games have always had a great sense of speed and UC2 follows that tradition. Battles are frantic and animations are smooth. Textures shimmer and react to weapon fire. Characters move with astounding fluidity. Vivid environments zip past as you jump and dive. Everything works together in UC2 to create an astounding visual experience that, while not necessarily realistic, looks terrific in motion.

Explosions and One-Liners

After playing UC2 for several hours there are only two things I�ve found memorable about the sound. These are the voice overs and the weapon sounds. The environmental noises and some sparse music are there, but Epic Games has, wisely, kept these sparse so as to not distract from gameplay. Weapon sounds, on the other hand are very audible.

Like many Xbox titles, UC2 features Dolby Digital Surround Sound. When played through a surround sound system every shot fired helps the player accurately pinpoint an enemy�s location. In several matches I found myself completely reliant on sound to locate my opponents. This will still work on a stereo system, just to a lesser extent. Aside from aiding gameplay, all the weapon sounds are crisp and clean. Rockets explode with booming force, bullets ricochet convincingly, and grenades bounce with dull, metallic thuds. The sound effects in here are good, they�re just not amazing. The same goes for the voice overs.

The Unreal series has earned a fair bit of notoriety in the voice over category. Dead pan deliveries of lines like �Double Kill!� and �Head Shot!� are humorous and add to the franchise�s charm. That tradition continues in UC2 with a couple new lines like �Rejected� and qualifying lines like �Cavalier.� All of these are delivered by a man who sounds like he�s enjoying the carnage a little too much, but, as I�ve already said: it adds to the charm. Every character comes with a set of taunts that run the gamut from �Nice Shot� to �Ownage.� These are funny at first, but could possibly get annoying over time. The voice overs in UC2 do what they need to: maintain a sense of humor and keep even offline battles from feeling conversationally lifeless.

The sound in UC2 simply gets the job done. With music and environmental sounds diminished, the aural experience is centered on weapon sounds and your opponents� voices. Sound isn�t the focus here and it�s not a problem; it�s just not stellar.

It�s Fun Getting Shot At!

UC2 brings new options to the already solid Unreal franchise and creates something new: a hybrid of third person fighting and first person shooting. This combination is incredibly fun. Having so many ways to attack enemies means, while easily accessible, UC2 is a game that takes a long time to master. This game allows the player to focus just on shooting, just on melee, or on a combination of the two, while still being able to play competitively. The artificial opponents offer up good challenges to prepare you for the online arena and the Ascension Rites campaign works as a great training tool. That said, this game moves very quickly. That is great if you like crazed, frenetic action, but, if methodical gameplay is your thing, this might not be the game for you. Being able to survive and progress amidst insane chaos is the fun of UC2, but you have to have good reflexes and the desire to learn and improve. Mastering UC2 is half of the fun, just don�t expect to master this game in one sitting.

Plasma Quality Package

UC2 is an incredible package. This game offers multiple characters with different attributes and weapons. There are 40 original maps to play through. Four different modes of offline play (one of which actually has a story) and a myriad of mutators create a package that gives you tons to do. The sheer number of strategies, different custom games, and ways to play is staggering. Unreal Championship 2 is a new type of game that gives you the option to play however you want while maintaining an amazing level of polish throughout. Everything from melee to gun combat, character models to menus, blends to create an incredible title that will keep you playing for months.

Enter the Fray or Stay Away?

Unreal Championship 2 is a follow-up title like few others. It actually creates a new type of game instead of just adding a couple superficial improvements to its predecessor. This new fighting/shooting hybrid is challenging, though. First Person Shooters aren�t for everyone; neither are third person fighters, but there�s probably something in here you�ll really enjoy. If you have Xbox Live this is a must-have. Online play is simply fantastic. But, even if you don�t, there are enough different offline modes to keep anyone happy for quite a long time. If you only like text adventures or turn-based gameplay seems too fast, this might not be for you, but chances are you�ll enjoy this game; and you�ll enjoy it a lot.