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Unreal Tournament 2004 PC Atari  With a ridiculous amount of hype over lots of games, and sequel after sequel being produced, with every game pushing the limits of a PC so you have to upgrade, is it any wonder that those of us who have been gamers for years are getting a little sick of it all? Just when I thought PC gaming was over for anything other than MMORPGS (or, for the uninitiated, Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games), along comes 'Unreal Tournament 2004.' 'UT2004' continues the franchise brilliantly, by adding more modes of play for both online and off line players to an already solid base of excellent gameplay and graphics. One of the great things about 'UT2004' is that my machine - which just meets the minimum requirements - can still run it at a level where it's still quite fun to play. So ok, I can't have dynamic shadows, weapon scarring on walls, or great draw distances, but while it does look very impressive on a high-end machine, it also looks great on a low end. Not that the scenery is of much benefit, since the game's action is so fast and furious there's no time to stop and smell the roses. Whilst the loading times are quite long, and there's no progress bar (a serious oversight) the action is incredibly quick. As soon as you're in any of the game modes, you have to think and act swiftly. Playing the single player mode takes you through a league, where you can hire players and battle other teams for their best players. In this league, you start as a nobody and fight against other nobodies in your basic deathmatch. If you are good enough, you pick a team and play against them. Proving your worth as a leader, you go into the team deathmatch games, and then on to capture the flag. These are pretty standard fare and are well known and loved, by the majority of players of first person shooters. Bombing run is next, which is a ball sport: you grab a ball and have to put it in a hoop. Unfortunately you can't fight with the ball, so it becomes a balance between passing and killing. The last type of match is Assault, where you have a number of objectives to achieve, and then the role is reversed. These are exceedingly hectic, and feature the ability to use vehicles which adds a 'Halo'-esque feel to the game, which is by no means a bad thing. The single player team AI is rather good and you can order players to attack, defend, or roam, and they generally do all the good things they need to do, although sometimes they can get more focused on killing than the objectives, which makes it harder to defend at times. But of course 'UT2004' is not really for single player, and the host of multiplayer options and game types available are sure to keep you amused for hours. The addition of vehicles makes for super fun online, and whilst they are a bit sluggish, especially compared to 'BF1942' or 'Halo,' they're great for getting around quickly, and there's a certain satisfaction in running over someone heading for the last objective. Add to this the incredibly fun and interesting twists to the games and maps made by the strong UT community and you've got a great sequel with plenty of re-playability and more longevity than that of its predecessor and peers.  |
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