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Digital Extremes has an impressive history, with such classics as Unreal Tournament, UT ‘03/04, Unreal Championship on the Xbox, the original Unreal, and Adventure Pinball, which was just cool… So, one would think that when these guys set out to tread the very gaming ground they helped pioneer, great things should happen. Unfortunately, disappointment is a fact of life, boys and girls, so instead we got Warpath.

Unreal Tournament: Milquetoast Edition!

Warpath is the sort of game that takes all the familiar elements of the competition, and proceeds to do almost nothing with them. The concept is adequate—three races vying for the control of one gem of a planet. Even the single player structure initially seems interesting. Each race has territory, and takes turn trying to take over the rest of the grids on the map. Apparently, in the future, however, aliens fight wars by engaging in uninspired rounds of capture the flag, deathmatches, and something called frontline assault. This last mode tasks the players with capturing enemy bases by destroying their generator.

The premise could have provided a far more interesting game of sci-fi warfare, but instead comes across as a strictly second-rate Unreal Tournament clone. Aside from the obvious questions, like why would viciously warring races play flag games, the basic design is full of flaws.

Familiar Faces

The most noticeable lack of inspiration is the character design. The Ohm, the Kovos, and the Human Coalition are all fighting for the planet Kaladi. The Ohm are evil cybernetic beings who look like a cross between the Strogg from Quake 4 and the Borg. The Kovos look so similar to the Cylons from the original Battlestar Galactica that you’ll wonder if a lawsuit will be pending, and the humans more than slightly resemble a certain Master Chief from that other little known Xbox shooter, Halo.

While each race has a few weapons of their own, all the guns end up being interchangeable, and surprisingly boring. There are only eight weapons, consisting of science fiction takes on the rocket launcher, machine gun, sniper rifle, shotgun, and grenade launcher. All the guns can be upgraded through performance increases won in battle. Yet, none of the guns feel particularly right. They lack the oomph and creativity of the great weapons from the Unreal games, and just seem completely lackluster.

Going Places in Small Spaces

In addition to a limited number of weapons, Warpath also features a limited number of vehicles. All ground-base, the vehicles add a bit more interest to the gameplay, despite having very limited usage. The Razorback can hold two soldiers, and sports dual machine guns and a turreted rocket launcher. The Hornet is a chain gun-toting fast attack trike, and the Maverick is fast, maneuverable scouting vehicle with limited weapons.

Ironically, most of the levels are focused on tighter quarters and indoor structures. Even the outdoor levels tend to feel confining, and while this more compact design philosophy is fine for foot battles, it makes vehicles mostly pointless. That aside, Warpath’s level selection is healthy. There are 25 different levels to conquer, and they cover the usual gamut of sci-fi deathmatching themes.

It’s Unreal… but not really

Warpath utilizes the Unreal engine and Havok physics system, and the sharp visuals add a lot to the otherwise middle of the road design. The character models move well, are reasonably well detailed, and look good overall. The levels are exceedingly reminiscent of Digital Extreme’s last game, Pariah, and the Unreal graphics still look good. A major pothole that hurts the otherwise solid presentation is the occasionally tanking framerate. In the middle of heated battles and when entering certain rooms, the game will shudder in a frustrating manner.
 
As with most multiplayer-centric action games, the single player mode is really just an extended training sequence for the real meat of the game—Xbox Live play. Without a doubt, Warpath perks up considerably when you add other players to the equation, and it performs quite well online. Admittedly, actually finding other players can be a real chore, but given the budget price, it seems likely that at least a few players in search of new cannon fodder will log on.

The Path to Nowhere

Warpath isn’t horrible, but it is incredibly uninspired. The design is, on every level, lackluster, as if the developers were so sick of the genre that they didn’t even try this time. Still, the some of the core Unreal Tournament gameplay is here, and the game looks good. If you’ve burnt out on the far superior Unreal Championship and Tournament games, Warpath might be worth a look. For anyone else, stick with the other Unreal games and avoid this one.

Article by: Jason D'Aprile
video review by: Jonathan Solin