Hands On: Unreal Championship

[Bond]

http://xbox.ign.com/articles/360/360704p1.html

Two things you must know from the get-go: Unreal Championship is amazing and it is coming this fall. An instant E3 "Game of the Show" candidate, Unreal is the long awaited, much anticipated Digital Extremes online FPS. Utilizing the amazing Unreal 2 engine, Unreal Championship is a stunning, fast-paced online slugfest pitting players against one another in thirty different arenas.

The demo we played looked good enough to go on store shelves the next day. And Digital Extremes has another four to five months to fiddle with the game. Running at a smooth-as-silk 60fps, Unreal is everything you could want in an arena-style FPS. Rich textures, dynamic lighting, and thumping sound. And lets not forget Unreal is set to be one of Xbox' first online games. Start that newspaper route now, this is fifty bucks you'll wanna spend.

Unreal has five modes of play:

Deathmatch
Team Deathmatch
Capture the Flag
Double Domination
Bombing Run

The Deathmatch and Capture the Flag modes are in the traditional form, as D.E. doesn't want to alienate old-school FPS players. However, Double Domination and Bombing Run are interesting twists to the multiplayer standards. Double Domination is an update from the PC Unreal's Domination mode. Players much control two points for ten seconds to win. Not an easy task considering the hectic battles waged in Unreal. Bombing Run seems the most interesting mode of all. Each team attempts to grab the bomb and get it into the other team's goal. However shooting the bomb through the goal with the launcher only scores you a single point. Taking yourself through the goal with the bomb earns extra points. But the best score comes when you manage to knock an enemy carrying the bomb through his own goal.

I had the fortune of cycling through the twelve weapons of Unreal Championship and seeing what they can do. Here's a rundown of a few of the choicer armaments:

Biorifle - Otherwise known as the goop gun. We'll leave that to your imagination.

Link gun - The second coolest gun in Unreal. It can fire balls of energy or emit a straight line of laser fire that can be maintained for a period of time. Teammates with link guns can then fire at the line and add to its power. This can be done multiple times to make for one heck of a powerful attack.

Rocket launcher - The rocket launcher can hold up to three rpgs at once, but has a very fast reloading rate.

Lightning gun - As the name suggests, this is an electrical attack, with arcs of lightning shooting out and doing some painful damage.

Shield gun - A short-ranged weapon that can offer quick blasts or can be aimed at the ground to provide an extra boost to a jump.

Ion cannon - The mother of all weapons. You must be outside to use this weapon. If you glance up at the sky, you'll catch sight of a satellite orbiting above. Train the gun at a spot on the ground and hold it there for several seconds. The satellite will take a page straight from Akira and blast and incredible laser of destruction down from on high. Hummina.
Unreal handles pretty much like any other FPS. You can cycle through weapons with the click of a button and fire with the squeeze of the right trigger. Currently the aiming control is a little too sensitive, but even if it remains that way, players will be able to adjust the sensitivity. I kept trying to find something I didn't like about Unreal, but I found nothing wrong the entire hour I was sucked up into the world of Unreal.

As with every Xbox Live game, Unreal utilizes the Xbox Communicator. The small headset lets you hear and speak to your fellow Unreal champs. Voice masking makes it so no one needs to hear your normal wussy voice. Sound like a little girl, a cartoon, the voice of doom, Stephen Hawkings, a robot, and many more. The Communicator is a perfect fit for an online arena game and lets you talk smack, call for help, and curse an awful lot. The folks at Digital Extremes would like to make the map-editor available through Xbox Live, though it's not clear how that will be executed or even if it will be possible. If it is, Unreal could have near limitless replay value.

Outlook
Unreal is currently enjoy a low state of hype. That will change. Starting right now, this game is it. The game for Xbox Live. The one everyone who subscribes to Xbox Live must own. Unreal may not turn out to be the game of the year, but it will certainly be in the upper echelon of Xbox games. I can't wait to frag your ass.

This will be the Xbox Live game to own.

