Unreal Tournament 2004 Demo

Multiplayer is all about having fun with your friends and people from all over the world, even though things can get quite tense at times. To achieve this, you need good gameplay mechanics, a large variety of maps and a few different modes to play around with, since deathmatch can get rather boring after a few sessions.

One series that manages to achieve all this is Unreal Tournament, including the 2004 version that is the subject of this review. Beside the already known fast-paced multiplayer wars featuring futuristic weapons and alien landscapes, this installment takes it one step further with one of the most anticipated gameplay additions: vehicles. Thus, you are now able to wage war from all angles and with little regard for the environment.

Among the included machinery, you can find anything from basic buggies to quickly carry you around on the battlefield, to armored tanks that can assault bases on their own. There are also the flying vehicles, which enable you to scour the map at incredible speeds and neutralize every threat without giving the enemy a chance to retaliate. In some cases, such as the jeep, more than one player can occupy the same vehicle at the same time, since both a driver and a turret operator are required.

To take advantage of the newly added vehicles, a new mode has been added, called Onslaught. In this mode, players must construct power nodes across the map, as well as defend them from being taken by the enemy, using every vehicle at their disposal to move around the enormous playable area. The game ends whenever one team manages to destroy the other team's base, or when the timer runs out.

As far as the graphic presentation, the game features a highly refined engine, with every aspect thoroughly improved from the previous version. A new soundtrack is available as well, as are new textures and models for the players and weapons. The new maps are as varied as the series accustomed you, ranging from desert environments, to outer space stations and alien worlds.

Unreal Tournament 2004 is comprised of every element that is needed in order to provide you with the complete multiplayer experience, including vehicles, large maps and the possibility for a lot of players to join in at the same time. The visual appearances give you plenty to admire while you fight for survival, thanks to the highly optimized Unreal 2 engine.