Hot on the heels of Team X-Box's preview of Epic Games's Unreal Championship 2, GameSpot has posted a new preview of Unreal Championship 2 which gives more details concerning the game, especially concerning the inclusion of Mortal Kombat's thunder god, Raiden! From the article:

Our demo of the game consisted of looks at the Remnant and Praxis levels (a ruin and a space station, respectively) for updated looks at how the gameplay and graphics are coming together. In addition, we got a quick overview of the multiplayer modes. The two levels offered the expected sweet visuals, but more importantly, they featured architecture that is tailor-made for performing the crazy acrobatic moves that are a key aspect to the experience. As for the multiplayer games, Epic is pulling out all the stops by offering a mix of the expected modes, like deathmatch, team deathmatch, and capture the flag, along with some unique new modes, such as "Overdose" and "Nali Slaughter." Later in the demo, we were able to get our hands on Raiden to try him out against a good selection of foes. The MK thunder god handles well and can mix it up nicely with the UC2 crew. While not as tough as Skaarj, Raiden can take a fair amount of punishment, which puts him in the midrange of the fighter's roster. His unique weapons are pistols, but in a nod to his powers, the guns are electrically generated and fire charges of lightning that look pretty cool.

The graphics continue to be tight, and they show off Epic's proficiency with the Xbox hardware. The varied environments we've seen are rich in detail and run an inventive gamut of locales. You'll see space station interiors, ruins, and seemingly benign outdoor locations that serve as backdrops for the intense carnage the game is known for. But while you'd think the character models may suffer some due to the attention lavished on the backgrounds, that's anything but the case. The eclectic roster of fighters in Unreal Championship 2: The Liandri Conflict, including the familiar races from the series, all look stellar. Newcomer Raiden ends up fitting in nicely with just a slight tailoring of his outfit, which ends up giving him a trimmer look. His animations are looking good, and his weapons look suitably cool. Epic's nod to Raiden's arcade moves are smart choices that fit the action. As a result, you'll be able to execute his Superman torpedo rush at opponents as well as his "shocker" fatality, wherein he explodes his foe using electricity.

Unreal Championship 2 will be released for the X-Box in March. To read the article in its entirety, click here.

Our thanks to forum members kingjolly and CAMK for the heads-up on this news story!

Team X-Box posted an interesting news article on their site, concerning the upcoming FPS for the X-Box, Epic Games's Unreal Championship 2! As a result of Midway Games's publishing this title, a very familiar character from the Mortal Kombat universe is making a guest appearance in the game! From the article:

But without a doubt, the most interesting surprise was the unveiling of the secret Mortal Kombat character that will make his way into a crossover that blends the fighting and shooting genres; and the winner is… Raiden!

Yes, the Thunder God has been selected to venture into the Unreal universe and his selection makes sense when you consider he has always battled in the Mortal Kombat tournaments when the Outworld and Earth realms merged.

Now that the Unreal and Mortal Kombat universes are melding into one, he once again must put his own immortality to risk by transforming into a mere mortal to compete in The Liandri Corporation tournament.

His incorporation comes together with Raiden's voice actor and the option to swap the Unreal host with the classic Mortal Kombat announcer, providing a nice MK touch that will be welcome to fans of the fighting franchise. Mike Capps, Lead Designer of UC2 and President of Epic Games, also revealed that the incorporation of the character, as well as other Mortal Kombat elements, were implemented with the input of Ed Boon.

Note that Raiden's inclusion in UC2 was known as far back as Midway Gamer's Day, where we got a picture of his silhouette on the UC2 character select screen, along with another mysterious kombatant's. However, this is the first official confirmation we have seen regarding Raiden's presence in Unreal Championship 2. We'll keep an eye on this game, and as we learn more, we'll report it here.

To see the Team X-Box article in its entirety, click here. To see the previous MK Online news article with the UC2 screenshots, click here.

Our thanks to forum/chat member CAMK for the heads-up on this news story!

MortalKombatKontroller.com, the official site of the Mortal Kombat: Deception controllers, has updated with pictures of each of the 6 MK:D controllers available - Scorpion, Sub-Zero, and Baraka on both the Play-Station 2 and X-Box consoles, respectively. The X-Box controllers will actually have animated holograms on them, and a demonstration of this is available on the site. You can also buy the controllers through the site or at the retail stores mentioned there!


Thanks go to MK Kool for the news!

Spike TV has announced the nominees for its upcoming Video Game Awards 2004, and Midway's Mortal Kombat: Deception has garnered a nomination for Best Fighting Game! It faces stiff competition this year from other games such as Dead or Alive: Ultimate, Def Jam: Fight for NY, Fight Night 2004, and WWE: Smackdown! Vs. RAW. The Video Game Awards 2004 winners are decided by vote, so be sure and make your voice heard!

The Video Game Awards 2004 will be aired live on December 14th at 9 PM EST, hosted by Snoop Dogg. To cast your vote, go to the VGA 2004 website, which can be located by clicking here. (Warning: the site requires Macromedia Flash Player.)

Our thanks to forum/chat member DECEPTION for the heads-up on this news story! In addition, we at MK Online would like to extend our congratulations to the MK: Deception design team on this achievement!

The future bodes well for Midway Games, who has added three new important members to their internal product development team, all of them top industry leaders.

• Scot Bayless, VP, Midway's Chicago studio. Notable achievements: James Bond 007 franchise, Daytona USA, Microsoft Flight Simulator
• Denise Fulton, Studio Head, Midway's Austin studio. Notable achievements: Deus Ex: Invisible War, Thief: Deadly Shadows, NHL 2001
• Stephan Martinière, Visual Design Director, Midway's Chicago studio. Notable achievements: Myst, special effects on feature films such as Star Wars Episodes II and III, I, Robot, and The Fifth Element.

Read the entire press release here.