Unreal II: The Awakening, Electronic Games

One of the benefits of the Xbox's PC-based architecture is that, of the three current consoles, it receives the greatest share of PC ports. We've had the recent Deus Ex: Invisible War, we are promised the mighty Doom III, and we are now blessed with one of the other top first-person shooters, Unreal II: The Awakening. Set in the same universe as the 1998 original, but complete with a brand new story and cast of characters, the game thrusts you 300 years into the future, to the origins of mankind's expansion into space. You take on the role of John Dalton - ex-Marine and Marshal of the Terran Colonial Authority - who discovers a chilling distress signal during one of his regular patrols. Upon investigating, Dalton is subsequently plunged into harsh combat with terrifying enemies, and into a conflict that will determine the fate of the galaxy. As you progress through the game you are presented with a wide array of intense combat missions, which, as you would expect, are all tied together by a host of detailed cut-scenes. Each of the missions features a different tactical situation - such as a hostage rescue, a civilian escort and an assault on an enemy base - and each takes place across a variety of different environments. Locales such as the jungles of a tropical planet, the barren ice of a frozen moon, and the active, living tunnels of an underground world are just a few of the settings in which you must fight for your life. As is an absolute necessity within the FPS genre, a massive array of firepower is at your disposal, ranging from armour piercing handguns to weapons that tear apart the very fabric of space - now that's quite a serious bunch of toys we're talking about. The Awakening is a more than worthy addition to the Xbox's increasing roster of shooters. If you've not yet experienced the world of Unreal, don't let the 'II' suffix put you off. You don't have to have played the sequel to appreciate what goes on here. It's explosive and sometimes scary stuff, and it's definitely worth a look.

Buy Unreal II: The Awakening for 2.99 GBP

Ultimate Spider-Man
When bitten by spiders on planet Earth, you can normally expect one of the following to happen: mild discomfort, but otherwise no ill effects; illness; horrific rotting of the skin; an unpleasant and feverish death, even. But, when mild mannered orphan Peter Parker was bitten by a radioactive spider, something much better followed: the creation of surely the greatest hero ever to grace the pages o...
Area 51
The stuff that urban legends are made of, the story - if there really is one - of Area 51 is imprinted on the collective consciousness of our times. Roswell, grey aliens, UFOs, weather balloons, abductions, government conspiracy, nobody knows the truth, now so obscured by rumour, myth and conjecture. Science fiction from Independence Day to the X Files have used the cachet of the mysterious facili...
NBA Live 99
EA Sports' basketball games may be huge in America, but they also manage to sell very well over on European shores, particularly in the UK. Their long running NBA Live series is one of the players' favourites, and NBA Live 99 is the most comprehensive of the bunch, featuring a plethora of updates and improvements. First and foremost, NBA Live 99 offers a good selection of game modes that will suit...
Animaniacs: Lights, Camera, Action
The Animaniacs are really in for it this time. The crazy critters' reckless and zany living has cost Warner Bros. a zillion dollars in damages. If the Animaniacs don't want to find themselves locked in the studio water tower for all eternity, they'd best make up for the film studio's losses. Getting into the game couldn't be easier. After a brief introduction from the director, you assume control ...
Finding Nemo
A Disney version of Sharky and George some might say, the company's latest big screen venture follows the aquatic journey of Marlin and Dory in a typical comedic adventure. But no Disney film would be complete without a video game spin-off and for the handheld version, Vicarious Visions has been called in to do the job. When clownfish Nemo is captured by a diver on his first day at school, you fin...
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory
A best-selling novelist whose books have been the subject of many a Hollywood blockbuster, Tom Clancy now seems to like nothing as much as the array of storytelling options offered by video games. Video games based on his scenarios are being made more prolifically than even his novels. The Rainbow Six games give you command of an anti-terrorist squad, and the Ghost Recon series features a team spe...