Conker: Live and Uncut E3 2003 Preshow Report

Microsoft has unveiled Conker: Live and Uncut, an Xbox Live-enabled team-based shooter. Since the game is being developed by Rare, the same company behind the critically acclaimed Conker's Bad Fur Day for the N64, Live and Uncut retains the same lewd sense of humor that made Bad Fur Day such a hit. The game does have a single-player aspect, but it's merely a remake of the old N64 classic. It's worth noting, though, that the graphics and sound have been redone to take full advantage of the Xbox's capabilities, and some new, "uncensored" content will also be included.

The real draw to Live and Uncut is the game's multiplayer component, which is being billed as a team-based shooter. The game's multiplayer scenarios are set in colorful cartoonish environments reminiscent of Bad Fur Day. Each level, playable by two or more teams (for up to 16 players), will feature special rules and objectives that encourage teamwork and will hopefully keep the game from degenerating into standard deathmatch. For example, one scenario, called "The Heist," pits four teams of four against each other in a race to rob a bank. Another level, called "Alien Base," puts you in a remote space outpost where you must fight off hordes of hungry aliens. Each of the scenarios is customizable, allowing for even more gameplay options.

Like Bad Fur Day, Conker: Live and Uncut features the titular squirrel's signature sense of humor, chock-full of off-color jokes and foul language. The gameplay action promises extremely graphic violence, rendered in a cartoon style. No release date for Live and Uncut has been announced, but we'll have more details after the show starts.