Unreal Tournament III (Xbox 360)

Unreal Tournament III for Xbox 360 is a victim of circumstance. It's a worthy shooter, but other than its speed, it does little to distinguish itself from the better shooters available for the system.
7/14/2008 7:12 PM | 1 Comments | Page 1 of 2

The good news: Unreal Tournament III for the Xbox 360 maintains the speed that the series is known for. The bad news: This version just doesn't handle as well when compared to PC and PlayStation 3 versions. It's still a good game -- just not great.

To emphasize quickness and quantity of kills, resource management is largely done for you in UT3. You'll rarely run out of ammo, and the game selects your most potent weapon automatically. As a result, you'll never feel ill-equipped in combat, even during the brief moments when you're stuck with the surprisingly accurate default pistol. As a bonus, weapon upgrades are plentiful and always within reach.

In addition to the bread-and-butter multiplayer mode, UT3 has two single-player options. The Campaign mode merely mimics the feel of multiplayer using intelligent, computer-controlled bots and blasé cut scenes. You might feel a minor sense of achievement completing the Campaign objectives, and Gamerscore whores will go ga-ga for the points, but in the end, this mode is just a simulated multiplayer experience that most will skip. Quick Match, another offline single-player mode, offers precisely the type of match its name describes.

There's also an online co-op mode, but it's just as forced and pointless as the Campaign mode. For the most part, you should stick with the five types of local or online multiplayer matches available: Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, Duels and a new team objective mode called Warfare. All five modes live up to the expectations attached to the Unreal name. I never had to wait more than a few moments before starting a lag-free Quick Match, a welcome change from other, slower multiplayer matching experiences.

Unreal Tournament III expands upon the vehicle line-up introduced in Unreal Tournament 2004, providing a slew of new detailed wheels, all of which look fantastic. While the vehicle balance pales in comparison to the Halo series, it's never that much of a hindrance. The new hoverboard is a convenient and welcome addition for rapid transit to nearby or distant skirmishes.

Compared to the PlayStation 3 version, the visuals on the Xbox 360 version seem a little washed out and ordinary. The graphics are technically high-definition, but that doesn't make them any less dull and boring. The voice work is also a bit forced, with the exception of the classic cries of "Headshot!" "Double kill!" and "Killing spree!" by the announcer. The meager sound effects are enhanced, though, by a soundtrack that's both fitting and catchy. The menu text is also ridiculously small, even on my 32-inch widescreen. Overall, however, the presentation never really gets in the way of gameplay.

The Xbox 360 analog sticks feel slightly less precise than those used to control the PS3 version of the game. While the Xbox 360 controller starts feeling more comfortable after 10 to 15 minutes of play, they still feels more twitchy than the PS3's Sixaxis controls. Xbox 360 owners also can't use the mouse and keyboard controls enjoyed by their PS3-playing brethren, putting them at a further disadvantage for such a fast game. That said, I did enjoy being able to jump with a quick click of the left analog stick, meaning I never had to move my thumbs off the sticks, as in many other games. All things considered, the controls in this version of UT3 create no major cause for concern.