[gekko]

Sounds like a cheap-ass console version of UT 2003. Basically, you got UT 2003 with less features, far less online ability, a controller setup, and runs much slower.

Xbox Live game to own? Hardly. You'd be much better off getting UT 2003 for the PC. More people will be playing online (a lot more), it will run faster (much much faster), have better graphics (PC video cards this fall will be about 2x as powerful as GF4 Ti 4600, not imagine that wussy little GeForce 3), allow for a lot more customizing (control setup, audio sounds, skins, etc.), you can use a keyboard and mouse (biggest factor. Experience Unreal as it was meant to be played), and it will have expansions (can't get that on Xbox), and the user-created levels (this either).

I'll pass on Unreal Championship.

[Bond]

Originally posted by gekko
Sounds like a cheap-ass console version of UT 2003. Basically, you got UT 2003 with less features, far less online ability, a controller setup, and runs much slower.

Xbox Live game to own? Hardly. You'd be much better off getting UT 2003 for the PC. More people will be playing online (a lot more), it will run faster (much much faster), have better graphics (PC video cards this fall will be about 2x as powerful as GF4 Ti 4600, not imagine that wussy little GeForce 3), allow for a lot more customizing (control setup, audio sounds, skins, etc.), you can use a keyboard and mouse (biggest factor. Experience Unreal as it was meant to be played), and it will have expansions (can't get that on Xbox), and the user-created levels (this either).

I'll pass on Unreal Championship.

I knew this was coming...

Gekko, could you please at least wait until the game comes out, and make a fair comparison between it and UT 2003?

[gekko]

I could, but it's easy to compare now. PC hardware is better. FPS on Xbox do, and will continue to suck until someone gives me a keyboard and mouse. Not to mention online play is free.

Unreal is a PC FPS. They are designed to be played with a keyboard and mouse, period. By playing it on Xbox, the game loses what makes it popular in the first place. The fast-action multiplayer game that you get when you have the control of a keyboard and mouse. Halo is a prime example of how things slow down when using a controller. You can't look as fast, and can't aim as precisely.

I'm sorry, but Microsoft needs to release a keyboard and mouse if they expect me to get excited about their FPS-loaded Xbox Live lineup. Does Xbox have any online FPS that aren't on PC, or coming (Halo)? Halo is coming, Ghost Recon is out, Raven Shield, Splinter Cell (online?) are being released later, Counter Strike is out, etc.

And if you look into UT 2003, you'll notice the game is very similar. Look at the modes, and guns and everything. So I can easily say it's UT 2003 with less features.

[Bond]

Originally posted by gekko
I could, but it's easy to compare now. PC hardware is better. FPS on Xbox do, and will continue to suck until someone gives me a keyboard and mouse. Not to mention online play is free.

Unreal is a PC FPS. They are designed to be played with a keyboard and mouse, period. By playing it on Xbox, the game loses what makes it popular in the first place. The fast-action multiplayer game that you get when you have the control of a keyboard and mouse. Halo is a prime example of how things slow down when using a controller. You can't look as fast, and can't aim as precisely.

I'm sorry, but Microsoft needs to release a keyboard and mouse if they expect me to get excited about their FPS-loaded Xbox Live lineup. Does Xbox have any online FPS that aren't on PC, or coming (Halo)? Halo is coming, Ghost Recon is out, Raven Shield, Splinter Cell (online?) are being released later, Counter Strike is out, etc.

And if you look into UT 2003, you'll notice the game is very similar. Look at the modes, and guns and everything. So I can easily say it's UT 2003 with less features.

Yes, but Unreal Championship is designed for use with the Xbox controller. So if you don't even try it, which I know you haven't, then that is not a fair comparison.

Now, Halo has been announced for both the Mac and PC, but online play has not be announced nor confirmed. So that is at this point an exclusive FPS for Xbox Live. Also, during E3 Splinter Cell was announced to be Xbox eclusive, and yes, it will be online.

[bobcat]

Originally posted by gekko
I could, but it's easy to compare now. PC hardware is better. FPS on Xbox do, and will continue to suck until someone gives me a keyboard and mouse. Not to mention online play is free.

