Unreal Tournament 2003

"Frag fest returns!"

Three long years have passed since the glory times of 1999 when a particular game named ''Unreal Tournament'' hit the shelves of gaming stores and got the gamers going. It was called the ultimate frag fest of the time, along with its arch-rival Quake III. Unreal Tournament has drawn so much fanfare that the fans were so desperate to see a follow-up game to the 1999 blockbuster. And now they have it - Unreal Tournament 2003. (okay, I know it isn't 2003 yet!:)

Graphics - 10/10
The only reason why I gave it a 10 is because I could not give it a 11. The frame rate is so smooth and is very versatile as it does it so smoothly on various resolutions. Terrain textures and character models are some of the most beautiful graphics we have ever seen on a PC, weapons and explosions also look astounding. However, all this calls on for a powerful system. If you want to maximise the graphics potential of UT2003, you'd better have a GeForce 3 or Radeon or something newer - otherwise, think again.

Sound - 8/10
Techno music has been implemented into the in game background and it naturally fits into the environment. Sounds of gunfire and explosions are okay and need to be worked on a little. The announcer in the game also provides the ''competition'' feel in the game, which is why its called Unreal Tournament. You guys need not worry - the developers have done a good job with the sound department.

Gameplay - 8/10
I could not give this a higher rating because of the lack of variety between weapons. It is frustrating to find the a range of weapons which have not made a significant improvement since the original Unreal Tournament. Old favourites like the Flak Cannon and a new and tweaked Rocket Launcher are back, the old irritating Sniper Rifle has now been replaced with a Lightning Gun (which gives away the position of the sniper) while some others have been ditched. Shooting has also now become more challenging due to the fast-paced gameplay.

Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) - 7/10
The AI in this game has been made more intelligent, and team mates will actually tend to follow you closely like they really should. Enemy bots still tend to react slowly, but you wouldn't be playing offline too much with such a great multiplayer option provided.

Multiplayer - 9/10
This calls for a broadband connection if you want to enjoy this fast game. Link up online or via LAN and you'll be at this game for hours and hours.

Overall - 8/10
This game would have had a higher score had it not been for the lack of weapons variety. Overall, its still a breathtaking FPS experience and every FPS fan would want to try it out sooner or later.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 12/10/02, Updated 12/10/02