Unreal Tournament III

The game excels at everything from simple deathmatching to complex objective-driven campaigns. [Dec 2007, p.154]

The high system requirements might turn some people off, but something has to power the jaw-dropping graphics and highly detailed environments. The new version of Unreal Tournament has a few things that long time players will need to get used to, but the one thing that hasn't changed is incredibly fast-paced and addictive action.

If you've been playing the series all along, expect the same sort of thing only with a sparkling graphical luster. If you've never played this game before, do so immediately. It's still one of the best shooters on the market, even if it seems to be bumping against the boundaries of its potential.

So here's the real question: Does UT3 live up to high bar set by its prestigious predecessors? On a gameplay level, absolutely but on a visual level, it doesn't leave as lasting an impression. If you were a fan of the previous games, particularly the first Unreal Tournament, then UT3 is a definite must-buy.

Its single-player campaign may be weak and forgettable, but its true genius lies in the untouchable quality of its firefights, its splendiferous visuals, diverse level design, massive attention to detail and downright awesome vehicles and weapons. [Jan 2008, p.60]

No character classes, no terrorists, no Second World-War, no AK-47 and no rewards. Do we want to play that? Oh yes! Once you launch the game and join a match, you simply can't stop playing.

Super-fast fun. New engine makes the shooting look absolutely amazing and some balance fine-tuning fix the few things that didn't work in the 2004 version. The new hoverboard especially is a great addition; with it you can zip back to the action in seconds and there is no boring downtime anymore. [Dec 2007]

The quality design will give this the staying power it needs, as long as the community is there to support it.

Ultimately it’s shiny, it’s new and it’s a majorly streamlined edition of a much-played online game. The esoteric game modes are gone and there are considerably less maps, but those that there are are generally of the highest standard.

This is UT3's contribution to the formula: spectacle, drama, mad heroics. Hurling yourself on the enemy Orb like it's a live grenade, dodging bullets on the hoverboard as you escape with the flag, bailing from an explosive bike aimed at the enemy's star player, and yeah, hanging from a flying metal octopus. That's why it's essential, even in spite of the AI shortcomings.

If you have no friends and no broadband connection then UT III will be a snore. When twitching out against opponents around the globe it can be as addictive, and deep, as video games come.

This game is pure, unadulterated, ultra-violent fun, and should perhaps be compulsory for anyone who needs a bit of stress relief in their life, or have an urge to shoot aliens for no other reason than because they can.

From the sheer number of maps to the entertaining gameplay modes and overall presentation, Unreal Tournament 3 is a winner.

UT3 is visually stunning and the action is non-stop. It's hard to find much to seriously complain about once you drop in and start annihilating opponents in the huge number of high-quality maps with awesome vehicles and a variety of decent play modes. Epic doesn't reinvent the wheel here, but it does give players a fresh update on a classic old-school design that will keep you fragging long into the night.

Expect no surprises, but do expect a polished multiplayer shooter and the perfect basis for some memorable matches. [Jan 2008, p.62]

It may be a little too hardcore for some people, but you won't find a better online shooter. [Jan 2007, p.66]

A fine shooter with multitude of game modes and maps, just not quite as polished as "Team Fortress 2."

Unreal Tournament 3 doesn't make huge changes to the formula, but still ends up feeling fresh, fast, and very fun.

The gameplay isn’t perfect, as the bits of story elements aren’t terribly well-developed and the bot AI in the single player campaign is spotty, but the game still does a fine job of being a compelling and frantic online shooter.

If you like to play online against other players, but without the hassle of learning team tactics, then Unreal Tournament III is one of your safest bets.

Those of you still playing UT2K4 won't find many core gameplay changes in UT3; the advancces here are primarily aesthetic. [Feb 2008, p.66]

It may not be as revolutionary as some may have hoped, but UT3 continues to deliver that little extra something with which FPS aficionados can test their reflexes.

If you’re a fan of the Unreal series and have a computer that can run it, there’s really no reason for you not to own this game.

Vanilla Deathmatch, kick-ass graphics, and Warfare just aren’t going to cut it, even if it comes from the people who brought you "Gears of War."

Drop into servers, start killing people, it's so natural to habitual gamers these days that it's hard to quantify how familiar and welcome these experiences are. With the sheer range of death-mongering that UT3 provides, it's hard not to get into the spirit of things. So yeah, Unreal Tournament pretty much remains The Daddy: consistent, meaty, and just weird enough to survive.

If you're a longtime Unreal Tournament, fan, you'll find plenty to like in UT3 -- just keep in mind it's not the instant classic its predecessor was. With any luck, that will be remedied with the next UT release -- hopefully we won't have to wait another three years for it.

UT3 really is a stunning-looking game that's only really surpassed in terms of visuals by recent PC-killer Crysis.

Messing around with UT3 made me realize that I kind of miss this deliberate throwback to super-fast multiplayer.

With little additions to the franchise, a decent but not mammoth amount of maps, and some pretty standard gametypes saved by Warfare (that I’m not even so keen on) it’s only the extension to the Single Player Campaign that saves the score from being considered little more than an expansion pack.

UT3 is quick, fun, violent, and positively a blast to play, despite a couple minor shortcomings.

It may not be so much a stride than a baby step for the series, but Unreal Tournament III still manages to provide a solid return for pure hectic multiplayer entertainment.

Irrespective of talent, taste, spare time or even online connectivity, it has something for anyone with even a tingle in their trigger finger. [Jan 2008, p.78]

Epic’s latest beauty was designed for the online world and that’s where it belongs, so make sure you take it there – the likelihood is that you won’t regret it. [Jan 2008, p.120]

It's a fast-paced online deathmatch game with few bells and fewer whistles, featuring essentially the same weapon lineup it's had for ten years.

UT3 has all the elements of a solid, well-executed deathmatch multiplayer game, with a passable singleplayer campaign and some vehicle modes bolted on. [Jan 2008, p.41]

The game's A-ticket attractions are the massive, ornate battlegrounds where opponents compete in objective-based clashes. Gorgeous alien landscapes play host to massive turf battles between factions vying for power nodes. These mêlées come stocked with a mind-boggling variety of weapons and vehicles, greatly reducing the rinse, lather, repeat burnout that comes in online shooters with less to do and smaller places to do it.

When I first began my review of UT3, I was very excited by all of it: the new graphics, the little changes that they had made to Onslaught, the inclusion of the personal hoverboard. The more I’ve played it however the more like UT2k4 it plays, and I’m left wondering what we were waiting over three and a half years for.

It's still a good game -- lovely, and a little tired. But these days, even a favorite old dog like UT needs to learn more than a few new tricks.

It's still worth buying UT3, for those who enjoy modding and hacking. For everyone else: there have been far better PC games this season.