Unreal is a PC FPS. They are designed to be played with a keyboard and mouse, period. By playing it on Xbox, the game loses what makes it popular in the first place. The fast-action multiplayer game that you get when you have the control of a keyboard and mouse. Halo is a prime example of how things slow down when using a controller. You can't look as fast, and can't aim as precisely.

I'm sorry, but Microsoft needs to release a keyboard and mouse if they expect me to get excited about their FPS-loaded Xbox Live lineup. Does Xbox have any online FPS that aren't on PC, or coming (Halo)? Halo is coming, Ghost Recon is out, Raven Shield, Splinter Cell (online?) are being released later, Counter Strike is out, etc.

And if you look into UT 2003, you'll notice the game is very similar. Look at the modes, and guns and everything. So I can easily say it's UT 2003 with less features.

Just out of curiosity, where are you going to place the keyboard/mouse if/when they release it?

That's my problem with the release of a keyboard and mouse. You need a desk. My TV is situated in my computer room near a comfortable lounge. There's no desk except for my PC and Monitor (what I'm using now).

So for me personally, the keyboard and mouse won't be used on a console, unless there's a desk I was gonna buy. Even then, it would be weird.





I agree with what Gekko is saying, games like Quake and Unreal are meant for PC. If they port it to console it would be weird. Even if they made it specifically for console.

Like if CS was to come to Xbox, I think it wouldn't be nearly as much fun or satisfying as PC (assuming the person has played the PC version).

I don't have a problem with FPS that are exclusive to consoles and not Pc's such as Perfect Dark, and Halo.

But when games like Half Life, Max Payne and Unreal come to console, to me it's just a waste.

[gekko]

I played outtrigger using one. Just used a TV table.

Also, for PSO I used my computer desk. Most people will need to move their Xbox in order to connect via broadband anyway, so they could use their computer desk. But otherwise, TV tables do just fine.

[Bond]

Originally posted by bobcat


Just out of curiosity, where are you going to place the keyboard/mouse if/when they release it?

That's my problem with the release of a keyboard and mouse. You need a desk. My TV is situated in my computer room near a comfortable lounge. There's no desk except for my PC and Monitor (what I'm using now).

So for me personally, the keyboard and mouse won't be used on a console, unless there's a desk I was gonna buy. Even then, it would be weird.

I guess it would take some people effort to find a place for their new keyboard and mouse, but I really doubt that it would be a deciding factor on whether or not someone buys a keyboard and mouse for their console. Or if Microsoft would release one, for that matter. Personally if I wanted to play a videogame with a keyboard and mouse I would go over to my computer. I play console videogames because they aren't computer videogames.

I agree with what Gekko is saying, games like Quake and Unreal are meant for PC. If they port it to console it would be weird. Even if they made it specifically for console.

Like if CS was to come to Xbox, I think it wouldn't be nearly as much fun or satisfying as PC (assuming the person has played the PC version).

I don't have a problem with FPS that are exclusive to consoles and not Pc's such as Perfect Dark, and Halo.

But when games like Half Life, Max Payne and Unreal come to console, to me it's just a waste.

I don't understand how it is weird... I mean if someone played a FPS first on Xbox and then played it on the PC with a keyboard and mouse then it would be weird to them, or vias versa. If the game was ment to be played on the computer then it should be played on the computer. But if the developers can re-tool some parts of the game to take advantage of a console controller or make it exclusive for a console then I see no problem in it.

[bobcat]

Originally posted by Bond

I don't understand how it is weird... I mean if someone played a FPS first on Xbox and then played it on the PC with a keyboard and mouse then it would be weird to them, or vias versa. If the game was ment to be played on the computer then it should be played on the computer. But if the developers can re-tool some parts of the game to take advantage of a console controller or make it exclusive for a console then I see no problem in it.

Exactly, exlcusive console FPS I like. I can play them and be satisfied with them (depending on the game of course).

