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First-person combat has never been bloodier or faster paced than in Unreal Tournament, a game that pits you against computer-generated bots or online opponents in a kill-or-be-killed free-for-all. With weapons upgraded from its predecessor, this game offers scores of options for play. Games range from the simple Deathmatch to team options such as Capture the Flag. As the player, you can go it on your own against the toughest the galaxy has to offer or direct a group of hard cases against a similarly well-armed foe. During play you can be fragged (killed) several times, respawning to take up the fight again--though without the rocket launcher or other guns you have carefully stockpiled. Unreal Tournament has some amazing features, most particularly the tournament maps, which are complex, varied and interesting. Initially a seemingly indecipherable maze loaded with weapons and health boosters, the geography of these spaces begins to make sense as you run from shootout to shootout. After getting fragged a couple of times, smart players will find themselves using
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these environments to their fullest advantage--ducking down narrow chutes, for example, to leap out on unsuspecting enemies is very satisfying. The playing fields offer hazards of their own, of course--the danger of falling into toxic slime or hard vacuum is always present. Another nice aspect of the game is that online play runs with very little lag, allowing an intense multiplayer experience. Don't be fooled by the word Tournament in the game title, though--Unreal Tournament has nothing to do with old-style chivalrous combat. Ambushing your enemies, ganging up on them and blasting them to bits from behind is all part of the milieu, and if that's not enough, you can taunt your victims as you blow them away. The bots in the solo player mode have a wide range of nasty, misogynist taunts, even if your character happens to be female. These can be shut off in the options menu, but with the language and the gore this game really lives up to its Mature rating. It may appeal less to women or players looking for sportsmanlike diversion. --Alyx Dellamonica
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