A Busy Gamer’s Guide to Fragging

The holiday rush hit like freight train this year, so I haven’t had much time lately to get in much gaming. That means I’ve had very little to write about…until now.

Video games have taken a back seat in my gaming life this year for many reasons. When time is a limited resource, you have to make some choices. However, I recently picked up a game which may bring me back in front of the TV: Unreal Tournament 3 for the PS3.

Simply put, this is a game that can be enjoyed in small doses. All of the fast, insane action that made Unreal famous is here.  So are the deadly and delicious variety of weapons, especially old favorites like the flak cannon.

There are some beautifully rendered cut scenes showing off the power of the Unreal engine, but these serve only to put the barest of stories on the bones of this slick shooter. The real draw is the action, which UT3 serves up in nice healthy portions.

The game offers three modes, which all work well for someone who can devote less than an hour per play session. The game plays so fast you can squeeze in few deathmatch rounds in no time at all. Or you can work your way through the single-player campaign. I’ve played through a few campaign missions, which are a little too easy on the default difficulty. Ratchet that up a little and you have a worthwhile challenge.

The same goes for the off-line instant action options, which offer all of the multiplayer gameplay modes. The artificial intelligence of the bots can be tweaked, giving you the option of running around maps to learn where all the weapons. Or you can face off against some fairly stiff competition. For me, this works. Off-line I don’t have to worry about outside factors, like my daughter waking up early from her nap.

Of course, mulitplayer is where UT3 stands out. I usually stick to deathmatch, since it lets me get in a few quick games in no time at all. I have no illusions about my skills or any aspirations of being top dog in the online world.  I may get pOWNed, but it’s fast and fun.

For me, the bottom line is this: UT3 offers all the polish of a top-shelf title in small digestable portions. It’s not the deepest game, but it suits my needs.