Unreal Tournament 3

Review by Coxster

One of the most respected companies in the world of gaming today is of course the bullet-proof development house, Epic Games. From their exceptional work on Gears of War to their cutting edge technology with the Unreal Engine 3, it's no wonder that Epic stand shoulder to shoulder with other first rate studios like Bungie and Id. Unreal Tournament 3, released on both the PC and the PlayStation 3 console, continue that high standard we have come to expect and as a result of their hard work, have also happened to deliver their best first person multiplayer game to date. Sadly there is a laughable single player campaign amongst this chaotic and impressive package, but if you are expecting a single player game in a Tournament title then maybe you haven't had much experience with this series before.

Make no mistake; this isn't something that will offer you a deep narrative like Bioshock, what it does offer is some of the best adrenalin pumping, fast-paced, balls to the wall action that you'll find in any release on the market today. So we fired up our Playstation 3, popped in the disc and prepared ourselves for another adventure back into the Unreal universe, a universe so rewarding with satisfaction that it's almost impossible to voluntarily leave. Read on my fellow gamers!

The Unreal Tournament series first fired its way onto the scene back in 1999 and was an instant success with the hard core PC gamer. On the back of that success, many sequels and tie-ins were also released, each one toppling the advancements of its previous relatives. Even though Epic weren't the first to create a death match mode, they re-invented the wheel enough to make it the one that people remembered. They structured maps in ways that other developers had only dreamed of and created a universe that dripped with a cyberpunk mythos that many aficionados adored. Their weapon design was a breath of fresh air and clouted the effectiveness needed to make sure that their brutal weapon template never decayed. The fact that they shared many similarities with other shooters of the time is clearly evident; it's the way that Epic improved upon them that made them the gaming royalty as we know them today.

Unreal Tournament 3 is the evolution of that plan and it doesn't disappoint. I love my Playstation 3 but to be brutally honest, the selection of AAA titles of late has been taking a backseat against Microsoft and Nintendo's best efforts. Hopefully Epic's choice to release on the Playstation 3 first will be a sign of things to come for Sony's console, as I'm sure that running in third place is unacceptable to their business model.

Regardless of this observation, Unreal Tournament 3 is the perfect platform to really show off what the Playstation 3 is capable of. Admittedly you are going to need a decent broadband connection to play UT3 to its full potential and if multiplayer first person shooters aren't your thing then read no further. However if you are looking for the best that this genre has to offer, than this game is definitely it. From a technical standpoint, UT3 passes with flying colours. It possesses an unwavering framerate regardless of what is happening on screen, it connects online and is able to find games easily, making the chore of looking for a good match as user friendly as possible, the graphics and art direction are all high value and will not disappoint those that love seeing the continued evolution of visuals these new power houses are capable of.

As previously stated there is a single player game here, but it really is just a loose collection of cut-scenes trying to hold together a string of death matches against bots. It may seem like a blatant attempt at fooling the public into thinking there is deep single player game to be found here, but alas this isn't Gears of War and it does indeed reek of a cheap trick. The best way to look at the single player campaign is as practice for its online component. You'll face off against other bots that lack the unpredictable nature of real human opponents but at least it will familiarize you with the many maps and weapon sets on offer and will really help you dominate matches when its time for you to take this baby online.

To cut a long story short, the single player option presented here is virtually redundant in every respect, it's just fortunate that for an Unreal Tournament Game the player has come to expect this. However one can't help but wish that Epic would've put as much thought into the single player mode as the likes of Gears, still, if you are willing to overlook this, there is still much fun to have with what's on offer.

There are a whole slew of maps that specialize in everything, from corridor driven scenarios, perfect for deathmatches; to vast land based maps that are made to tailor to game modes such as vehicle capture the flag. There is much on offer to amuse you once you get cracking.

Capture the flag on the bigger maps with vehicles is definitely one of the highlights worth mentioning. Taking in the spectacle of watching giant steel machines go head to head with each other is very gratifying to say the least. Of note is the giant tripods similar to those envisioned in the recent War of the Worlds film and seeing them go against other weird and cleverly constructed weapons of mass destruction really goes a long way in providing some addictive entertainment.

Let's not forget some of the highlights from the vast weapon set as well. One need only speak of the redeemer to make a point of why UT3 is worth the price of entry. For those not in the know, the redeemer is a portable nuclear bomb which has no problem in taking care of business with one hell of an impressive bang. For those that prefer to lurk in the shadows and take care of advancing forces with a bit of skill, the sniper rifle will no doubt be your weapon of choice. Watching the over the top gore that a shot from the sniper rifle to the noggin produces will placate the most rabid lover of this sort of game, and I can guarantee that when it comes to these tastes UT3 will meet all your needs with flying colours.

Overall: If you can forgive a weak single player experience that feels more like an after thought than a fully fleshed out mode than the real reason on why you should purchase this will become apparent. This is by far the most robust online experience you will find on the Playstation 3 right now and is the perfect companion to a broadband connection and some late night sessions, quite simply, there is no other game on the PS3 right now that could possibly compete with this game. With so many maps, modes and ways on customising each one of them this game will keep you going for months. I can only highly recommend this game to those that are looking for an online experience they soon won't forget. Newcomers to the Unreal universe or those looking for a good single player game might be a little bit harder to convince as UT3 will require a hefty amount of your attention. The bottom line is quite simply, this is one of the best examples of the genre, I recommend that you step up and test the waters.

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