Do you ever feel like games are getting a bit complicated these days? Even with a genre as basic as the first person shooter, it's all 'multiple paths' this and 'take cover' that, upgrade your kit, relay commands to your squad, pick your weapons wisely, consider your strategies before you approach a situation... whatever happened to old-school, no-holds-barred, relentless, high octane run and gun action? Well, developers Epic Games can tell you: it's here in Unreal Tournament III where it belongs - and boy does it make for a refreshing change!

While most games have eschewed the purer joys of simpler times, when first person shooters meant shooting in first person, Unreal Tournament III is proud of its heritage and is sticking firmly to its guns (ugh, sorry about that), providing you with a slice of retro goodness, all wrapped up in a brilliantly shiny next generation package. From the moment you dive into the game, be it in the new Campaign mode, Instant Action with the most deadly and intelligent bots ever devised, or online against the world's best (and worst, never hurts to have some cannon fodder in the mix!), there is really only one strategy to worry about - pick up the nearest gun and frag every enemy in sight. Ah, I can feel all the squad-based tension just melting away as I type.

That's not to say that Unreal Tournament hasn't moved with the times though - far from it. Beyond the simple pleasures of Deathmatches, there is a host of more tactical modes that you can immerse yourself in, from straight Team Deathmatches to Capture the Flag and the wonderful Warfare mode, a unique and strategic game that requires strong co-operation and team tactics to win the day. You can also go one on one for a Duel if you wish, watching the tactics of others while you wait your turn, or just setting up a two player server and waiting for the next unsuspecting victim (or godlike destroyer) to come and join you. UT III offers a range of options, so you can pick the style of play you want, depending on what you're in the mood for.

The secret to its success though is in the mechanics of its core formula, which has three key ingredients: a fast pace, beautifully balanced weapons and an array of awesome levels. I suppose you could add in the controls as a fourth key ingredient for the PS3 version; given how fast the game is, it's vital that the controls are well laid out and very responsive, and there's no disappointment in that area. But when I say this game is fast, I really mean it - if you're a console gamer and haven't played UT before on PC then you're in for a bit of a rude awakening, because the pace of this game is borderline insane (and it's actually a bit slower than the PC version!) It's faster than any other console shooter; you move faster, you turn faster, and weapons blast out projectiles at an immense rate. This is one of the things that makes UT III such a great experience - it really gets your adrenaline pumping and when you're in the zone, blasting all-comers and racking up double kills like there's no tomorrow, going on killing sprees and rampages, there's nothing else that can compare. It won't be to everyone's taste and there is a steep learning curve at first (particularly online), but persevere and once it all clicks into place, you'll be in FPS nirvana.

So we've established it's fast, but what about the weapons? Are they really that special? Well, yes they are, and I'll tell you why - because there is no one weapon that dominates more than any other. Even the basic Enforcer (the pistol you spawn in with) can get a kill with a few well-placed shots, and if you pick up the Enforcer of a fallen foe and dual wield then you can easily wipe out an enemy with a rocket launcher or a flak cannon before they can land a hit. Every weapon is supremely satisfying to wield, from the rocket launcher that can blow you into a shower of gore and chunks of flesh with a single direct hit, to the flak cannon that will shred you with a single shot of molten metal fragments up close, or whittle down your health from a distance. Admittedly it's probably easiest to dominate with a rocket launcher in close proximity, when there's no chance of missing, but out in the open it's a lot trickier, although firing a volley of rockets into the distance and watching an enemy accidentally sidestep into one is supremely satisfying, if more luck than judgement.

Every weapon also has dual firing modes, using R1 for primary and L1 for secondary. The Rocket Launcher can load and fire three missiles at once (although you can't hold the rockets once you've queued them up, so you've got about three seconds before the launcher fires and you need to anticipate where enemies will be), and the Flak Cannon fires a grenade full of explosive shards that will exterminate with a direct hit or get a lot of splash damage from a proximity strike. The Stinger is probably the best minigun ever invented, with a super fast rate of fire and a rapid-fire shotgun blast for its secondary. These are probably the most favoured weapons in the game, but the others are equally as deadly, if perhaps a touch harder to use on console.

Precision shooting is easy enough on the PC, but with a very fine crosshair, getting a precision hit with a Shock Rifle beam is tricky, as is landing a barrage of Link Gun blasts or keeping the solid continuous beam trained on your enemy until you completely melt them to nothing but a skeleton of their former self. The shock rifle's secondary function fires a ball of energy that can be detonated by the primary beam for a truly devastating explosion that literally implodes nearby foes in a shower of bits that are sucked into the vortex, but this is incredibly hard to utilise unless you stand still - and that's the best way to get yourself killed in this game.

Rounding off the selection is the Impact Hammer, a melee weapon that is rarely used but great fun to kill with, the Sniper Rifle with a powerful zoom function, tricky to master but only requiring two shots for a kill (or one head-exploding bullet if you're very accurate), the Bio Rifle that fires gobs of radioactive goo that attach to enemies and explode, its secondary fire building up and holding a massive glob that kills on contact, and the all-powerful Redeemer, a short range nuclear missile that you can guide around in first person, steering it right into the face (or most satisfyingly of all, in my book, the groin) of an enemy, vaporising everyone within its very wide blast radius and shaking the whole screen with a blinding flash and rumbling explosion. Beautiful.

