ast year’s Unreal Tournament 2003 was criticized by fans for many reasons. Rest assured, fragmeisters – UT 2004 is all you could ask for and more. Beyond the stunning presentation, the fast-paced core of UT’s gameplay is better than ever before. And besides, what other FPS can offer you the instant gratification of the announcer shouting "Head shot!" when you snipe some unsuspecting fool?

Graphically, the Unreal engine has made miles of progress since last we saw it. Incredible detail is present on every model and texture, and the explosive and dismemberment effects are gorgeous. The most impressive feat the developers have wrought, though, is the fact that even with 32 players slugging it out with every weapon imagined by man, there’s no slowdown – meaning you have nobody but yourself to blame when you get gibbed.

In terms of content, UT 2004 delivers in spades. All of the maps from 2003 are available, as well as a whole dropship full of new ones. You can literally play the same mode for ten hours and not repeat a map. And that’s just out of the box – you can be sure that UT’s robust mod community will be increasing the pool of levels in short order. Considering that there are ten modes to try, there’s no reason for UT 2004 to ever get stale; especially since the brand new Battlefield-esque Onslaught mode is such a work of art. It takes all of the frantic combat of classic UT and introduces a whole new level of teamwork while seamlessly integrating the vehicles. It’s easily my new favorite thing to do online, period.

There are really only two things I can think of that are wrong with this title. First, the single-player is boring. Expected, yes, but I have to say it. Second, finding people of your skill level to play with can be a chore at times. While racking up the kills by mowing down newbies is fun for a little while, it quickly becomes only slightly more entertaining than getting obliterated by the hardcore masters yourself. However, neither of these ever make it past the realm of minor annoyance – you’ll forget about them entirely when you find a good group to get down with. The speed and polish of UT 2004 cannot be denied.  

ANDY MCNAMARA   9.5 Unreal Tournament has always delivered fantastic online gameplay, but 2004 ups the ante in so many ways that you just can’t help but love all the depth it has to offer. Not only does it provide an amazing 10 modes of play, 2004 offers up so many levels that it will take you at least a week just to memorize them all (and that’s only going to happen if you play nonstop). But for all the depth and graphical upgrades that 2004 has, the things that make this game an absolute must-play are the return of the Assault mode and the addition of Onslaught. This is basically Unreal’s answer to Battlefield, but with a fevered pace and manic gameplay. While I love this mode to no end, I like Assault even more. The level designs are simply awe inspiring and a blast to play. If you like getting your online FPS groove on, 2004 is a must.