kay, so my nerves are officially frayed to the breaking point. After several days of playing Unreal Championship 2 almost non-stop, I feel like I may have developed a chronic twitch in my trigger finger and a permanent cramp in my thumb. UC 2 is undoubtedly one of the most intense and frenzied arena combat games I’ve ever played. Contrary to hardcore fans’ fears, the addition of third-person play broadens the challenge and skill set tremendously, and offers an unprecedented level of mobility and movement options. Most of my gripes were small (beyond my injured thumb), and Liandri Conflict emerges as just the explosive fragfest you were hoping it would be.
As I first embroiled myself in the insanely fast-paced duels that are at the heart of UC 2, the most powerful impression I had was how true it manages to remain to the spirit of the Unreal franchise. However, what really gives the game its flavor are the new additions. Melee combat, far from just a glossy add-on, has now become an integral part of battle. Because attacks are constantly coming in from all directions, the new spatial awareness afforded by the third-person view becomes invaluable. Meanwhile, the range of free movement is truly astounding while you flip and wall jump about the arena.
Visuals are uniformly fantastic, particularly the meticulous and numerous environments within which you’ll do battle. Character animation is smooth and weapon effects are suitably volatile. All the game modes have something to offer, and I was particularly pleased to see some genuine effort go into the creation of some outstanding cinematics to accompany the main story, detailing the rise of Anubis through the ranks of the Nakhti Ascension Championship.
Along with all this great fun, there are certainly some things that hampered my enjoyment. Balancing between difficulty settings was a little problematic – where one setting is far too simple, the next step up is way too difficult. Beyond this, I also found some elements of the bot AI to be a little iffy, as I would watch one stupidly back itself into a corner or another run blindly into the nearest wall. I also found some fault in the available weapons. While all of them had their uses, they just didn’t seem to have the desired balance and variety that I’ve come to expect in an Unreal game.
Even with some of these issues, this is a phenomenal Xbox Live experience. Online fragging is where this game really shines. While it’s by no means a Halo killer, it is in every way a fantastic alternative to those who are ready for something a little different. With hundreds of possible permutations of arenas, rule sets, and character options, you’ll be busy for a while. Sorry I don’t have anything to help with those broken trigger fingers – for that you’re on your own.