[gekko]

Originally posted by Bond

I don't understand how it is weird... I mean if someone played a FPS first on Xbox and then played it on the PC with a keyboard and mouse then it would be weird to them, or vias versa. If the game was ment to be played on the computer then it should be played on the computer. But if the developers can re-tool some parts of the game to take advantage of a console controller or make it exclusive for a console then I see no problem in it.

Well let's put it this way, first time someone tries the keyboard/mouse setup, they suck major ass at it. But the more you play, the faster you master it.

FPS, or rather, PC FPS are meant for a keyboard and mouse. The mouse allows you to look, but more importantly, you can look quickly, so that you actually turn around. You can also move your crosshair to a presice location quickly, and easily. The keyboard allows you to easily move forward and backward, and strafe. You can also jump with ease, toggle commands (sprint for example), easily hit another key to croutch, tilt to the side, lay down, etc. It also allows you to assign keys to quickly switch to your best weapon, and commonly used items like the translocator for UT. All of this without ever moving your hand, all mid-game.

Now on a console, it's different. Like Halo, turning the joystick to look is much slower, and hard to control. If you want to aim at something, it's hard to hit it exactly, because the precision isn't there. And if you want to be precise, it's slow because no one can quickly move the joystick left 25% of the way. Then both thumbs are used up, and all you have are pushing the sticks, and the shoulder buttons to help you out. So really, you don't have nearly the options that you can have with the keyboard, but more importantly, you can't quickly move around and precisely aim. You also can't run in circles jumping and costantly adjusting your aim. And think of sniping from an elevated position in Unreal. On the PC you just drag your mouse along and follow their movement. On a controller, that's hard. You kinda gotta keep taping the joystick, hoping to score a hit.

Now Halo used some correction. The game seems pretty slow, not nearly as fast-paced as a PC FPS like UT or Q3A. They also allow you to completly miss the guy and still score a hit. But you still can't run and jump in circles without extra hands. Games like GoldenEye are also slow, and have a lot of auto aim correction because of this. But Xbox seems to be getting PC games, not console-exclusive games. Unreal, Ghost Recon, Raven Shield, Splinter Cell, Halo, and Counter-Strike are all PC games. All have better control when using a keyboard and mouse.

If PC and Xbox Halo are allowed to play together, the Xbox players will get killed, even the best ones. If there was a nationwide Xbox Halo tournament, and I played the winner after playing Halo for 30 minutes to get used to the weapons and stuff, I would beat him, hands down, not even a close match. There's that much of a difference. Ask anyone who plays Q3A or UT online a lot, you can't possibly simulate that with a controller, period. It's not even close. Slower, more tactical-based games are better off, still not good. But Unreal is meant to be a fast game. First 100 times you play online you spend learning to play at that speed.

I have nothing against Xbox having these games. Granted they will always be better on PC for various reasons, I'd love to kick Sir Bond's ass in Unreal Championship, but Microsoft needs to realize that there's a need for a keyboard and mouse, for games, and for chatting. Headsets work during games, but not for public chats, or setting up game rooms, sending your friends messages, etc.

It just pisses me off that they don't release one. I've asked Xbox fans, and the best answer I've gotten is they don't want Xbox to be called a PC. Never stopped Nintendo from making Animal Crossing. Hell, DC ran Windows CE and had em, never was called anything but a l33t gaming machine.

[Bond]

Originally posted by gekko


Well let's put it this way, first time someone tries the keyboard/mouse setup, they suck major ass at it. But the more you play, the faster you master it.

FPS, or rather, PC FPS are meant for a keyboard and mouse. The mouse allows you to look, but more importantly, you can look quickly, so that you actually turn around. You can also move your crosshair to a presice location quickly, and easily. The keyboard allows you to easily move forward and backward, and strafe. You can also jump with ease, toggle commands (sprint for example), easily hit another key to croutch, tilt to the side, lay down, etc. It also allows you to assign keys to quickly switch to your best weapon, and commonly used items like the translocator for UT. All of this without ever moving your hand, all mid-game.

