Unreal Championship 2: The Liandri Conflict

Unreal Championship 2: The Liandri Conflict
Developer(s)	Epic Games
Publisher(s)	Midway Games
Designer(s)	Mike Capps
Artist(s)	Jerry O'Flaherty
Composer(s)	Kevin Riepl
Series	Unreal
Engine	Unreal Engine 2.5 (Unreal Engine 2X)
Platform(s)	Xbox
Release date(s)	NA: April 18, 2005 EU: April 22, 2005
Genre(s)	First-person shooter, third-person shooter
Mode(s)	Single-player, multiplayer

Unreal Championship 2: The Liandri Conflict (abbreviated UC2) is a first-/third-person shooter video game in the Unreal series of games. It was developed by Epic Games and published by Midway Games for release on the Xbox games console as a direct sequel to the 2002 game Unreal Championship, which was effectively an Xbox version of the PC game Unreal Tournament 2003. Unreal Championship 2, much more than its predecessor, was designed from the ground up for the Xbox console and takes full advantage of the Xbox Live gaming arena. The game is playable on the Xbox 360 through that console's backwards compatibility.^[1]

Gameplay

The game's use of third-person perspective when using a melee weapon affords the player greater control in combat.

Unreal Championship 2 features 14 different characters from the Unreal universe, plus extra characters released in a bonus pack via Xbox Live. Other additions include the new gametypes Overdose and Nali Slaughter, new weapons including melee weapons, and more adrenaline combos than in previous games.

Unreal Championship 2 adds melee combat to the series by allowing characters to switch to their respective weapon, such as a blade or staff. Players can also perform special "Fatality" moves very much like Mortal Kombat, another game series by Midway. Players can use melee weapons only in third-person mode, but can switch between first- and third-person mode on the fly while using firearms.

Unreal Championship 2 also uses a mechanic that deviates from the standard Unreal Tournament line of games, wherein each character has a designation of light, medium, or heavy, that determines the health, melee weapon damage, movement speed and agility of the characters. Light characters have the least amount of health and melee weapon damage, but are faster and more agile than the other types. Medium characters are in the middle for all three attributes. Heavy characters have the most life and melee weapon damage, but are the slowest and least agile of the three.

Another addition is the lock on mechanic, which keeps the locked on character in front of the player. While it doesn't center the enemy in front of weapon firing reticules, it does keep the character on the screen until either the player unlocks them, kills or is killed by them, or the locked on character is out of line of sight. This mechanic helps alleviate the imprecision of analog sticks on the console, as opposed to using a mouse and keyboard on the PC platform, especially when circle strafing; and to make melee attacks easier to control.

Adrenaline use is unique to Unreal Championship 2, compared to other Unreal Tournament games. Each character has six adrenaline powers at their disposal. All characters have access to speed, which grants increased movement speed for a short time, and nimble, which makes characters float while jumping, and allows for additional jumps beyond the double jump. Each race in the game, human, Nakhti, Necris, Skaarj, Juggernaut, and mechanical, then each have their own race specific powers. Some characters also have unique adrenaline powers. Adrenaline is gained slowly throughout the match, but is gained faster for kills and killing spree awards. There are also adrenaline pickups on the maps. Each power uses a set amount of adrenaline to activate, ranging from one quarter of the total adrenaline meter, to needing a completely full adrenaline meter to use.

Weapons

A change from the standard Unreal Tournament line of games made for Unreal Championship 2 is the use of load outs for each match, as opposed to picking up weapons on the game maps. Before each match, players are given the choice of one explosive weapon type, and one energy weapon type. These weapons are used for the entirety of the match. Explosive weapons are the rocket launcher, grenade launcher, flack cannon, and Ripjack. Energy weapons are the shock rifle, bio rifle, sniper rifle, and the Stinger gatling gun. Ammo pickups for each weapon type are placed at various points on the map, but all ammo of that type works for any weapon of that type equipped. All characters also have sidearm weapons, normally pistols, that can be switched to. The only exceptions being in the Instagib match type, where everyone is equipped with a modified sniper rifle that is an instant one hit kill; and the Nali Slaughter gametype, where only melee weapons are allowed.

Each projectile weapon has at least two firing modes, a main and an alternate mode, with some having a third firing mode. Each weapon's main and alternate firing mode is unique to that weapon, except for the sidearm weapons, which all have the same alternate mode. Each sidearm's alternate firing mode is a charged shot that can freeze enemies it hits. While sidearms have unlimited ammo, they do have a reload time, and using the alternate fire mode uses a large percentage of the ammo currently in the weapons.

