Ushering in the next level of multiplayer competitive games, Unreal Tournament was a landmark game in many ways. It featured multiple game types, a wide variety of maps and weapons, and highly addictive gameplay, which rewarded the skilled and yet offered playability for the newbies as well. It was UT and Quake III Arena which took multiplayer deathmatches to the next level (after Quake II). Here is a detailed breakdown of what the game offered:

Game Types: UT features multiple game types including popular ones like Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch and Capture the Flag. The area where it innovated was the Assault game type. In Assault, one team defends some particular scenario while the other attacks. After the round is over, the roles are reversed. The most attractive part was that the scenarios were very varied, like infiltrating a fortress or blowing up a fast moving train or escaping a prison complex.

Weapons: One thing that a veteran in UT would tell you is that all weapons are equally important. Though the newbies are likely to stick to the Rocket Launcher or the Sniper Rifle, with time they realize that each weapon is handy given the right situation. All the weapons are properly balanced and in the hands of a skilled player, each is equally deadly. This is one of the areas that Quake III Arena lost out to UT in the grand Quake vs Unreal contest that takes place on every gaming forum.

Maps: This is an area where UT towers over Quake III Arena. I mean you have maps set on a abandoned galley, a spaceship speeding through hyperspace, a speeding train, towering skyscrapers that rise many miles into the sky and other places. The generic type maps are there too and each of the packaged map is designed for maximum playability and not just eye candy. The maps flow well and are very playable.

Gameplay: Gameplay in UT is excellent. It’s the multiplayer aspect of UT’s gameplay that stands out and which matters. After all, it was built ground up as a multiplayer competitive game. The single player game is decent but doesn’t hold one’s interest for long. Though not as fluid as Quake III Arena’s, the gameplay in UT is equally engaging and emphasizes movement skills as much as weapon skills.

Extensibility: Finally, UT is moddable to a fault. The community has churned out more mods than anyone can ever need. These modifications to the original game keep it fresh even after you have gotten fed up of the original game (which itself keeps you engaged for quite a long loooong time). The more common of the mods feature either WW2 settings or the ever popular Terrorist vs Counter-terrorist themes.


Verdict:

Unreal Tournament is a gem of a game and belongs in the gaming hall of fame. It is a landmark game which did a lot of things right and continues to live in the hearts (and machines) of fans, years after it has been launched.

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