-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Game Title: Unreal Tournament
Platform: PlayStation 2
Developer: Epic Games, Digital Extremes
Publisher: Infogrames
Genre: First Person Shooter
Age Rating: ELSPA: 15+, ESRB: M for Mature
Release Date: 26th October 2000 (US), 20th April 2001 (UK)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Game Score: 7.7/10
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Summery:
It's missing some maps and some graphics quality but however Unreal Tournament can just be as enjoyable on the PS2.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Unreal Tournament was one of those competitive online tournament games where people played for countless hours online and also at gaming tournaments across the globe on PCs. It had enjoyable weapons, outstanding map design, plenty of gamemodes and loads of different mods to increase the fun. Surprisingly the game becomes ported onto the PlayStation 2 much like the Dramcast as one of the systems early releases although missing some of the game maps from the PC original and Game of the Year releases.
Unreal Tournament is a Multiplayer based First Peron Shooter where every player is out to destroy each other with various weaponry that is scatted around the map. There are game modes consisting of Death Match, Domination, Capture the Flag and Assault. Death Match is a fast paced free for all game mode where everyone is out to destroy each other, Domination is a team based game where players on two different teams take control of three control areas on the map, Capture the Flag has the two teams trying to steal each others flag and take it back to their base and lastly Assault has one team as the attackers while the other team must defend their base from the attacks. Each of these game modes have their set number of maps that you can play, either on your own or with friends locally. Since there is no online compatibility available as the PS2 didn't get an Online Adaptor until 2003 you have either the Single Player mode, a Practice Mode where you try out any level as you please against computer bots or 4 player split screen Multiplayer with PS2 Multitap Support. There are about over 50 different maps that you can play, many of these are unlocked by playing through the tournament mode, however many of the maps from the PC version are absent so some fans will be disappointed that some favourites didn't make it. The PS2 version instead has some exclusive maps that do look interesting to make up for it.
The Single Player mode has a tournament ladder consisting of 5 modes, 4 of which are the main modes as already explained and beating them will unlock the challenge ladder where you compete against the champions one at a time. Completing some of the matches unlock other ladders and new arenas and characters to play as which still adds enough value to keep playing. You can also play the Multiplayer and Practice Sessions with Mutators which can change the way the game plays, again some of these were removed from the PC version but there is still ones like enhanced Shock Rifles that kill any player with one shot with unlimited ammunition, slow motion and fast speed to removing powerups and the Redeemer from gameplay.
Each arena in Unreal Tournament has different weapons and powerups that are scattered around that are used to destroy your enemies, you will also encounter small secret areas and some super power ups that you cannot reach unless you try any special tricks that can help you reach it. There are about 10 different weapons in the game that you can pickup and use like the starting Melee weapon that is the Impact Hammer, your starting side arm that is the Enforcer, Shock Rifles, GEO Bio Rifle, Flak Cannon, Rocket Launcher and lastly the Redeemer which are all powerful weapons that have two firing modes. It is always best to chose the right weapon and firing mode during combat so that you can survive against other competitors, you have powerups like health, ammo and armour pickups like armour plates, knee pads and a shield belt that you can protect yourself with. You can also find special power ups like the Keg O Health which gives you a 100 health boost and the Damage Amplifier which does twice normal damage for 30 seconds which becomes very useful against very armoured enemies. The environments in the game are large and very well designed in terms of item placements and hazards that you must avoid. Killing an enemy will earn you a point that is called a Frag but be careful because killing yourself, falling of the map or dying in larva or acid accidentally will cause you to lose a Frag. The player who gets the most Frags in Death Match is the winner, these are the basic rules of Unreal Tournament and the Death Match mode and it is one of the basic game modes that many players will get introduced too when starting the game for the first time.
Domination is a team based game where you work together with your teammates to gain control of three control points on the map and defend them from the opposing team in order to get enough points to win the game. Other team players can easily change the control point to their side by easily touching it so other players will always end up fighting over each point on the map till they eliminate the player that is after it. Introduced to Domination is the Translocator which allows you to fire a module where you teleport to, it's handy cause it helps you to get to high areas much easier. You can also use it to kill another player by firing a module their way and using the secondary fire to teleport to them when they are very close to it which is really cool. It's an enjoyable mode where the teams are all out to gain control which leads to some very chaotic battles.
