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The Plot: There are a few games coming out now (see also: "Whacked!") where the single player game seems somewhat of an afterthought, as the multi-player experience for the game (whether split-screen or via XBOX Live) is really where it's at. In the case of "Unreal Championship", I played the game via single player, but could only imagine that multi-player (either simply multi-player or via XBOX-Live, which this game is capable of) experience provides a considerably more entertaining experience. "Unreal Championship" is quite similar to the "arcade" segment of "Timesplitters 2". The game is a fast-paced first-person shooter where players go around blasting other characters in an attempt to get to a certain score first, defend a section for a certain period of time or capture enough flags. For those who've played "Timesplitters 2", that game provides more creative stories behind the battles (stop the dot.com laywers before they take over your military base!), more personality and brighter arenas with more personality (I almost forgot, that game has better weapons). "Timesplitters 2" also managed to have a separate story game, too. However, the single player experience isn't all bad. While the arenas and characters lack the personality and dark humor of "Timesplitters 2", they're fairly wide-open and graphically more impressive, with finer detail and nice lighting. The gameplay is fast-paced, but acceptably so - the game doesn't proceed at such a speedy pace that you have trouble aiming at an enemy (which some complained about with "Timesplitters 2"). The first-player mode did seem fairly easy though, meaning that experienced gamers looking for a single-player experience will get through this one very quickly. There's really no story structure here (aside from some minor text bits here and there), so those who need a little bit of story to find a game truly compelling might have some trouble with this game. And, given the fact that it's really nothing more than blasting other characters thousands of time with different weapons, it may get a little repetitive after a while. Again, this is really one of those games where XBOX Live is pretty much necessary for those seeking a purchase of this game (I'll say it right now, those without should absolutely rent first, play it for a couple days and see whether or not what there is for a single player is interesting enough). The DVD Graphics: "Unreal Championship" actually looks pretty great, whichever arena players find themselves in. While some of the arena areas are a bit sparse, most of the areas are nicely detailed and pretty well-lit, although given the tone of the game, this isn't exactly a chirpy, bright game visually. The weapon animation is solid, as the weapon blasts looked well-rendered and flashy. Environments and character models were nicely done, with fine texture and detail. This isn't the most visually stunning game that I've seen on the XBOX, but it's up there. There's only one problem: there is some slowdown at times during the most intense action. Rating: 8.9/10 Sound: The soundtrack (the game's in 5.1) isn't half bad and gets pretty aggressive throughout the most intense action scenes. However, the one irritant are the voices that occasionally come in throughout the gameplay. These are supposed to be the other characters taunting you (I mean, I think that's what it was?), but most of the time the lines are too garbled to be heard and the lines that are clearly heard are kinda cheesy. Weapon sounds are crisp and loud and the game throws together a nice mix of sound effects overall. Rating: 9/10 Gameplay: There's really nothing too tough with the controls. Firing, switching between weapons and any other aspects are all easily changed between. No need to look at the instruction manual. There aren't any issues with camera placement that I found, either. Rating: 9.3/10 Rating Issues: "Unreal" is rated "M" for graphic violence, as the "graphic" aspect lacking in the blasting action of "Timesplitters 2" is certainly apparent here. Final Thoughts: "Unreal Championship" will provide fun and thrills for those seeking a multi-player experience and is likely one of the most promising titles for XBOX Live. Single player, however, is another story altogether, as while it does offer some decent action, there's just not much to it and experts will likely not find it particularly challenging. Definitely recommended as a rental in general, but only those with XBOX Live should really consider more than a rent for this one. |