My description for this vid was too long for Youtube, so I moved it over to This blog rather than fight with Youtube trying to get it to fit.
This is a series of gameplay vids I'm doing highlighting overlooked games for the various consoles I own.
This applies only to the PS3 port of the game. I realize that the Unreal name is hardly overlooked, and is one of the most popular FPS series' of all time, and the Unreal 3 engine has powered a ton of games in this generation of gaming, so those who are, no doubt, going to say "Unreal isn't underrated, it's like on of the most popular games of all time," keep that in mind.
This isn't my typical underrated gem vid where it's an obscure game few people have ever heard of. This is taken from a viewpoint of the attention the game has gotten since it's release on the PS3. The game did get a decent amount of attention before it hit, and it even sold over a million copies, however, in the age where games like Modern Warfare have taken over online console gaming, even games that previously were part of the most popular franchises in gaming can be swept under the rug by mainstream gamers. Plus, Unreal has always been popular amongst PC gamers, but not amongst the console crowd who have only had two Unreal ports previously (UT on the DC, and the PS2).
Unreal Tournament III is in my opinion is the greatest PC to console port in gaming history. It's the game that comes closest to being equal to the PC original. Not only does it support Keyboard and mouse for gameplay like the PC version, it also has official mod support (by official I mean officially allowed by the developers of the game, and not by hacking the game). This puts it light-years above any PC-to-console port in gaming history. The only thing that holds the PS3 port back is the 30 Frames Per Second it runs at. On the PC there aren't usually set-in frames per second, most games can run faster than 60 frames per second with the right video card. Some games can allow over 100+ frames per second. This means that the PS3 version runs slower than the PC version due to the unchanging specs of a console. According to an interview I read, it was locked in at 30 fps due to the PS3 version using a controller instead of a kb/mouse combo. You can use a kb and mouse, but the control method most people are going to be using by default is the Dual Shock 3.
Even though the PS3 port is locked in at 30 frames per second, the game still moves faster than, pretty much, any other FPS on consoles today, and is just hectic and flat out fun. UTIII harkens back to the mayhem-filled multiplayer of old-school FPS games like Quake. It's just a straight-up balls-out arcadey FPS that focuses on straight fun. Those looking for a deep single player experience with an in-depth overdone dramatic storyline replete with deep characters they grow to "care for" and all that sissy crap need not apply. This is a man's shooter (though women are welcome to play too), where you get muscle-bound freaks-of-nature blowing the sh*t out of each other with bigass guns, and that's all it really needs to be.
They have added a little bit of a storyline to the single player mode (as you can see in the sequence at the beginning of the vid), but the SP is still just an extension of the multiplayer mode. It's essentially just a series of bot-deathmatches, but even then, it's still a fun playthrough. Sure, a whole single-player campaign would have been nice, but UT has always been combat focused. My biggest complaint about the SP mode is the fact that they make you play a lot of the warfare-type matches. It's not that I don't like Warfare, I just prefer fragging. The warfare matches aren't bad, however, since you're dependent on your bot-teammates to hold certain positions, often times the objective you just took will be taken back by the enemy before you even get to the next objective. In fact, the friendly A.I., at times, had me in a rage over their incompetence. They do better in the straight-up game types.
Though the friendly A.I. can be extremely frustrating to deal with at times, there is a light at the end of the tunnel for those looking to play the SP, UTIII supports up to 4-player coop online meaning you can get three human players to help you through the campaign on any difficulty. This is a big help if you get stuck. The game also supports 2-player split screen play once you download the Titan Pack from the Playstation Store. It doesn't support split screen out of the box, but luckily all the downloadable content for the game is 100% free.
Co-op is, obviously not the only online mode supported in this game. UT has all the standard modes you would want from any FPS. Deathmatch, TDM, Capture the Flag, Vehicle CTF, and all the warfare modes as well. Add in a plethora of mutators (stuff like less gravity, or faster speed, and you have nearly endless customization, and that's before you take mods into account. You can download even more modes, and mutators due to the game's mod support.
The ability to play mods on the PS3 version is perhaps the coolest feature allowed in this port. The last two clips of gameplay are in custom maps with modded mutators on, using a custom Marcus Fenix skin, and in custom maps. those are only the tip of the iceberg of what's available for this game. There are also whole games available, like "The Ball" which has a similar feel to a game like Portal (and was just released over Steam), on the sites that have PS3 version version mods for download. All you really need is a flash drive to upload them onto your PS3. It's really that easy.
Overall, this is the FPS game this generation that keeps me coming back the most. It's, fast, furious, and just plain fun. If you cut you teeth in FPS gaming with Games like Quake, or the original UT, then you need to get this game. It's fun offline (due to it having the best bot-matches this generation of gaming), and online playing with or against real people. It's gameplay is old school arcadey fun, and even those wrapped up in Call of Duty can use it as a change-of-pace game when they want something new to play. More people need to play this one online. You'll have fun, I promise.
For those wondering how to install the mods on your PS3, here is a quick FAQ about it:
http://ut3mods.x10hosting.com/tut.html
I also found a good video tutorial on Youtube here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70Nxi0Wjjps
Here are some sites where you can find custom maps, mods, and mutators for the game (some of them haven't been updated in a while):
http://unreal-versus.viviti.com/
http://ut3mods.x10hosting.com/main.html
http://ut3.game-maps.net/index.php?act=category&id=178
http://ut3gow.com/Download
http://www.iamgaming.com/downloads/
http://www.ut3ps3mods.co.cc/
http://www.ut3mod.com/
NOTE: UTIII is one of those PS3 games that doesn't like my capture card much, so it looks a little grainy in the vid.
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