While there were still a lot of single player PC games, more and more titles were also taking advantage of the internet for multiplayer modes. However, only a handful of games were built completely around the multiplayer experience. One of them was the 1998 released Tribes. Although it wasn't a huge sales success, it achieved a cult following. 10 years ago, two other such games were released to stores. Both titles were were considered big risks at the time, but the big question was: Could they attack a big enough audience?

The release of Epic Games' Unreal Tournament (on November 23, 1999 via the now defunct GT Interactive) and id Software's Quake III Arena (on December 2, 1999 via Activision) proved that multiplayer first person gaming had truly arrived. While both games could be played against AI bots, they were clearly designed for playing with others online and on local area networks (LANs). The critical and sales success of both games on the PC showed the industry that a game title could be made that catered just to the multiplayer audience and make money.

Epic Games, working with Digital Extremes, had released the first Unreal game in May 1998. While the single player storyline was well done, many felt the multiplayer aspect of the title was lacking something. Originally, the two developers wanted to make an multiplayer expansion pack to Unreal to overcome the shortcoming. As they worked on the expansion, they ultimately decided that there was so much new content that a stand alone game was warranted. Using an improved version of Epic's original Unreal Engine, Epic and Digital Extremes announced plans for Unreal Tournament in 1998. When the game shipped to stores it already had a ton of content out of the box. Later, the developers added extra maps and other bonus content after its release to stores through a free downloadable bonus pack. Eventually, the game included over 50 official maps, all of which were added in an Unreal Tournament Game of the Year Edition that was released in late 2000.

The game modes had the usual additions of Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch and Capture the Flag, but it also had a few unique modes. One of the most popular was Assault, where one team had to move from one part of the level to another while completing objectives along the way. The other team had to stop them from accomplishing this goal. It was a mode that was very complex for its time, and perhaps that's why Epic and Digital Extremes only created a few official Assault maps compared to the rest of the available game modes.

The weapons for Unreal Tournament ranged from the small Enforcer pistol to the over-the-top Redeemer which pretty much killed the majority of players on the map. The Translocator, which allowed for instant teleportation to wherever you planted the module, was also a popular item. The AI bots, while never perfect, certainly made playing the game in offline mode a bigger pleasure than it had a right to be.

Unreal Tournament is regarded as a sort of spin-off series from the main Unreal games, but it is perhaps the best in the franchise. Unreal Tournament has two sequels - three if you count UT 2003 (UT 2004 completely replaced it) - that were released in later years, but they are all extensions of the brand rather than breaking totally new ground. You can still purchase the Unreal Tournament Game of the Year Edition via download sites like Steam, Impulse, and Direct2Drive for $9.99.

Download the Unreal Tournament Demo (PC)
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