Full Review

10 November 2003 - The popular first-person deathmatch fragfest is back, but this time on the X-Box. The game that revolutionised the first person shooter on the PC is once again doing what it does best and immersing you into a fast paced action-packed adrenaline rush.

Gameplay follows the same style hardened gamers will recognise, however Epic Games has done a lot to improve the game for the X-Box. New levels, new game types - all fully customisable - and special moves designed specifically for the X-box give plenty of options to play with. Players now have a number of choices available to them; single player, tutorial, instant action and LIVE play.

The LIVE option, is of course the main crux of this game and connecting to the X-Box servers brings a host of other players to challenge and an endless supply of unpredictable gameplay ahead of you. Yet actually playing at home with a group of friends is a different matter and it is at this point that the game is let down

If you have time to notice the graphics of this game, then you obviously aren’t getting into enough fights. That said, the Unreal Championship world is very impressive with the X-box amply coping with numerous players and heavy action on the screen at the same time.

Likewise the sound, with its almost perfect 3D soundscape of stray fire, pick-ups and taunts will make you feel you are right in the thick of the action

VERDICT
Like Halo, this is benchmark game for the X-Box Live system, yet bring it home and it does have its flaws. If you need a spare to fill 30 minutes of frag-tastic mindless mayhem then is certainly a worthy solider to the cause.