Unreal Tournament

"This game taught me what "gibbing" really is."

In a decade of First Person Shooters, many games of the genre have been released. The series started with Wolfenstein 3D, a game where you play as an escaped prisoner in a German prison, when Hitler ruled the world. Gameplay was limited, but innovative at the time. Then came Doom, a more interactive FPS, in which you are a soldier from Earth trying to eliminate an alien species. Quake was the third of it's kind, which featured unrivaled gameplay.

About 4 years have passed since the initial release of Quake. Quake II soon followed, and completely revised the game, with unseen graphics and gameplay. Then, a game called Unreal came along. Epic, being a newcomer in the FPS world, was complimented on end for releasing such a great game. It featured many things that games like Quake did not, such as marvelous multiplayer games and improved graphics.

There are now less than 30 days before the millenium. Enter: Unreal Tournament.

There isn't much I can say about this game that you haven't already heard. If I had to sum up UT in one word, I'd be at a loss for words. Maybe "breath-taking" does the job.

Presentation: 10
Epic comes through once more with an awesome layout and GUI interface. Whether you are new to First Person Shooters (FPS), or an FPS veteran, you'll have no trouble configuring the game to your taste and playing.

Graphics: 10
The graphics in UT are amazing. The 32 maps that come with the game are all execellent. Each and every one of them are hand-crafted by people who know what they are doing; making great maps for the masses who love FPS. UT features an entirely new graphics engine, and runs great on even the slowest gaming PC. Character models are amazingly detailed and reactive; right down to the face.

Sound: 10
Another hard-hitting category of the game. UT is the first FPS to feature in-game music. Expect music that ranges from techno to trance to help indulge you into an already superior game. Besides the music, the sound effects are also flawless. All of the weapons have their individual sounds, and even your opponents react with a crude comment every once in a while.

Gameplay: 10
THIS is where UT really leaves its mark. UT excels in the one area where most FPS screw up: a great storyline. When was the last time you found yourself really having fun playing a single player game of an FPS? The answer is "now". The story revolving around UT is as follows. The game is based thousands of years ahead of our time, in which inhabitants of our world have become bored with traditional forms of entertainment. This is where the Unreal Tournament begins. Competitors range from soldiers to prisoners to warlords. Each competes in order to become a tournament champion - a task that is much easier to type than is to accomplish. 32 levels plus 6 modes of gameplay will keep you playing for decades to come.

Overall: 10
This game is beyond flawless. If you have played the demo and liked it even the least bit, you will be dropjawwed by UT. There's really nothing more I can say to convince you that this is the best FPS I have ever seen. So I will leave you with a parting statement; GO GET THIS GAME. Now.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 12/10/99, Updated 12/10/99