Unreal Tournament

"This game gives me a reason to respawn again..."

Sorry to be the only person here so far to give it less than a ten, but that's an annyoying problem I'll get into later.

Graphics: 10 outta 10, and this is from a guy who plays in software mode! Yes that's right, the software mode actually looks good! I did manage to play this on a better pc and in Hardware mode the graphics are...wow. If you go to a space map, look up and you'll see stars and planets and such, hell you can even see that the space levels orbit! If you go to a castle map everything looks abandoned and beat up.
Weapons all have these cool animations to them (just take a look at the Flak) and the detail put into this game, from the smiley face on the Flak Grenade to the 'Adios!' on the side of the redeemer warhead, are amazing!
The models looks great too, but they aren't as original as the Q3A ones, People making UT models should take care of that over time. The animations are what really bring them down though. Play in the thirdperson view and you'll know what I'm talking about.

Sound: 10 outta 10, This game joins the ranks of i76 as a Pc game that actually has fitting music(oh yeah, it's good too, if the 10 didn't give it away)! The music on maps like CTF-Face, DM-Phobos, and Dm-Temptest add to the atmosphere of those maps. The sound effects are cool and the voices, well let's just say they aren't that bad at times. Some of them are actually pretty funny (You be dead!). Most of the taunts are just annoying, just turn them off.

Gameplay: 9 outta 10, Yes this is what gave it the nine. The problem here is that the maps seem to be made for looks over gameplay. You shouldn't be able to get lost in a deathmatch map! That's my only gripe though. The game plays slower than Quake3, this is a good thing. The weapon balance is good though, a person with an enforcer(pistol) can hold his own until he gets a better weapon but can't get the rocket launcher and completly dominate unless that player is really good. That's how weapon balance should be, in my opinion anyways. The game has lots of gameplay modes, here they are:

-DeathMatch: Get the gun, find the guy, frag the guy, get the point?

-Team DeathMatch: Same as above, only with some help from teammates. Allows for some really nice tactical play.

-Last Man Standing: One of my favorite ways to play. You start fully stocked with a set amount of lives, when they run out, you have to spectate the rest of the match. This mode works the best for one-on-one play. From what I'm told this mode was inspired by the quake mod 'Rocket Arena'

-Domination: This is a nice twist on teamplay. There are three points scattered all over a map. Your team's job is to touch them to make them yours(doing this steadily increases your score) and then guard them from the enemy.

-Assualt: Now this is a gamemode! Two teams, offense and defense. In the maps there are certain goals for the offense to destroy/complete. The defense has to (Insert Sarcastic *GASP* here) defend those objectives. The great thing about assualt is that it doesn't promote teamwork, it downright forces it. A lone player won't last very long at all here.

Then there are the mutators. Personally I hate these things. They add on to gameplay and change things. Think of them as Mini-Mods.

Speaking of mods, there are some very nice ones coming to UT. This should give it that lasting appeal that a game this good needs. If you are wondering, a mod is something you add on to a game, and (in some cases) completely changes the looks and gameplay. They are a major part of a PC game's lifespan.

The AI has a new feature never before seen in previous bots. They actually miss shots! UT has the most realistic AI I've played against. They don't make every shot, they have human-like tendancies (Camping for example, that's when you stick at a spot in the map and stay there, shooting anything the goes by) and they make mistakes. Just seeing a bot accidentally dodge off a cliff and into the lava is proof of that. These are the perfect sparring partners for online play.

Speaking of online play, this game is actually enjoyable on a 56k. In Quake3 the people with Cable Modems, DSL's, etc. Completly dominate. In UT the slower gameplay gives you a chance to catch up. Most servers are running team modes anyways, so you don't have to worry about getting killed every two seconds. I'd mention more on how fun this game is against other people, but I'm too busy respawning :)

The game comes included with a level editor but I won't get into that, becuase it doesn't work on my system.

Waiting for the game to load, this is your friendly neighborhood garbageman signing out. G'NIGHT FOLKS!

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 07/20/00, Updated 07/20/00