Each character also has a melee weapon that can be switched to on the fly when not in an Instagib match type. Light characters use dual weapons, such as one-handed swords or scythes, medium characters use a two-handed weapon, like a staff, or two-handed sword or axe (except Torgr, who uses his arm mounted Skarrj blades), and heavy characters use their fists or arm mounted blades. Switching to melee weapons gives the character a slight movement speed increase, an in-air movement boost when charging the melee attack, allows for the use of a front facing shield which must recharge, the ability to reflect projectiles, and the ability to do the fatality-like kill called the coup de grace. Quick successive hits with melee weapons also freezes opponents in the same way the alternate sidearm shot does, three successive hits from medium and heavy characters, and four from light characters.

Using melee weapons is an integral part of Unreal Championship 2. The air charge allows for fast traversal of the maps, and can even save the character from death on maps where they can fall off the edge. The front facing shield helps to mitigate damage from incoming attacks. The reflection ability prevents damage from projectile attacks when used to deflect them. It also has a skill aspect in the timing of it. Poorly timed reflections send the projectiles off in a random direction in front of the player, while better timed reflections send the projectile back towards the player that shot them with increased speed and damage. Perfectly timed reflections send the projectile back at a very fast speed with greatly increased damage and a homing ability (which can be blocked by objects in the map). The reflection ability uses some of the shield energy, so it cannot be spammed. Killing an enemy with a reflected shot grants a new kill award for Unreal Championship 2, called "Rejection." When perfectly reflecting weapon shots that can score headshot kills, the Ripjack and the sniper rifle, the reflecting player is also awarded with a headshot announcement. Reflected shots can be reflected again, if the player whose shots were reflected is fast enough, except for the sniper rifle and shock rifle primary fire, since they are hitscan weapons.

Against frozen opponents, players can attempt to do a coup de grace fatality move when melee weapons are equipped. When coming upon a frozen enemy with melee weapons equipped, a set of randomized button and directional commands will appear on the screen. Correctly entering this directional and button combo performs the coup de grace. Additionally, each character has an unlisted predetermined set of directional and button presses that will always perform the coup de grace, ignoring the on screen commands. Players are not invincible when performing these moves, however, and can be killed or have their opponent killed by another player while performing them.

Story Mode

The story mode has players take the role of Anubis, who left the previous Ascension Rights tournament for the title of Nakhti Emperor, and has become a soldier in the military. He returns to the tournament when he sees his former betrothed, Selket, announcing her intention to win the Ascension Rights tournament after the previous winner has fallen gravely ill and must abdicate the throne. Selket has made a deal with The Liandri Corporation to broadcast the tournament to the rest of the galaxy. Players progress through various modes as Anubis, interspersed with voice acted in game engine cut scenes that explain more of the story as they make their way through the game. Eventually, the only two competitors left are Anubis and Selket, with the final match having the respawn mechanics removed for the final kill. Anubis is successful, but is heartbroken that he had to kill the woman he loved. He is then approached by a representative of The Liandri Corporation who offers him a deal to bring Selket back to life through the Necris Process-- so long as he continues to fight in the various tournaments run by the corporation; since even the emperor can't afford the process. Anubis reluctantly agrees, saying he doesn't deserve to be the Nakhti Emperor. The final scene shows Anubis about to address his people as their new emperor, with a Necris version of Selket behind him.

Anubis, Selket, and various other Nakhti characters were added for this game.

Tournament and Challenge Modes

Unreal Championship 2 also has additional single player modes, the Tournament mode and Challenge mode. Tournament mode is a ladder-styled arcade like mode allowing players to play as different characters in the game through a set amount of matches. Challenge mode has players attempting challenges of varying difficulty in single matches. Completing these modes unlocks different mutators and characters for use in multiplayer or single player vs bot games.

Multiplayer

Before a multiplayer game starts, the host can change gravity, regenerate health, and otherwise modify gameplay with "mutators" as is common in the Unreal series of games.

Multiplayer games are eight player maximum games, and can be free for all modes, such as normal deathmatch, or team based games such as team deathmatch and capture the flag. Unreal Championship 2 shipped with 50 multiplayer maps to play the various modes on, with maps designated for certain gametypes.

Development

Unreal Championship 2 began development after Unreal Tournament 2003 was released and a planned sequel was in the works for the PC. Epic Games decided to move the game over to the consoles and became a three-game contract between Midway Games and Epic Games.^[2] With the Midway publishing deal, Raiden from the Mortal Kombat series of games, which Midway owned before its bankruptcy, was added as an unlockable playable character. Additionally, players could switch from the normal Unreal Tournament male announcer to the announcer from the Mortal Kombat games being published at that time.

Soundtrack

The soundtrack for Unreal Championship 2 was composed by Kevin Riepl.^[3]

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score Aggregator Score Metacritic 85/100[4] Review scores Publication Score CVG 9/10[5] Edge 8/10[6] Eurogamer 7/10[7] Game Revolution [8] GameSpot 9/10[9] GamesRadar [10] IGN 9.3/10[11] Cheat Code Central [12] PopMatters [13]

Unreal Championship 2 has an 85 average on Metacritic.^[4]

References

External links

• Official website