Well, that's great. That is why they are called PC FPS. But there are also console First-Person Shooters, they are meant for consoles. Halo was originally meant for the PC, yes, but then Bungie went back and designed it for the Xbox. I, personally have no problem with how fast I could look around. I've also never heard anyone else complain about this, minus you.

Now on a console, it's different. Like Halo, turning the joystick to look is much slower, and hard to control. If you want to aim at something, it's hard to hit it exactly, because the precision isn't there. And if you want to be precise, it's slow because no one can quickly move the joystick left 25% of the way. Then both thumbs are used up, and all you have are pushing the sticks, and the shoulder buttons to help you out. So really, you don't have nearly the options that you can have with the keyboard, but more importantly, you can't quickly move around and precisely aim. You also can't run in circles jumping and costantly adjusting your aim. And think of sniping from an elevated position in Unreal. On the PC you just drag your mouse along and follow their movement. On a controller, that's hard. You kinda gotta keep taping the joystick, hoping to score a hit.

Your comparing a PC FPS to a console FPS. Now you know if the only FPS you have ever played were on consoles and then you played one on PC you would be complaining about it because it moved too fast. Again, I have never had any problem like this on Halo, nor have I heard anyone complain about it minus you.

Now Halo used some correction. The game seems pretty slow, not nearly as fast-paced as a PC FPS like UT or Q3A. They also allow you to completly miss the guy and still score a hit. But you still can't run and jump in circles without extra hands. Games like GoldenEye are also slow, and have a lot of auto aim correction because of this. But Xbox seems to be getting PC games, not console-exclusive games. Unreal, Ghost Recon, Raven Shield, Splinter Cell, Halo, and Counter-Strike are all PC games. All have better control when using a keyboard and mouse.

Unreal Championship is Xbox exclusive, Splinter Cell is Xbox exclusive, Halo was first on Xbox, now on PC. Ghost Recon, Raven Shield, Counter-Strike those games have also or will be on other consoles, so if you want to complain about them then I would complain about them in general not just on Xbox. Again, the developers are making these games to fit console controllers, and other games like this have turned out fine to the general public, I don't see why these won't.

If PC and Xbox Halo are allowed to play together, the Xbox players will get killed, even the best ones. If there was a nationwide Xbox Halo tournament, and I played the winner after playing Halo for 30 minutes to get used to the weapons and stuff, I would beat him, hands down, not even a close match. There's that much of a difference. Ask anyone who plays Q3A or UT online a lot, you can't possibly simulate that with a controller, period. It's not even close. Slower, more tactical-based games are better off, still not good. But Unreal is meant to be a fast game. First 100 times you play online you spend learning to play at that speed.

If you can't possibly simulate it on the PC then that's why console players and PC players will play online videogames separate. They are different games, but can be changed to fit either platform.

I have nothing against Xbox having these games. Granted they will always be better on PC for various reasons, I'd love to kick Sir Bond's ass in Unreal Championship, but Microsoft needs to realize that there's a need for a keyboard and mouse, for games, and for chatting. Headsets work during games, but not for public chats, or setting up game rooms, sending your friends messages, etc.

Well, I'd love to kick your ass on Halo online. But without your keyboard and mouse you might just lose.

It just pisses me off that they don't release one. I've asked Xbox fans, and the best answer I've gotten is they don't want Xbox to be called a PC. Never stopped Nintendo from making Animal Crossing. Hell, DC ran Windows CE and had em, never was called anything but a l33t gaming machine.

Yeah, that is the 'unofficial' reason for Xbox not having a keyboard and mouse, but I'm not so sure if it's the real reason.

[gekko]

Originally posted by Bond
Well, that's great. That is why they are called PC FPS. But there are also console First-Person Shooters, they are meant for consoles. Halo was originally meant for the PC, yes, but then Bungie went back and designed it for the Xbox. I, personally have no problem with how fast I could look around. I've also never heard anyone else complain about this, minus you.

Halo is a PC FPS, hands down. It was well into development before it was moved to Xbox, and the game wasn't redesigned, just altered. They made it work the best it could with the controller, but that's still not good. Halo on Xbox is slow. Halo on PC will be much faster, more exciting. Bungie is going back with Halo and making it take complete advantage of the PC platform, and if it takes that much more than just porting it, you know it was changed drastically when it came to Xbox.

