Unreal Tournament 2004 Review: Score and Verdict

Unreal Tournament 2004 is a fast arena shooter with a strong focus on multiplayer. It introduced vehicles, team modes and a set of weapons with alternate fire modes that make combat varied and skill-based.

What works

Weapons such as the shock rifle and link gun have distinctive alternate fire.
Vehicles add a different layer of team tactics.
A large mod community kept new maps and game modes coming for years.

What does not

Its single-player content is light compared with story shooters.

Category	Score
Gameplay and shooting	9/10
Visuals and sound	7.5/10
Content and modes	7/10
Multiplayer and community	8.5/10
Value for money	8.5/10

Our scores are editorial ratings out of 10, based on each game's design and reported features. They are not a record of hands-on play sessions on this site.

Who should play it

Players who enjoy arena shooting and fast, skill-based multiplayer.

Verdict

A fast, skill-based arena shooter with a lasting modding scene. Our score: 8.5 out of 10.

Tips for weapon mastery

Each weapon has a primary and an alternate fire mode, and learning both makes you far more dangerous. The shock rifle's combo is one of the most famous skills in the game, and practising it in a training map helps. Keep track of power-ups and health locations, and push for control of the map's centre to see enemies coming.

Modding and custom maps

The modding community has kept the game alive, with new maps, game types and total conversions. Browsing community sites can give you hundreds of extra hours, and many players still organise matches with friends who enjoy the classic style.