Unreal Championship 2: The Liandri Conflict

What’s the Story?

In the single-player mode of UNREAL CHAMPIONSHIP 2: THE LIANDRI CONFLICT, 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 and the losers go home in body bags. Players take the role of Anibus, a prince who years earlier was a top contender in the tournament but dropped out because of "politics." Now he must fight his way back to stop his power-bent, distant cousin, Selket (also an old flame), from taking the throne.

The game has the typical "death match" and "capture the flag" matches. However, things get even more gruesome with the Nali Slaughter levels, in which players attempt to kill helpless Nali slaves more quickly than their opponents.

Is It Any Good?

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 games: lots of blood and violence. The game also contains strong language and suggestive overtones. It is definitely an adult game.

The blood and gore isn't drawn out -- the gameplay is too fast for that; defeated opponents simply explode in a shower of blood with chunks of flesh ricocheting off nearby walls. However, the use of melee weapons adds to the violence, allowing players to "get up close and personal, and slice and tear each other to pieces." The game offers multiplayer options through system link and Xbox Live. Online play increases the chances of hearing some profanity (the game supports "voice," which allows players with microphones to talk to one another).