New media: Unreal Championship

Infogrames has released new screenshots from Unreal Championship for the Xbox, one of the first Xbox games that will feature online network play in the middle of next year. Specific online features haven't been discussed to date, but it is known that the game will let up to 32 players face off online in a single match. A four-player split-screen mode will also be available offline. Unreal Championship combines the single-player experience of Unreal II and the multiplayer gameplay of Unreal Tournament into one game. The game's control scheme will be adjusted to take full advantage of the Xbox controller, and console-specific features such as a double jump, speed pads, vehicular combat, and other unlockable options will be included in the game.

The final version of Unreal Championship will reportedly run at 60 frames per second and feature volumetrically lit particle effects; real-time self-shadowing on the characters, weapons, and environments; realistic smoke effects; and high-poly character models with high-resolution textures.

Unreal Championship for the Xbox is currently scheduled for release in Q1 2002. Look for more on the game in the coming weeks.