Unreal Championship: the Liandri Conflict

The Basics:
Platform: Xbox
Developer: Epic Games/Midway
Price: $49.99
ESRB rating: M (Mature)

Summary: An "unreal" bloodbath.

Note: Due to the nonstop violence, blood and gore, along with suggestive themes and profanity, Unreal Championship 2 is not recommended for anyone under 17.

Further Breakdown:

Overall rating: 1out of 5 stars

Best for ages: 17+
Playability: Good. Melee and shooting have different controls which adds to the complexity.
Graphics: Excellent.
Entertainment value: Good. The matches get repetitive after a while.
Educational value: None
Reading Level: 5+.
KidScore Rating

Ages 3-7: Red
Ages 8-12: Red
Ages 13-17: Red
Violence Amount: Red
Fear: Yellow
Illegal/harmful: Green
Language: Red
Nudity: Yellow
Sex: Yellow

Review:
UNREAL CHAMPIONSHIP 2: THE LIANDRI CONFLICT provides addictive action and a better than expected storyline; however, it still has the same pitfalls as most other first-person shooter (FPS) games-lots of blood and lots of violence. In addition, the game contains some strong language and suggestive overtones. It is definitely an adult game.

In the single-player story mode, the Nakhti Emperor Hasan has fallen ill and must relinquish the throne. In Nakhti tradition, the new Emperor will be determined by a series of gladiator-style tournaments. The winner becomes Emperor; the losers go home in body bags. Players take the role of Anibus, a prince who had many ancestors who were emperors. Years earlier he was a top contender in the tournament, but dropped out of it because of "the politics." Now he must fight his way back in order to stop his power-bent, distant cousin, Selket, from taking the throne. To add to the drama, Selket happens to be an old flame . . .and Anibus discovers that he still loves her.

The gameplay of Unreal Championship 2 is much the same as other FPS games-plenty of blood, gore and violence. The game has the typical "death match" and "capture the flag" matches. However, things start getting even more gruesome with the "Nali Slaughter" levels, in which players race around the arena attempting to kill helpless Nali slaves quicker than their opponents. During interludes in the single-player mode, commentators add to the spectator-sport atmosphere, including mock interviews with an alien who thinks killing humans is almost too easy. The blood and gore of the game isn't drawn out-the gameplay is too fast for that-defeated opponents simple explode in a shower of blood with chunks of flesh ricocheting off nearby walls. However, the use of melee weapons adds to the violence level, allowing players to "get up close and personal, and slice and tear each other to pieces."

In addition to the single-player mode, the game offers multiplayer options through system link and Xbox Live. Overall, online play adds little to the storyline, but does add more difficult competition, as human opponents tend to be more crafty and unpredictable. Online play also improves the chances of hearing some profanity (the game supports "voice" which allows players with microphones to talk to one another). The conclusion of one online battle was punctuated with plenty of offensive name-calling between other players.

To conclude, Unreal Championship 2 isn't a good choice for kids of any age. Teens who are interested in FPS games could check out Battlefield Vietnam or Star Wars Battlefront instead.