Unreal Tournament is the closest thing to a flawless game I have ever played. With it's incredible game options, fantastic weapons, and matchless performance, this is the first person shooter for the next few years. I realize that this isn't going to be the most popular stance with those of you out there who are die-hard Quake fans, so let me warn you right off the bat that this is a review of Unreal Tournament, and not a comparison piece Riding on an incredibly enhanced Unreal engine, the newest game to come out of Epic has Quake 3 and id software running away with their tails between their legs. Boasting absolutely incredible and original gameplay, and gorgeous graphics, this FPS is sure to make its mark on the game industry and start off a whole new dynasty of multiplayer games that will keep their players drooling for more.


Weapons
Impact Hammer Okay, every game has to have a hand weapon that doesn't require any ammo, but few games have one that's as badass as the Impact Hammer. This little beauty, like all of the weapons in UT, has two functions. First, is a charge function where the Hammer gains power. When you run into an enemy, the charge instantly goes off and kills whatever was standing in front of you. Yes you have to be close, but it's well worth it. The second more delivers a quick slam (no charged power) that does a fair amount of damage. It can also be used to deflect incoming shots. Cool.
Enforcer This basic pistol weapon may not seem like much, but I've managed to rack up quite a few kills with it already. In addition to primary fire and secondary fire (just like primary fire but it shoots a little bit quicker and a little less accurately) mode, the Enforcer can actually be picked up twice offering player a John Woo style combat advantage.

Shock Rifle When used in its primary mode, the Shock Rifle sends a beam of energy that pops distant foes instantaneously. Secondary mode sends out a slower ball of energy that does a buttload of damage to whatever it hits. This is the only weapon in the game to boast a tertiary option as well. If you send out an energy globe and then shoot it with your beam, the globe will explode in a mega-blast that should do in anything in the neighborhood.

Ripper My absolute favorite weapon in the game, the Ripper is a tool that requires a practiced hand to really master. Basically it fires high speed spinning razor blades that bounce off of any surface that they hit. This allows you to reach enemies around corners or those intent on hiding behind boxes. Sadly, if players are dumb enough to fire it directly at the wall, they'll discover that it is also a very dangerous weapon to the wielder. What really makes the Ripper stand out though is its instant death option if you hit an enemy (or yourself) in the neck, it will decapitate them, killing them instantly. Once you get good at this, the Ripper can become an incredibly lethal weapon. The secondary mode adds to this lethality by offering special razors that explode on impact doing splash damage.

Rocket Launcher Tal's favorite gun has a whole host of different fire options. While first-person fans should be very familiar with the explosive power of standard rocket launchers, the launcher in UT offers up a new fire mode in which the fire button can be depressed and held to load up additional rockets (up to six). Once the chamber is full, or the player releases the button (whichever comes first), all of the rockets currently loaded go flying at the target. The raw carnage of six rockets flying into a room full of dueling players has to be seen to be believed. The second option on the rocket launcher allows the same loading option, but rather than propelling the explosives at a target, it lobs them out like grenades. An amazingly destructive weapon.

Flak Cannon Steve's favorite weapon is the intelligent answer to the shotgun. The Flak Cannon fires a whole bunch of hot metal in a spread pattern that will seriously mess up anyone whose anywhere close to the front of your gun. Since the shrapnel pieces bounce a little bit, you don't even have to be all that accurate. The second option lobs a shrapnel grenade at your enemies. Believe me, if they're nearby when it explodes, they'll be respawning soon.

BioRifle This is the only really lame weapon in the game, and even it has its uses. This gun fires out a big blob of toxic sludge that sticks to whatever it hits. Since it doesn't fire very far, and since it explodes when anyone touches it, I usually ended up hurting myself. According to the manual, the BioRifle can be used to slime tight areas that enemies are running through, but I haven't mastered it yet. The secondary function of this weapon releases a really big blob of the goo all at once. Big deal.

Sniper Rifle Vincent's favorite weapon is the Sniper Rifle. Clicking the secondary mouse button and holding it zooms in a scope at whatever you're currently looking at. Clicking the primary button fires the gun. If you hit anyone in the head, they die. Very deadly as long as no one finds you while you're scoped in on something.

Minigun Every game has to have its plain old gun, and for Unreal Tournament, that's the Minigun. Not much to explain here, it shoots a whole bunch of bullets really fast and hurts whatever they hit really bad. It's secondary mode fires more bullets but fires them less accurately.

Redeemer The BFG of Unreal Tournament. This fires a small nuke that will kill anyone in the room where it hits. The secondary mode lets you guide the missile yourself. I didn't find this weapon all that often, so my experience with it is limited. When I did find it, I had a bad tendency to kill myself. In the right hands though (read: not mine), this is the most deadly weapon in the game.

Pulse Blaster This cool little gizmo is a combination of the Plasma Gun and Lightning Gun from Quake. In its primary gun mode, it fires fast energy bolts that tear up an enemy. In the secondary mode, it sends out a continuous beam of energy that will drop a foe in no time flat.

