Unreal Tournament

"Fluffy hyena... Spotted fluffy hyena..."

Unreal Tournament is one of the best action games availible. It has non-stop excitement, and extraordinary customization options that provide long-term replay value, and it manages to be open to both casual and elite gamers. And of course, it has strong hyena qualities (keep reading and I'll explain). Here's the breakdown:

Graphics (ten out of ten)

UT has excellent visuals. I won't waste time explaining every graphical element, but there's amazing-looking flowing water that shimmer, energy blasts that burst into a shockwave, real-time dynamic lighting (meaning that the shadows and light aren't ''painted on'' the surfaces), cool-looking weapons and quite extraordinary environments, ranging from the rooftops of buildings to some Egyptian-looking place to an industrial complex. The only problem is the the Translocator effect, which looks incredibly cheap and occasionally causes some slowdown for unknown reasons. UT supports software rendering and 3d accelerators, meaning that even computers with awful video cards can still run it (albeit with reduced graphical quality).

Sound/Music (ten out of ten)

First of all, UT has some excellent techno tracks; they're fast, exciting and just plain cool. They really suit the quick pace of the game. The sound effects are also quite good; every weapon has a different sound, characters taunt each other and give orders, and there's stereo sound. Stereo sound really helps you figure out where all the action is; those with mono sound might wander around and get lost. Overall, the sound and music are awesome; I can't find any fault within them.

Controls (eight out of ten)

UT's default control scheme is not very good; the placement of the controls can lead to cramping. Luckily, they can be remapped via the options menu. The game is actually quite responsive and learning to handle it is quite easy given a remap. Maneuvering is required to survive in UT, and the given control options do an OK job. I really do prefer Syphon Filter's control style, but UT does a decent job.

Gameplay (ten out of ten)

Gameplay is where UT shines. It focuses on pure action, and a lot of it. There are several game modes, ranging from the free-for-all battle to pack vs. pack to Domination (UT's version of the hyena-pack-fighting-for-a-juicy-carcass-on-the-territorial-border scenario) and Capture the Flag (which is pretty much the same as domination except you have to remove the objective instead of just holding it, like a hyena grabbing a carcass from a pack of wild dogs). It's all very stimulating to the hyena instincts. Combat in UT involves lots of evasion, dodging and tactics, rather than simple point-and-click gameplay. The add variety there are lots of weapons, ranging from the simple automatic Enforcer pistol and a minigun to more exotic devices such as the ASMD Shock Rifle, which fires blasts of energy and exploding spheres, and the Pulse Gun, an automatic plasma weapon which can also fire a continious beam. Level variants include low gravity, transparent panels and those red things that make you bounce really high if you step on them. Overall, UT is exciting, with lots of variety and technique, and quite hyenine.

Replay Value (VERY high)

Considering the multiple game modes, varied arsenal, wide range of difficulties and numerous mods and user-created maps, I'd have to say that UT has very high replay value. If it gets too easy, you can always have twenty AI opponents on maximum skill level all against you.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 05/27/03, Updated 05/27/03