Going one-on-three without an explosive weapon? Not healthy.The Kavussari and Forsellians blasted each other apart for hundreds of years, ruining worlds in the process. Now their mutual loathing fuels interplanetary reality-TV shows. Instead of destroying cities, two teams of four clash in first-person-shooter battles, where they score points for every kill, assist, and captured enemy flag.
Nexuiz doesn’t have a split-screen multiplayer option, but offline bot training lets you hone your skills before joining the online fray. While relatively dim A.I. stooges can be set to take it easy on you, showdowns against other humans usually become manic, kill-crazy rampages despite the presence of only eight combatants.
Though all nine circuitous arenas are rendered only at 720p and feel a shade too big for such a small crowd, each presents a balanced collection of tight corridors, open battlegrounds, and dangerous intersections. Health kits and armor shards are strewn everywhere, launch pads can hurtle you from one end of a map to the other in seconds, and every teleporter can facilitate a quick escape or hasten your demise.
One of our favorite mutators, Jet Packs, temporarily allows all players to take to the skies and pick off foes from otherwise unreachable heights. It's just so sadistically fulfilling to rain death upon clusters of unwary enemies as they scramble far beneath your feet.Fans of the current crop of military shooters will be disappointed that they can choose only between capture-the-flag and team-deathmatch modes. On the other hand, they’re bound to dig futuristic armaments that shoot bouncing rockets, energy orbs, and clusters of electrical spikes. Sound effects lack the punch of any modern machinegun, and there’s little actual carnage in this supposed blood-sport, but never having to reload does wonders for the competitive pace.
What really cements Nexuiz as a bargain-priced possibility for shooter fans, though, is its collection of “mutators.” Earn a kill-streak or capture a flag, and you’ll get to activate powerful game-changers, ranging from enhancements (infinite ammo, invisibility) to goofy distractions (giant heads, bunny-hopping players, slippery greased floors). You never know what combination of temporary alterations will hold sway from one moment to the next, so every match feels like a one-time-only event.
Nexuiz can’t hold a candle to full-priced war games, but its mix of constant speed and occasional silliness make it just the thing for when you’ve got only 10 minutes to kill.
PUBLISHER: THQ • DEVELOPER: Illfonic • ESRB: Teen • MULTIPLAYER: 8 on Xbox Live • ACHIEVEMENTS: Tough • COST: 800 Microsoft Points ($10)
+ Wonderfully fast-paced multiplayer combat across nine maps of crisscrossing pathways.
+ Nine cool weapons; game-altering “mutators” make every match feel unique.
– Only two modes; no local multiplayer; 720p rendering.
? If this is reality TV, where are all the cameras?
