Dating back to 1998, the Unreal series (the single-player campaign at least) began with the self-titled Unreal on the PC. Back then, Epic Games and Digital Extremes helped evolve the looks and AI of video games to the point it even surpassed what could be done in the id Tech 2 engine, the engine which ran Quake II. Now almost 10 years later, and eight games into the series, how does the Unreal series stack up against next-generation shooters?

Unreal Tournament 3 isn’t trying to re-invent the wheel or create fire out of thin air. What Epic Games attempted to provide for gamers was a feeling of home where they can settle in and get cozy without having to worry about epic changes in the gameplay. If you have ever played a game in the Unreal series, then you should come to expect the lightning-fast action that dares you, for one second, not to blink one single time for your safety of being protected from a death. What Unreal Tournament 3 does best is provide a graphical overhaul for the series, intriguing maps to play on, and exceptionally laid out gameplay modes. With experiencing so many military-based first-person shooters, players should be overwhelmingly excited to play UT3 for its laser-charged, hyper-active gameplay.

Beginning with the most insignificant portion of UT3, the single-player campaign is nothing to write home for the holidays about. Revolving around a dull storyline, players are pitted into a series of matches against bots where the only way to advance is to obtain victory over your adversaries. Instead of being a sport, the Unreal Tournament is now an all-out war. Leading the way to find Akasha, an evil Necris woman, you’ll take charge as Reaper, a man bent on revenge for the despicable deeds she has done to your colony. The campaign will last anywhere from six to eight hours, which is broken down into chapters for storyline purposes.

The campaign should be primarily used as a tutorial/training mode to study up on the maps and weapons. If you approach the single player as such, then you should be ready to go to battle through the multiplayer modes and compete with human opponents. Back to the single player though – players are able to join with up to three friends via online co-op to tackle the single-player missions. The problem here is that you are still facing A.I. bots. The real reason for bringing your friends into your single-player campaign is to crank up the difficulty level and try to annihilate the computer with ease. Just mark it up as practice and you shouldn’t find it too aggravating to play. But still, I highly doubt hardcore gamers will fully appreciate the single-player campaign when it’s so weak compared to the competition in the genre.

Now for the multiplayer - Unreal Tournament 3 comes packaged with six different multiplayer modes: Team deathmatch, deathmatch, duel, capture the flag, warfare, and vehicle capture the flag. The two deathmatches are your typical free-for-all battles that can be found in any shooter. Meanwhile, duel pits players in one-on-one action where the other players spectate and wait for their turn to face the winner. The two CTF matches are what players should have come to expect from the standard CTF matches from any other shooter. As for warfare, it’s similar to the onslaught mode of the past where players are asked to capture points on the map to gain vehicles, spawn points, and other perks. When players finally reach the enemy based, of course after successfully reaching and capturing the other points (otherwise known as nodes) on the map, they can take over the enemy base by linking up the nodes and destroy it for the win.

Returning to the series are many of the favorite weapons from the past including the bio rifle, flak cannon, rocket launcher, shock rifle, link gun, tarydium stinger and a few others. If you haven’t played an Unreal game in the past, then it should be noted that every gun comes equipped with a secondary fire mode to aide players in a bind. The Impact Hammer is able to even the odds up by knocking the power-ups out of enemies. Also, players will start out with a pistol and on top of that, there the redeemer has been brought back. The redeemer is a super weapon that comes in the form of a guided missile that is able to take down vehicles. Oddly enough, after playing through Unreal Tournament 2004 for comparison, the weapons haven’t been changed up enough to notice a wide enough difference between the two games.

The biggest change, and the one that affected me the most, was the removal of the adrenaline counter. I didn’t know prior to playing UT3 that Epic had removed it, so it came as a big surprise not to have it included in UT3. In the past, the adrenaline counter permitted players to build up the meter through the means of kills or picking up items on the map to gain access to abilities such as invisibility, but with it removed, it felt like a little part of my soul died. Actually, I am betting there’ll be many others that’ll be sad to find out there are no longer special rewards for player to take advantage of.

In terms of vehicles, they can be broken down by the two factions: the Axon vehicles and the Necris vehicles. Among the better Axon vehicles, personal favorites included the Paladin (a smaller support tank with an energy shield) and the Scorpion (an assault buggy that’s equipped with grenades). On the other side, for the Necris, the more favorable vehicles ended up being the Nemesis (a tank of sorts that is equipped with an energy turret) and the Nightshade (a vehicle with capabilities to cloak). Nonetheless, with the plethora of vehicles at hand, Epic Games provided enough spice for the gameplay that should excite fans of online games for some time to come.

Now for the graphics -- Unreal Tournament 3 uses the Unreal Engine 3. If gamers didn’t know this prior, then they for sure have been living under a rock for the last two years. The graphics, for the most part, make good use of the UE3 and the power of the PS3. From gorgeous character models to smooth animations, the graphics are among the best I have seen on the PlayStation 3 to date. The levels are highly detailed with crisp textures and so too are the character models to make up a beautiful game. As for the audio, it’s what I expected with energetic music and loud explosions to accompany it. For those who want that nostalgic Unreal experience, UE3 has the announcer returning calling the action as he sees it.

Gameplay: 8.5
While it has continually been improved, the gameplay hasn’t remarkably changed over the years. Long-time fans are essentially playing the same game rebuilt with a new graphics engine. But, do not fret – the gameplay is still whole-heartedly entertaining. For PS3 fans, the large-scale combat is particularly the most intriguing part to experience online.

Graphics: 9.6
Beautiful in both motion and at a standstill, the Unreal Engine 3 provides eye-popping graphics for Unreal Tournament 3. Not having played Uncharted yet, I’d have to say this is the best game, in terms of graphics, to be released on the PS3.

Sound: 9.1
The announcer that Epic Games has provided is great to add to the intensity of the battles.

Difficulty: Medium
While the default settings are easy for the single-player campaign, the higher settings tend to be insanely hard.

Concept: 8.7
The combat is insane, but it’s basically the same game that has continuously been improved since 1998. Though, I will give props where props are due and the style is among the most unique to be released this year.

Multiplayer: 9.7
This is hands-down the best multiplayer game on the PS3 due to the ability create maps, skins and mods for the PS3 version.

Overall: 8.8
With all that said, the main reason I am captivated by UT3 is because how much it differs from shooters currently on the next-generation consoles. Too many shooters are still stuck in World War II or trying to “advance” to modern combat, while not enough are cranking up the speed and providing thrilling action to boot. If you have enjoyed the previous installments, then I have no doubt that Unreal Tournament 3 will be a fine purchase this holiday season.