Introduction
The PC is a truly magnificent machine, it is known for many things and it is highly praised for its action games. First person shooters are everywhere in the PC market and they will not disappear anytime soon. Unfortunately, many companies try to cash in on the success of first person shooters by releasing quick sequels or lousy low budget games. There is one game that seems to have avoided all of that. It would have to be Unreal Tournament 2003. This game proves that this series will be around for a long time and will evolve with every single version. The original Unreal Tournament received numerous game of the year awards and was hailed one of the best first person shooters ever, even against tough competition like in the equally popular Quake series. It was a long time before any gamer even considered a sequel, mainly because the first one had developed a never ending list of downloadable maps and modifications that only made the game last longer. Many griped that the single player gamers were left in the dust with this game. All of these things have been improved in Unreal Tournament 2003 to make a game equal to that of its predecessor. Does it surpass the original? Well it is not fair to compare the two as they are very different, even though they came from the same roots. This review will describe the many features of this game and prove why it is definitely a contender for game of the year.

Gameplay
The audio presentation is also top notch, it shows in every area. While the music is in some cases forgettable, the sound effects are some of the best seen in any PC game. The weapon and character sounds make you feel like you are really apart of the action. In the heat of battle when a ton of weapons are firing at the same time, you too will notice why it works so well. It just feels proper, and no sound seems out of place. The only thing that will annoy some people is the over enthusiastic announcer. He can become extremely irritating during a heavy fire fight and especially during the Bombing Run maps. Overall the sound is top notch but the music could have been much better.

Story
The graphics in Unreal Tournament 2003 are outstanding. They surpass the original in every way and provide a level of detail not previously seen in many other games. The indoor environments have pipes that sprawl across the walls and the outdoor levels have grass fields and snowy pathways. The textures are simply amazing and this game seems to have been optimized for lower graphics cards because even with older cards, the game looks like a dream come true. The character models look excellent and really prove what hard work and time can accomplish. The many different classes of characters each have their own unique appearance and that can lead to either victory or death in some cases because as we know, the bigger the species, the bigger the target. The best aspect of the visuals are the physics. The characters motions are fluid and realistic, and the death scenes are truly astonishing. For example, if your head was blown away by a rocket, the body would fling back and hit the wall and react to the pressure applied from the impact. This game engine is probably the most advanced ever seen in a first person shooter to date and will be a serious contender for a long time. There is one small problem with all of this. In some cases, to get the proper performance that will allow enjoyment, you may need a monster PC. It is not recommended to play this game or even purchase it unless you are sure that your computer can handle it. There are many times that the framerate will collapse due to the action on screen. A good video card would also be recommended.

Graphics
To play this game is not to simply tap on keyboard buttons and swing your mouse, but you need to get into it. The gameplay is something that has been missing from first person shooters since the original Unreal Tournament. The game has a plethora of dodging skills and maneuvers to master and it proves that this isn’t a game to simply play around in. It takes skill some serious skill to be a pro at this game. The single player experience has been slightly improved mainly because of the excellent computer AI but it is still far too shallow to warrant a purchase simply for that. The online portion of the game is the heart of Unreal Tournament 2003. There are hundreds of players looking for a challenge and it is the best way to become a pro. There are tons of gaming clans for a new player to join. For example a clan named {SCF} has a bunch of players that meet and practice for giant group wars where victory is claimed by scoring a certain number of points. There are plenty more clans where that came from, each clan has its own criteria and their own play styles. This is only one aspect of the online play that makes it worth playing. There are many game modes. The basic Deathmatch and Capture The Flag modes are still their, and a slightly modified version of the original games Domination is also included. One mode called Bombing Run is a very innovative concept and while it isn’t as polished as it could be, the teamwork aspect makes it all the more fun to play with friends. The weapons selection in this game is very good and each weapon has its own weakness as well as an advantage. Old favorites return as well as some new weapons. The only weapons that didn’t seem to fit was the terribly unbalanced Lightning Gun. It was supposed to be an answer to the Sniper Gun but it didn’t work well. There are many maps to play on. Some are small and some are huge but none lack quality. The only thing about the maps is that they aren’t as interesting as the ones found in the original Unreal Tournament. The game is complemented by a very solid netcode and even players with dial-up can enjoy the game to an extent. The gameplay is excellent and it will only guarantee that people will be playing this game for a long time.

Sound
In the end, one must ask why Unreal Tournament 2003 is “only” equal to Unreal Tournament. Well it is because the games are almost entirely different. Each has their own required play styles and they each have their own core fan bases. Its popularity has caught on like a wildfire and modifications are being made in full force as we speak. Unreal Tournament 2003 will go down in history as one of the best games of all time. This is one game that deserves all the praise it receives. Buying this game will only make you a happier person than you already are. If you are not happy, buy it anyway.