Originally posted by Bond
Unreal Championship is Xbox exclusive, Splinter Cell is Xbox exclusive, Halo was first on Xbox, now on PC. Ghost Recon, Raven Shield, Counter-Strike those games have also or will be on other consoles, so if you want to complain about them then I would complain about them in general not just on Xbox. Again, the developers are making these games to fit console controllers, and other games like this have turned out fine to the general public, I don't see why these won't.

Unreal Championship is as exclusive to Xbox as Silent Hill 2: Restless Dreams is. Fact of the matter is it's a modified PC game, just like Halo. Compare Unreal Championship to Unreal Tournament 2003, and you can easily tell where it's origin is. Unreal Championship is a PC FPS. Splinter Cell is not Xbox exclusive, it's console-exclusive to Xbox. Splinter Cell is coming to PC, and it's the next game in the Rainbow Six series, a PC series. Splinter Cell is a PC FPS. Halo is a PC FPS. Developers can do their best to try to make the games work as good on Xbox, but it will never be the same. It's exactly like porting a game like SSX. EA BIG can try all they want to make it play as well on Xbox and GC, but it's a game designed for the PS2, so it won't be the same no matter what they do.

Originally posted by Bond
If you can't possibly simulate it on the PC then that's why console players and PC players will play online videogames separate.

That wasn't the point. The point is the game changed so much when being ported to Xbox, that even the best Xbox player couldn't beat a rookie (with past FPS experience) PC player. That's how much the game is taken out of its true form on Xbox.

[Bond]

Originally posted by gekko


Halo is a PC FPS, hands down. It was well into development before it was moved to Xbox, and the game wasn't redesigned, just altered. They made it work the best it could with the controller, but that's still not good. Halo on Xbox is slow. Halo on PC will be much faster, more exciting. Bungie is going back with Halo and making it take complete advantage of the PC platform, and if it takes that much more than just porting it, you know it was changed drastically when it came to Xbox.

Redesigned, altered, whichever, it was redone to fit the Xbox console and the Xbox controller. Now whether or not the PC version of Halo will be better is a question that can not be answered until the game is released and a fair comparison can be done. But until then, Halo is the best selling Xbox game, and I've heard only a very few negative things about it. So you should just enjoy the game rather then complaining about how 'slow' it is.

Unreal Championship is as exclusive to Xbox as Silent Hill 2: Restless Dreams is. Fact of the matter is it's a modified PC game, just like Halo. Compare Unreal Championship to Unreal Tournament 2003, and you can easily tell where it's origin is. Unreal Championship is a PC FPS. Splinter Cell is not Xbox exclusive, it's console-exclusive to Xbox. Splinter Cell is coming to PC, and it's the next game in the Rainbow Six series, a PC series. Splinter Cell is a PC FPS. Halo is a PC FPS. Developers can do their best to try to make the games work as good on Xbox, but it will never be the same. It's exactly like porting a game like SSX. EA BIG can try all they want to make it play as well on Xbox and GC, but it's a game designed for the PS2, so it won't be the same no matter what they do.

Unreal Championship is a Xbox exclusive title. Even if the first Unreal was on the PC, Unreal Championship, the game, is Xbox exclusive. You just can't argue that. And you don't seem to like PC FPS coming the consoles, but let me ask you this: did you mind when Medal of Honor came to the PC?

[gekko]

Originally posted by Bond
And you don't seem to like PC FPS coming the consoles, but let me ask you this: did you mind when Medal of Honor came to the PC?

Not at all. And I've never played Medal of Honor on a console, and after seeing Frontline, I don't have plans to.

[Bond]

Originally posted by gekko


Not at all. And I've never played Medal of Honor on a console, and after seeing Frontline, I don't have plans to.

My point is that the exact same argument can be made the other way around. I can say that Medal of Honor was designed for consoles and it should never go onto PC. Because on the PC, like you said, it turns a lot faster which I may not like.