UNREAL TOURNAMENT Review I - Part 1

As a learned philosopher once said, “I frag, therefore I am.” This pearl of wisdom is as true today as it was in ancient Greece. Unreal Tournament has several game modes. Deathmatch is a straightforward race to reach a set number of frags, Team Deathmatch is the same idea but the players are split into two to four teams, Capture the Flag is a competition to capture the enemy team’s flag whilst defending your own base and flag, and in Domination your team protects a number of bases in the level and the more bases that are your team colour, the faster you reach the target score.

In the one-player game, you work your way through a series of Deathmatch, Capture the Flag and Domination levels. The levels get progressively harder, due to the increasing skill of the bots (computer players). Multi-player mode offers split screen slaughter for 2-4 players with the option of adding bots to the game as well. So that’s the game, but what about the weapons? This is what sets Unreal Tournament ahead of the rest. There are no less than 12 different weapons; chainsaw, impact hammer, handgun, bio-sludge cannon, shock rifle, plasma rifle, the ripper, machine guns, flak cannon, rocket launcher, sniper rifle and the Redeemer, an enormous cannon that fires a short-range nuclear missile that you can guide around the level yourself!

When you fire it, the view changes to the missile’s perspective and you can steer it towards your target. Ah yes, there is nothing more satisfying than homing in on your opponent and seeing their face as the missile hits it and then explodes! Well, of course zooming in on someone and getting a Head Shot is also very satisfying, because their head goes flying off as you watch their body slump to the floor. And now that you mention it, firing a volley of rockets and watching someone explode in a shower of fleshy chunks and blood that splatters the floor and walls nearby also puts a big grin on your face!!

UNREAL TOURNAMENT Review III

I don't know about you but I certaintly do not want to live in the future if Unreal Tournament is anything to go by. Gone are the days of playing sports like football and rugby, people now have decided to get a hell of a lot more extreme and have the urge to throw you into arenas with huge guns, explosives and madmen. All in the name of entertainment. Set in the year 2341 you play a gladiator in search of becoming the Unreal Tournament champion, which entails you progressing through the various ladders untill you become the best of the best.

No self respecting first person shooter would be complete without its very own butt kicking weaponary, and Unreal Tournament has lots of them, and big ones they are too! From the rather weedy enforcer to the bulky rocket launcher each weapon has its own special use for a certain situation. The Impact hammer is what you need for those up and personal momments but the sniper rifle is the one for taking enimies out from a safe distance. Add to this the fact that each weapon also has two seperate firing meathods, giving the feeling that there is a degree of strategy to the gun fights rather than just mindless shooting.

The graphics in this DC version are worthy of a menton aswell, running slick and smooth in the most hectic battles. Altough the gameplay is pretty satnderd for this type of game, jump, dodge, shoot or be shot. The difference is you will not believe how much fun this is...for a while. During the first few hours no-one will be able to draw you away from the intense, bloody action. Sadly after a while the fights begin to become just that little bit boring and you will be disapointed. And what's more there is no online option like we were promiced. Bad news for some but generally most gamers don't bother with playing online so this isn't as big a downer for the majority of you.

Like the PC and PS2 versions the quality is here. The great levels, the graphics, the thumping music and the frantic fun that goes with it all. Even though there is over sixty levels and four game modes it just isn't enough to hold your attention for long enough. You will return to for the four player option and for a quick blast now and again. For me however, this game only real negative aspect is its length. Instead of it being a very good game, DC Unreal Tournament could easily have been great.