Gameplay in this latest iteration of Unreal Tournament feels a bit scaled down from previous versions. Only 6 gameplay modes made it into the final cut, perhaps taking its queue from Gears of War which also only has six game modes. Unfortunately, these modes don’t have any of Gear’s diversity or tactical intrigue. All-time classic’s Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch have returned, along with one-on-one Duel and Capture the Flag (And a spin-off mode: Vehicle Capture the Flag). The final mode is new to the series, and is called “Warfare”, which is an amalgamation of the old Onslaught and Assault modes. Whilst you could argue that there is something for everyone here, in reality players are most likely to switch between Capture the Flag and Team Deathmatch, with maybe a foray into Dual or Normal Deathmatch if they’re bored. With games like Call of Duty, Halo, and even Gears still dominating the online charts, such limited modes kind of stifle the online play. The fact that they’ve listed ‘Vehicle Capture the Flag’ as its own mode also smacks of laziness.
 |
 |
|
| The Necris, a recurring enemy in Unreal games... | Some maps let you use air vehicles. Missiles, anyone? |
Still, what it lacks in game modes, it tries to make up for in other areas. Bar the melee-orientated weapons, most of you favourite death-tools appear in this game, and there is enough variety to keep things interesting. I still question the inclusion of a sniper rifle, because in general, everyone is running around too fast for you to get a decent shot off. Vehicles feature predominantly in this game as well, with two unique sets available to teams, depending on which ‘side’ you’re on. These range from a small hovercraft to Warhammer 40k style tanks, and are quite satisfying to use. There’s also a healthy variety of maps, especially for the 360 version. Unfortunately, a lot of these maps are geared for certain gameplay modes, so you may not see all of them that often. Some are quite small as well, and even though it can be amusing to stick two teams in what is basically a small corridor with nothing but rocket launchers, it does wear thin after a while.
The Single-player mode, like a lot of FPS single player modes these days, really only exists for practice in online play. The story is detailed, and you can tell the developers have tried to make it as serious as they can, but the entire nature of the Unreal games themselves don’t really suit the type of storyline that they try and go with. The other drawback to the single player mode again stems from the like of game types. Apart from at the very beginning, where you get you get to try a dual match, the rest of the campaign is generally split between team Deathmatch, and the two Capture the Flag modes. This can lead to a sense of repetition that is only staved off by the variety of maps, but even then, you start to see some of the same environments when you get to the later stages of the campaign. The difficulty on normal is nothing special either. You’ll probably find yourself cruising through the first few levels, and will only meet stiff resistance towards the end of the game. Insane difficulty is where the real challenge lies, and it is at this level that the series really lives up to it’s name.
 |
 |
|
| The graphics have really been upped for this latest game. Clean and crisp to the last. | At times, the vehicle action in this game can actually be rather epic... |
Multi-player offers a bit more diversity, as you get access to all of the gameplay modes and can chop and change at will. The gameplay is naturally as hectic and frag-filled as you would expect from an Unreal game, and in a way that seems to have spoilt things slightly.
In an age where multi-player shooters have evolved into more tactical affairs, where there is more focus on team-work as opposed to kills, it’s maybe not as far-fetched for some to find this more ‘old school’ style of game play a but dated. Even in Team Deathmatch, it’s pretty much “frag as many people as you can, and try not to kill your team mates whilst you’re at it”. Still, that’s not to say this kind of gameplay isn’t enjoyable – it is, but for a series that was spawned solely so that the creators could compete with Quake, you’d think they’d try something different, just like Quake did with their latest game. Even Gears’ heavy-paced online action still retains that tactical element.
Still, the competition is there, and if there’s anything we as Human Beings like doing, it’s competing. Fully integrated leader boards let you keep track of your stats, and there’s the option in participating in either ranked or friendly games.
Graphically, Unreal 3 is slick. It has all of the graphically brilliance that Gears had, although it’s tone and mood is considerably lighter. Obviously it’s hard not to draw a comparison between certain characters and Marcus Fenix and his crew, but you could argue that Unreal did it first.
 |
 |
|
| Most of your favorite guns return in this game. Can you become the new frag-master? | It's like War of the Worlds all over again... |
Probably one of the driving features behind this game is the new ‘Warfare’ mode. As mentioned before, it’s replaced some of the more classic assault modes, which is unfortunate because it probably would have been better to have those two then this one. Warfare introduces the only tactical elements that this game possesses, requiring you to capture nodes in order to form a chain directly to the enemy ‘core’. Once formed, it renders that core vulnerable to attack, and a team wins by destroying their opponent’s core. This can create some interesting and frantic skirmishes around the map, and with the included vehicles, this is probably the most Enjoyable mode in the entire game. The only let down as far as I can see is the lack-lustre ending where, even though the core explodes quite violently, the surrounding base remains miraculously unharmed.
UNREAL TOURNAMENT III VERDICT
Final Verdict: Unreal Tournament 3’s high-adrenaline gameplay should appeal to the ‘old school’ wing with a healthy dose of nostalgia, and also entice new players looking for a taste of something different. Despite limited game modes, it is never-the-less enjoyable to play. However, I can’t help but feel the genre is in general moving on from this style of gameplay, and favouring the more tactical or realistic shooters we enjoy today.
TOP GAME MOMENT
Seeing your opponents disintegrate into a number of miscellaneous body parts
