You can just imagine Mr Gates in his big chair, pondering his empire and jotting on a Post-it: Note to self: If we're going to launch Xbox Live and revolutionise gaming then we can't wait for Halo 2.

We'd better make sure there's a super-charged first-person shooter available as soon as those network switches flick to green.

It's no doubt a relief to Microsoft that Unreal Championship has turned up courtesy of veteran publisher Infogrames. And, more importantly, is as good as the hype claimed it to be.

An incredibly fast FPS is made more frenzied and competitive with the inclusion of up to 16 players. UC was obviously designed from the ground up with online in mind, as can be seen from the number of stats and options in place to support the Live community. It looks great, it's fast and the atmosphere of players from around the world trying to frag each other is tense and compelling.

Seven game types are available (many with custom maps), including the usual deathmatch fare plus a few inventive options. These include Bombing Run (like a deadly game of football) and Survival mode, where you take it in turns to go one-on-one while everyone else goes into free-roaming Spectator mode to watch the exploits.

The interface offers plenty of detail yet is straightforward. The Optimatch mode can be pretty much configured any way you like, with skill filters and Mutators in place. Additional characters and maps will also be downloadable.

Stability and lag issues do crop up. Much of this can be attributed to the very early stages of Xbox Live and the enthusiasm of lots of gamers jumping on the service. This type of aggressive game can cause people to lose their tempers a little, too. So if you're a bit of a shrinking violet it may be worth turning the volume down because the language can get a little on the blue side.

Accuracy, timing and speed have never played a more vital role. Unreal Championship is an immensely satisfying online blaster - even with a few network teething issues.

1. Great looking
2. Easy to set up
3. Lots of options
4. Good game variety

1. Lag and stability issues can crop up
2. And game dropout also happens

Enhancement Takes a great one-player game and turns it into a benchmark multiplayer title.

Setup Lag and stability issues occur occasionally, but not enough to wreck the experience

Variety There's a good number of game types and plenty of maps, and more will be downloadable.

Live Rating If you own Unreal Championship then you owe it to yourself to play it on Xbox Live.

Summary
A great game in its own right and a real milestone for showing how to develop an online FPS title with style.