Pariah off to factory

Groove Games today announced that Pariah has gone gold and will blast into retail outlets on May 3. The Xbox and PC first-person shooter was developed by Digital Extremes, most renowned for its PC hit Unreal Tournament 2003.

As military doctor Jack Mason, gamers find themselves shot down on a planet while escorting a patient who has been quarantined because of an infectious disease. The ill patient goes on the loose, and it's up to Mason to track him down before he can spread the contagion further.

The good doctor eschews all of his medical school training and gets himself strapped with a variety of upgradable weapons such as shotgunlike frag rifles, powerful rocket launchers, and slice-a-rific bone saws. Mason can also pilot vehicles and will have some simple puzzle-solving tasks to figure out.

The multiplayer portion features several modes, including the prerequisite deathmatch and capture-the-flag games. Eight different "loadouts" start each player off with a particular weapon set. A map editor lets aspiring architects craft their own battlefield and is not limited to the PC version. Xbox owners will be able to share their creations over Xbox Live.

Pariah is rated M for Mature and will retail for $39.99 on the PC and $49.99 on the Xbox. For more information on the game, check out GameSpot's previous coverage. PC owners looking to take the multiplayer mode for a test spin can download the multiplayer demo at GameSpot DLX.