The Unreal Tournament series has long been the strongest contender against games like Quake III Arena. Now it is, without a doubt, the king of all online competition games. It isn't hard to see why. With the somewhat disappointing reception of Unreal Tournament 2003, Epic had a chance to rethink their strategy and build on what made the UT series great.

Not only have they brought back the sniper rifle and the classic Assault mode, they have introduced a number of different aspects into the mix. Onslaught, which relies heavily on vehicle combat, requires teams to take control over a number of power nodes leading from one base to the opposite base, where a power core is protected. Once a direct connection from one power core to the next is created, the opponent's force field is dropped, leaving it vulnerable to attack.

Maps in this mode of play are gigantic, but luckily there are over ten different vehicles to choose from. They range from small buggies, to light aircraft, to hovercraft, to mobile weapons platforms that unfold to reveal a gigantic energy cannon. These vehicles do a great job in balancing gameplay, and by no means steal the show. Even the Goliath tank, which can blast away most things that stand in its way, is vulnerable to aircraft and anti-vehicle rockets. Like the weapons, the vehicles have a main firing and an alternate fire mode. The Scorpion, for example, has blades that extend from either side, ready to hack down whoever is unlucky enough to be nearby. Terrain also influences how well these vehicles drive.

Though the single player will probably be overlooked by many players, or regarded as a sort of practice mode at best, it should be noted that it has received a significant overhaul from the previous two games. Emphasizing the idea of a blood-sport, you play through a series of ladder matches and challenges, earning money with each victory. You then use the cash to hire teammates, heal the wounded, and improve your roster. The down side is that you have to play through six deathmatch games before you gain access to the more challenging game modes like Capture the Flag or Assault. The head-to-head challenges also became tedious because most of the time, I was facing a single opponent on a large map, leading to a lot of down time as we tried to find each other.

The artificial intelligence has also been given a significant upgrade. The computer is challenging when set at "Experienced," and nearly impossible to face when set to "Godlike." Complimenting the improved AI is a new voice communication capability. Those who have a headset will be able to coordinate or trash talk with other players online. Additionally, players will be able to issue voice commands to computer controlled teammates, so there is no reason to flip through the oftentimes cumbersome menu system to tell AI teammates what to do.

Weapons lockers are as robust as ever, and many players are probably celebrating the return of the classic sniper rifle. There are only a few slight differences between the lightning gun and the sniper rifle, but there's no such thing as too many guns.

UT2004 is a technological marvel. The graphics are beautiful, and the rag doll physics look fantastic. A full set of mod tools are included with the game, so it makes me dizzy wondering what big things are in store in the future when the mod community really gets to work. Further increasing the value of this title is the excellent programming that went into its multiplayer code. The game is stable, and even though it supports up to 32 players on some very big maps, most games have been virtually lag-free.

There are very few bad things that can be said about UT2004. Perhaps the only problems I had where the long load times and the small selection of Assault maps. However, the five Assault maps are quite expansive and should hold most players over until more community maps can be put together. As for the load times, they're a small price to pay for this level of gameplay. This is PC gaming at its absolute best. With a starting MSRP of $39.99, this game is an absolute steal! This should be nominated as one of the best games of the year, and it deserves all the accolades it can get. So, load up your flak cannon and get a move on! The online bloodbath awaits!

56K Multiplayer Addendum by Justin Davis

I am happy to report that if I had to sum up UT2004's dialup multiplayer experience in one word, that one word would be "fantastic." The developers aren't performing miracles, so no dialup users should expect huge 20 player onslaught matches, though. In fact, onslaught is largely out of the question, because it's just really not that fun with 6-8 people.

Other than that, I've rarely felt hampered by my connection. I've been in deathmatch rounds with 10 other players, and not had a ping over .100 or any noticeable lag. Once you start to get over 10, problems arise, but that's to be expected. If you're still on dialup and multiplayer was your sticking point, worry no more. It's extremely playable for up to about 8-10 players, so limit yourself to a server that has that cap, and you'll have smooth sailing.