New media: Unreal Championship

Unreal Championship is one of the crown jewels in Microsoft's online strategy and, judging from our latest batch of screenshots, the game is shaping up quite nicely. Building the game from the ground up, its developer Digital Extremes has implemented several gameplay elements that are designed to make the game more accessible to console players. The game's control scheme has been designed to fit the specifications of the Xbox controller, with the inclusion of the ability to perform various combos.

Additionally, the general progression of the game is entirely new, as players will be able to unlock new characters, environments, and weapons as they progress through the game. Other features specific to Unreal Championship include a unique cast of 28 different characters based in six primary races and the ability to create a team of fighters.

In terms of multiplayer options, Unreal Championship has five basic modes of play. They are deathmatch, team match, capture the flag, bombing run, and domination 2.0. The specific number of online combatants hasn't been discussed officially, but it has been said that up to 32 players might be able to compete in one map over Microsoft's network. A four-player split-screen mode will be available offline.

Unreal Championship will be released early next year for the Microsoft Xbox.