Capture the Flag has a flag on each base and the goal is too capture the enemy's flag while defending your own. There are many routes that can be taken to get to the flag which will lead to many different ambush strategies, you can make your bots defend your base while you go solo to get the flag or have them grab the enemy's flag while you protect one of your allies that is holding the flag. You can use the Translocator in this mode but however while holding the flag translocating will cause you to drop the flag. This prevents the player from cheating the game by instantly teleporting all over the map while he/she is carrying the flag.
Lastly there is Assault where one team is trying to take over the base while the other team does their best to defend the base from the attackers. The Impact Hammer is replaced with a Chainsaw which is nice and also each map has multiple chains and switches that need to be activated before reaching the final objective to end the game. If the attacker team wins they will then play the role of defender and protect their base within the time limit that it took them to take over the base. If the enemy attacking team manages to take over the base in that time limit then you lose the match. Assault maps consist of taking over a Frigate Ship, a Train Ride and a Castle and these are some of the more enjoyable maps in the game.
After beating four ladders then you get to take on the challenge ladders where you face off against the four champions one at a time on their own arena. They are some of the most difficult bosses that you will face in the entire game but beating them will ensure that you gain the trophy worthy of the title of champion. A.I in Unreal Tournament is great introducing new players to the gameplay but however racking up when players pick the Harder settings and get further into the game. When it gets harder the A.I will be able to strafe around quickly and jump all over you which will force you to do the same to avoid enemy attacks whenever possible, these can make many of the challenges just as tough and unpredictable as to playing with the actual players.
Unreal Tournament controls very well, you can play with the Dual Shock 2 controller which has aim assist which is very helpful but this game is compatible with the USB Keyboard and Mouse which helps simulate the PC experience. You can customize the Keyboard controls to how you like but Mouse and Controller options are only have different schemes. Worth mentioning is that you can only do the character taunts on the Keyboard and cannot give commands to a single ally unless you find one of your team members on sight to give orders too but it is not a big issue to take with an already great game that Unreal Tournament thanks to the excellent game modes and shear destructive weaponry.
Unreal Tournament on the PS2 dispute being a bit downgraded in quality has good character models and some of the environments like grassy fields and bunker arenas don't look too bad while some environmental textures can look very pixelated and poor quality. The game does suffer from very bad frame rate drops when there is plenty of action going on and that can sometimes lead to a death when too much is happening and you sometimes can't see what is happening until too late. The music is excellent with rock metal tunes and other compositions that are worth listening too and the announcers voice is outstanding when you hear him say lines like “KILLING SPREE!”, “M-M-M-M-M-MONSTER KILL!”, or “HEAD SHOT!” to let you know about how well you or your players are progressing through each map in the game.
Dispute missing a few maps and a downgrade from the graphics and framerate Unreal Tournament on the PlayStation 2 is every bit as enjoyable as the PC and Dreamcast releases. It is still fun with friends and the A.I bots will teach you never to let your guard down during tense moments and there is something very rewarding about the impact of the weapons and that announcer. If you have a USB Keyboard and Mouse and you are looking for a sweat game to play if you don't own a PC or Dreamcast then it is easy to recommend Unreal Tournament on the PlayStation 2 to all fans of the genre.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Good Points:
---------------------
1. Plenty of excellent weapons to use like the Flak Cannon, Rocket Launcher and many others
2. Gamemodes like Deathmatch, Domination, Capture the Flag and Assault
3. Keyboard and Mouse compatibility to simulate the PC experience
4. Excellent soundtrack
5. Still as satisfying and enjoyable to play with bots and friends locally
The Bad Points:
---------------------
1. Lack of a few maps and no online play (Which is understandable for the time period of the game's release on the PS2)
2. Graphical frame rate drops and reduced quality
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reviewed by: Anthony Hayball (AQWBlaZer91)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------