5 Positives We Agree About Quake III: Arena and Unreal Tournament

By Chi Kong Lui & Dale Weir

1. Capture-the-Flag
Originally only available as a user created mod (modification) on previous Quake games, the Capture-the-Flag (CTF) game became so popular with fans, that it now comes standard issue on both Q3A and UT. We couldn’t be more pleased with that decision. Not only is it a great diversion from the often monotonous free-for-all of Deathmatching, but it is a wonderfully conceived game in itself. Requiring teamwork, defense, and a scoring objective to win, CTF has layers of dimension that make it a worthwhile edition to the overall packages of both games.

2. Innovative Level Design
In past first-person shooters (FPS) like Doom, multiplayer Deathmatches were played on maps designed for the single-player mode. Level designers at the time were far more concerned about delivering a solitaire experience and didn’t bother with creating Deathmatch-specific maps. So the pioneering few who actually tried to Deathmatch on those early stages were forced to endure problems like linear layouts (which are inappropriate for competitive combat) and dreadfully long hunts for opponents through massive stages. With the newest additions like Q3A and UT, times have definitely changed. Now focusing entirely on the multiplayer experience, the maps in both games are designed to be centralized arenas that encourage constant, flowing combat rather than mundane, drawn out searches with dead-ends. What we are now seeing is an inventive, dedicated, and often clever style of level design that the PC gaming masses have never quite experienced. Just try the ‘Longest Yard’ map in Q3A or the ‘Skyscraper’ map in UT and you’ll know exactly what we are talking about.

3. Solid Console-like Quality
PC games are notorious for shipping to retailers in need of more fine-tuning and polish. I think it’s safe to say that most gamers simply accepted this and relegated themselves to doing the fine-tuning themselves just to get their games to work properly. This is definitely not the case with Q3A and UT because even though they needed a patch to run on our system, both games ran without a hitch after that. Maybe it’s due to greater standardization in APIs and computer hardware itself, but there has been a sort of ‘consolization’ of PC games. Games like UT and Q3A, which were once considered impossibilities, are now up and running on even modest hardware setup and the games run at silky smooth framerates at most settings. Controls are tight and there are few (if any) bugs to speak of. It’s like programmers have just now caught up with the hardware and are learning how to maximize what they have so more people can enjoy it and not just the few with the monster gaming machines.

4. Easy Online Multiplayer Accessibility
In the past, online gaming usually required the aid of some confusing underground 3rd party software. Players also need to be savvy as to which mods (modifications) and add-on levels they needed to download in order to keep up with the Deathmatch community. With the coming of Q3A and UT, that’s all changed. So long as one is connected to the Internet, both games are ready to play online right out of the box. Menu options are amazingly streamlined to the degree that anyone can enter an online match within a few clicks. It’s a testament to how accessible these online multiplayer computer games have become.

5. Wildly Entertaining Gameplay
Try sniping someone’s head off from long range or running a ‘captured flag’ back into your base under a hailstorm of enemy fire in UT. Try firing a rocket in a crowded area while in possession of the ‘Quad-Damage’ for multi-frags or ambushing an opponent going for the BFG weapon in Q3A. That’s just some of the wild and crazy things that can occur during a typical session on either title. For pure thrills and excitement in videogaming, few things can compare with the multiplayer mayhem of competing against tens of human controlled opponents simultaneously online. It’s an intense adrenaline rush that can keep you playing all night and an incredibly satisfying experience when one excels.