Unreal II: The Awakening

 Xbox
  • Publisher: Atari
  • Release Date: Feb 10, 2004
  • Also On: PC
Metascore
64

Mixed or average reviews - based on 27 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 27
  2. Mixed: 18 out of 27
  3. Negative: 3 out of 27
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  1. Game Informer
    80
    The biggest issue I have with this title is that the weapon switching is pretty awful...Other than that small complaint, every facet of Unreal II is very solid. [Apr 2004, p.105]
  2. Gamer's Pulse
    80
    A large and varied weapons arsenal, as well as vehicular-based play, makes XMP fun to play; however, its apparent influence from other games limits its originality and future playability.
  3. Deeko
    80
    There are problems with speed and control, as well as graphic issues that I simply can’t explain, but I think the overall product is very well presented.
  5. IGN
    78
    So somewhere in the middle of the isosceles triangle created by "Halo," "Brute Force" and "Mace Griffin" lies Unreal II. If you’re a sci-fi shooter junkie then say hello to your next adventure, otherwise Xbox fans don’t need to jump all over this one.
  6. TotalGames.net
    75
    A definite shoot first ask questions later exercise. Hell, you can't even shoot the good guys and they don't get pissed at you for trying so just shoot everything that moves.
    All this publication's reviews
  7. 1UP
    75
    It's a shame that the really original firearms (including a cannon that shoots evil spiderlings) don't get introduced until the game's almost over, leaving you little time to enjoy them.

Awards & Rankings

32
#32 Most Discussed Xbox Game of 2004
40
#40 Most Shared Xbox Game of 2004

User Reviews

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User Score
5.5

Mixed or average reviews- based on 22 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 22
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 22
  3. Negative: 10 out of 22
  1. wadaltmon
    Sep 11, 2014
    5
    The game is really just generic and clichéd. That's all there is to it, really. There's nothing that makes it particularly stand out fromThe game is really just generic and clichéd. That's all there is to it, really. There's nothing that makes it particularly stand out from other shooters of the same time period; while it still has some fun run-and-gun gameplay, the storytelling and exposition are absolutely terrible. That combined with their very obvious attempt at trying to make likeable characters, but falling flat by making them all cliché, underused, and unlikeable, and you have just a generic mediocre game. However, it still had some gameplay sections that could have redeemed it.

    There's the problem though... that would be if we were talking on the PC. On PC, the graphics were actually laudable for the time, you could free roam the ship between missions, and there were few bugs. All of these are things the Xbox version failed at.
    In the Xbox version, you can't walk around your ship eternal missions: you're just ferried around on rails talking to the unlikeable characters as they tell you some random thing about your weapons or mission. The graphics on the Xbox are laughable, with some truly horrid modeling that was obviously condensed, as well as some textures lower res than the original DOOM, and basically an absence of ANY effective lighting or shading. Also, the game is ridiculously buggy. One instance that comes to mind is about the end of the game where the Skaarj are attacking this base (or at least I think that's what was happening; once again, poor exposition) and you have to get to the top of the base. When me and my dad played this coop, we realized all the ladders and the elevator were broken and would fling us off toward the ground and kill us if we tried to use them within 30 seconds of each other.
    In the end, there were only a few gameplay sections in this game that were at all fun (though annoying, there was a section where you have to escape a ship that's falling apart... it was alright). The best part of this game is grabbing someone to play coop with and having some good laughs at its expense.    … Full Review »
  2. Moe
    Oct 12, 2005
    10
    The single player game is not bad, perhaps not as good as the original Unreal. They should have just followed the old game's story line The single player game is not bad, perhaps not as good as the original Unreal. They should have just followed the old game's story line with updated weaponry, but they decided to do a ground up makeover with mixed results. PC is much better than XBox for the FPS. However, the multiplayer mode, "XMP," is by far the best team game ever made. Period. It is so addicting. It is so realistic and if it seems slow its because of this very reason, you feel like you are really there. You actually hear every footstep and jump you make. The small but avid community that remains are still to this day discovering new tricks and techniques such as the Gunner's lateral conc. jump, that you just dont get in other games. Team members really depend on eachother for health, cover, energy, etc. and there are players who have developed amazing skills not available anywhere else such as wall jumping, midair sniping. Even Halo 2 can be considered an unworthy rival to Unreal's XMP. There are still plenty of dieharders playing every day and several servers running 24/7, we don't need a lot of noobs gumming up the works, nevertheless all are welcome.… Full Review »
  3. KyleK.
    Aug 16, 2005
    0
    This is the most pathetic game i have ever played. it is so boring with all the levels. most of the levels are 2 minutes long and only haveThis is the most pathetic game i have ever played. it is so boring with all the levels. most of the levels are 2 minutes long and only have four bad guys. Bad graphics and just dont play it. wouldnt spend 50 cents on it.… Full Review »
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