Unreal Tournament 3 Xbox 360 Review

Fast, Frantic and Fun.

Unreal Tournament III has finally come to the 360 about a half a year later than the PS3 and PC versions.

Was the wait worth it? It’s a double edged sword really. The game obtains a few new maps, at the cost of community modded maps the other carriers had. Even with this removed, the game still holds up quite nicely. With a variety of (Single/multiplayer) maps easily surpassing any other 360 game to date, UT3 definitely holds high replay potential regardless of modding or not.

Why is Marcus here?

Keep in mind that UT3 does hold a single player campaign mode, it isn’t a true blue “single-player” experience though. The game is strongly aimed towards the multiplayer aspect, which in my opinion is a good thing. Many can get together on a variety of maps and game types, ranging from Deathmatch , Team Death Match, Capture The Flag (and a vehicular variant of it), and a Warfare mode! The vehicles are a nice touch, featuring varieties for a range of purposes. The vehicles vary per team, adding greater battles, as teams must find alternative ways to defeat one another.

The balance overall is fair, as opposed to many other games where one weapon or object overpowers the user/ game and ruins the experience. Some games release updates/ patches as a remedy to this, but this game is in no need of any such cure. While some may note the rocket launcher as a site of reasonable complaint, it’s freakin explosive! In all reality though, it’s manageable upon getting over the relatively low learning curve, where one can then cope with these timid missiles.

Make that smile a little smaller please.

The only exploits in the learning curve is getting use to the speed. Many veterans of UT games should be fairly used to this. Specific guns are easier for some than others (like that wasn’t a given!), but the sniper is rather hard for new comers to use. Again due to the speed, some may get agitated, or for that matter not even drawn into the amazing experience this game offers. Give it some time, don’t miss out!

If you blow at this game, you can at least enjoy the graphics. Similar to an updated Gears of War visually, it comes as no surprise as they were both made by Epic and share the same engine (the Unreal Engine 3). Some people may note this as a Gears knock off. In all honesty though, besides aesthetics, the two titles contrast so strongly from one another, it is like comparing apples and oranges.

OMFG! RUNNNNNN

In conclusion, UT3 has a somewhat durable learning curve, variety of characters, maps, guns, vehicles, and a highly saturated multiplayer experience. No modding allowed, AI bot based somewhat weak single player, and no character customization deeper than choosing a skin. Top notch graphics, and some cool sounds make for great audio and visual stimulation. Strongly recommend renting this title, if one has not played a similarly fast First Person Shooter (FPS). If you have played and enjoyed fast paced FPS’s, welcome to the holy grail of them…do enjoy your stay! UT3 is a strong title in the ever growing mass populated shooter (specifically FPS) genre, so expect many people to play online for ages.