Unreal

"The Ultimate Shooter"

Unreal is one of the best shooters that I've ever played. The action is brutal in Botmatch and the one player missions is down right lethal. This is a definite classic.

You are a prisoner in a prison ship that crashed landed on a mysterious planet. Somehow, you are the only survivor, and you must fight your way through the planet encountering new enemies and mysterious friends.

The weapons here are absolutely crazy. From the Flack Cannon, to the Eightball, which is a mini rocket launcher/grenade launcher(and a personal fave of mine), these weapons will send your enemy into the next dimension....well, what's left of them.

Graphics: 10
The detailed graphics are very smooth. From the ancient writing on the walls to the huts and villages. Even the monsters you have to encounter look great.

Sound: 10
If you have surround speakers, then you will be listening to every detailed sound knowing where the enemy is. The sounds of the weapons are the usual even hearing the bullets bouncing off the walls sounds so real. Epic Games went through alot of detail to make this game a instant classic.

Music: 9
The music is perfect for every environment but gets a little repetitive at times. Overall it's not that bad of a thing since you will be worrying about that next Skarr Brute firing at you.

Controls: 10
Veteran players will already be used to playing with a keyboard and mouse, but beginners might have to practice for awhile before getting ready for the real action. I suggest having a three button mouse since you will be using the alternate fire button alot at times in certain situations. Controls are very smooth and precise with each weapon making making your skills a lot simpler but challenging.

Gameplay: 10
Unreal offers a wide range of missions at your disposal while it give you even more carnage with Botmatches as well. A great way to practice and hone your shooting skills is through the Botmatch mode. Try playing with 7 other computer players that wanna blow you into oblivion.

Overall: 10
I definitely would keep this game in my collection as it is the best game there is for now. My best bet is to get the updated Gold collection with even more missions (including the original) and even more intense Botmatch stages. There's even a Unreal Editor where you can create your own stages. Definitely a keeper if you ask me.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 11/06/02, Updated 11/06/02