Ten years after its release - still as awesome as it was.
What made this game so great you ask?
Firstly, the graphics which where superb by the period this game came out, and the visual and level design was utterly baffling. To say that the environments were inspirational would be an understatement. Even by today's standards you will be awe struck by the level design and the uniqueness of character models available.
Secondly, every aspect of the game can be modded. You can share and download levels, character models, modes, weapons, even change how your menu screen looks like. Modding communities have made fantastic levels and skins for characters, and there is so many of them that you will never get bored.
Thirdly and most importantly - Game play. Unreal Tournament features the fastest, most brutally fun fps gaming I have ever played.
There are 9 guns that can be used to blast enemies to pieces, from melee weapons to duel wield pistols, guns that shoot spinning blades, grenade launchers, rocket launchers, miniguns, laser weapons etc. There is an infinite possibility of weapons, as long as you can download the right mods. The game can also run with special rule sets. For example, a server can be made with double damage power ups or limited to special weapons only, like my personal favorite - the sniper mode.
Game maps can range from a very small areas, to sprawling cities that would make New York look like a kid's sandbox.
The single player will let you play any map with as many AI players as you want, and its amazing how smart they are if you set the difficulty to the right level. If you want you can play the campaign that will let you fight your way up a tournament till you reach the top in a series of game play modes. Those are: Capture the flag, Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Zone control, and Assault (pardon me if I forgot any). I'm pretty sure there is an editor that lets you create your own levels and character models that comes with the game.
Unreal Tournament is your simple yet effective Fps that does about everything right. It hangs around the rough side of gaming, where complex and sophisticated Fps don't venture for fear of getting their asses kicked. There is no cover system, no time slowing mechanics, no regenerating health, no quick time events, no support characters, no plot, just pure genocidal fun that many game developers think is somehow beneath them.