Chainsaw A nice little hand weapon that you can use to saw up your foes. Primary mode thrusts the weapon, secondary mode swings from side to side. The latter is good for cutting people's heads off



Considering that first person shooter games have been out on the market for several years now, and many have improved greatly on others, most people would say that a game couldn't bring anything new and improved to the table. To those gamers I say that you are dead wrong. Unreal Tournament blows just about every other FPS game out of the water and that's because of the incredible amount of polish that has been carefully applied by Tim Sweeney and his band of die-hard game programmers. Putting the sweet graphics engine aside (which we'll get to later), the most immediate and noticeable feature is that lack of a conventional single player game. Where is it you ask? Well, Epic has placed a big bet on the idea that multiplayer action is the wave of the future, whether its with other people over a LAN or internet, or with artificially intelligent bots. Not your usual run-and-gun bots, but rather ruthless players that think quick and smart and put up one heck of a challenge that even an experienced like myself enjoys. Combine that incredible multiplayer action with the sweet and smooth interface, and you got yourself one of the best, if not the best game out there on the market.

The gameplay can be described in one, single word: sweetness. Not bittersweet, but rather pure, smooth, sweetness that few others have. Everything in this game has been balanced and playtested time and time gain until near-perfection was achieved. From the first time a bot or another player frags you until you can be crowned the Unreal Tournament champion, you'll have a great time with the incredible arcade action that not only makes you use your fingers but your mind as well. Strategy is a factor in the game, but not enough to downplay the sheer action. The strategy that is involved is one of the many things that make this game stand out from the rest. Sure you can run around and shoot here and there, but it is so much fun to find a good hiding spot and snipe off victims using your zoom scope or running into a fray with your two enforcers in akimbo style turned sideways for a little gangsta style rapid fire. Of course, running around and shooting other is not the only type of gameplay that this game involves; many other types of games such as capture the flag, teamplay, assault, and domination. What are the last two you ask? Well, in assault the players are divided into two teams, one assaults part of the map, while the other defends it. Once the timer runs out or all of the objectives are achieved, the teams switch sides. The maps include a Saving Private Ryan type beach invasion, and hi-speed train hijacking, just to name a few. Domination is a teamplay game where teams fight to control certain parts of the map, and you get points for controlling those locations.

Playing against the artificially intelligent computer controlled bots is just as, if not more, fun as playing against live human opponents. The bots behave incredibly and almost like a real opponent, guaranteeing great matches all the time. If anyone can remember way back in the old days of Quake 1 when bots first started, there was the Reaper bot, which had to be the best ever made for quake 1 or 2. The creator of the Reaper bot was hired by Epic to make the bots for Unreal, and for Unreal Tournament, he has truly made vast achievements with them. Another great thing about them is that they are customizable too, allowing for a simulation of any type of player, whether it's a camping sniper, or a berserker with a rocket launcher.

An added feature that brings the game up to another level is that adding of announcements made when players either kill many opponents in a row or go for a while without dying while fragging lots of others. Once a player does one of those, or both, a loud voice announces it and displays it on the screen, bringing more excitement to the match. Knowing that the guy who's firing at you is Godlike and just did an Ultra Kill is a little more intimidating than knowing he's some jerk firing rockets at you.

With sweet gameplay and loads of awesome features, what else could there be to this game? Well, an incredible graphics engine that had its basis in the original Unreal engine. For the gamers out there that remember Unreal, you'll remember how it was heralded for its beautiful outdoor scenery and great special effects that made it one of the best looking games out there. That engine, which is still being used by a few developers, was upgraded immensely and is now one of the best. With levels that have to be seen to be believed, such as the old galleon ship that sails in the water to the hi-speed bullet train that is going fast enough to kill you if you jump off, the designers made a game that is a sight to behold with many special effects that dazzle and amaze. Hopefully, the screenshots can do the engine some justice, but you'll just have to see it for yourself to get an understanding of the smooth sweetness that it is.


Utilizing fast paced music and crisp sounds, Unreal Tournament compliments its graphics and gameplay with an equally good sound engine. Glittering sounds fill the game and provide for a full sensory experience, which if withheld, takes away some of the best parts of the matches. Whether it is the sounds of the Chaingun as it spins up, or the sound of the announcer screaming that you are on a killing spree, every sound gives the feel of being in an arcade match of which the likes have never been heard. The music itself is a great mood setter no sweet, soothing sounds here, just fast paced, adrenaline-enhancing music to frag your best friend or worst enemy to.


For a long time I've been waiting for a game that will just completely amaze and entertain myself, and with Unreal Tournament, I've found that game. Whereas most other games are great in an area or two, such as graphics, UT is completely polished in all areas. The developers took their time and put a lot of love and care into this game, which is so well reflected in the end product. A complete shooter gaming experience is what this is all about, and if you want to find a game that can sum up the best qualities you could hope for in a game then UT is it, no questions asked. Other competitors exist, but they don't have such an overall greatness that could only be described as Unreal.


Recommended: Yes