Overlooked and Underrated.
Unreal tournament games, in the past, have been wildly popular games, especially when looking at games such as Unreal Tournament 2004. These games have been referred to as "twitch shooters" as they are very fast paced, and the name 'Unreal' really does fit the theme of the game. The game is based on frantic, over-the-top game play that seemed to be enough to satisfy players in the old days, but just does not seem to satisfy the 'modern warfare' hungry players today. The weapons, like the sludge-spewing biorifle and laser-firing shock rifle, are unreal, the maps are unreal, and the gameplay is unreal. Stop playing those untra-realistic games and try something a bit more unreal!
While the game does have a singleplayer campaign, the Multiplayer online portion of the game is where the fun is at. Unreal Tournament 3 takes what made the old Unreal Tournament games of the series and does not really seem to change that formula. The game is still insanely addictive, fast paced, and filled with "WOW" moments. One example of a 'WOW' moment is the random occurance of snagging an air headshot with the sniper rifle while plummeting to the ground. It really is moments like this that seem to bring the UT community together and keep the franchise going. While the core gameplay has remained the same, there have been some minor tweaks that strengthen the gameplay (much like a patch). For example, the sniper rifle is the only long range weapon with a scope now, as the lightning gun has been removed. There are many different modes of play, most of which were in previous UT games. There is team and nonteam deathmatch, capture the flag, duel, and warefare. While captuer the flag and deathmatch are obvious, warefare is a mode in which players must control nodes on the map which, when controlled, open up the enemies base to attack. All of these modes are fun and exciting and can all be played against humans and with AI bots. These bots are also fun to play against, and are regarded by many people as being some of the best AI opponents in the industry.
The singleplayer in UT games has never been extremely impressive and it does not change that here. If you are looking for a great, detailed singleplayer story, you will not find it in UT games. The single player in Unreal Tournament 3 is composed of a collection of random bot matches, which are strung together by a weak, uninspired story. The story is based on a war between a bunch of mercanaries that want revenge for the destruction of their planet. This is a big, and mostly unwelcomed, change to the UT story as the stories in the past have been based on a huge, life-threatening tournament. Anyways, the singleplayer can be enjoyed alone, or online with others. When played with others, the lame story can be overlooked and there is some fun to be had.
All in all, Unreal Tournament 3 is a great game and really seems to refresh that faced-paced shooter subgenre. If you are ever in the mood to truly test your aiming skills while flying 20 feet in the air, UT3 is the game to pick up. Sometimes it is nice to take a break from all those army, realistic games and try something a little unreal. It takes everything from the older UT games and makes them better. Whether you play this one the PC, PS3, or XBOX 360, don't miss the next great UT game.