It's not just the design of the weapons though; it's the way they are placed and the way you can collect them all. Unlike most modern shooters, you don't have to think, "Hmmm, shall I ditch my rocket launcher for this sniper rifle, or not?" You can pick up and hold every weapon in the game, switching between them using a circular onscreen menu or just tapping R2 to cycle through them. A very cool feature allows you to tailor your order of preference for weapons in the options menu, and the auto-switch function means that when you pick up a weapon that you prefer over the weapon you are currently using, you switch to it instantly - very handy considering that death is potentially only a split second away when an enemy charges into view. Also, again unlike most modern shooters (avoiding the consistent balancing problem of the almighty Halo 3, that of hogging the best weapons), the weapons in UT III are placed at specific locations around each level, but they don't disappear when they're picked up - so everyone has access to every weapon at all times. This is frankly an ingenious approach that has always been a UT staple and I wish more games would follow suit. To balance this, each weapon comes with limited ammo; there are ammo pick-ups dotted around the levels that disappear and respawn quickly, but running out of ammo is rarely a problem in UT III, as you won't often survive long enough to worry about it! You can also find various health and armour pick-ups, as well as the lethal damage amplifier (which enhances the damage of all of your weapons for a short time) and the jump boots, for leaping through the air like Superman.

And speaking of leaping, the jump button is integral to the gameplay, as you can double jump around the place, including to the side, in order to dodge incoming projectiles (strafing won't do it a lot of the time, the game is just too fast!) It's a skill that you can do without at first, but if you want to compete with the best then you'll need to turn yourself into a lean, mean, jumping machine!

So, we've established that the game has a fantastic pace and that the weapons are both beautifully balanced and a joy to use. Now all we need is somewhere to use them - and again, Unreal Tournament III puts all of its competitors to shame in this regard. Almost forty maps are available (with more on the way in the first downloadable pack), subdivided into categories depending on the mode (the vehicle-based maps and indeed some of the Capture the Flag maps are so massive that it'd take ages to find anyone in a Deathmatch game). Every map is a work of art, the perfect melding of form and function - Epic Games know how to design maps like no one else. From the claustrophobic confines of the narrow corridors and open upper floor of the tiny Biohazard to the multi-tiered labyrinth of the eye-poppingly gorgeous Deimos, every map is a joy to play in. There are multiple levels, lifts, enclosed corridors, open spaces, buildings to explore, courtyards to run riot in; every level is laid out in a way that make it simply fascinating to explore. The larger maps for Capture the Flag, Vehicle CTF and Warfare are equally as varied and well conceived, with buildings at each end and sprawling countryside or industrial sites in between, packed with short cuts, hidden areas and multiple routes just waiting to be exploited. Once particularly memorable level has a massive bridge in the middle, with towers you can get up on with the super jump - perfect for sniping, until a flying Raptor comes along and cuts you down!

These maps aren't just imaginative in their design though; they're truly varied and a joy to look at, with cutting edge visuals and a range of excellent, meaty sound effects, along with one of the best game soundtracks ever. Each level has its own tune, a range of fast-paced tunes with a techno or rock flavour, and a few with a more dramatic orchestral or Oriental theme, sounding suitably futuristic as the beat pulses and the harmonies kick in, adding to the intensity of the experience. The locations are tremendously varied, from outdoor levels set in the countryside to futuristic complexes suspended in space, to archaic temples with grand architecture, to industrial facilities and Oriental-themed levels. No amount of description will do the visuals justice - you simply have to see them for yourself. While the locales are impressive, they're almost upstaged by the intricate detail and fluid animation of the many different characters you can select from and customise - but it's the weapons that steal the show, with awesome, devastating effects when they fire and strike home, and very fitting (and familiar) sound effects. Throw in the cries of agony as people die, the various taunts you can activate when you get a kill and the throaty voice of the announcer shouting things like "First Blood!", "Mega Kill!" and "Rampage!" and you've got an experience that's visually and aurally sublime.

Now that you know just what to expect from the gameplay, let's take a look at what's on offer. The Campaign mode features a basic story, but it's little more than a bare bones excuse to string together a series of one-off matches against AI bots. You play a solider whose colony is wiped out by an alien foe and you take your team, including your sister, on a mission of vengeance. The opening CGI cut scene is very impressive, sporting gorgeous graphics, some wonderful slow motion moments and some great direction, but after that, for the most part, each mission is introduced by a simple voiceover, which gives you something to occupy your attention while the level loads in. While the Campaign is enjoyable and a great way of learning the ins and outs of the gameplay and each mode, it's probably best to dive straight into the Instant Action mode and set up some bots on the Average skill level until you're up to speed, then keep upping the level until they're kicking your ass. Or, if you want a baptism of fire, head straight online with the Multiplayer mode, which offers you all the usual options for setting up and customising your own games or joining others, catering for up to sixteen players.

As an exercise in testing out UT's unrivalled enemy AI and giving you an idea of the kind of levels available, I played eight levels of Instant Action with maximum bots (fifteen plus me!), starting at the lowest AI skill and working up to the highest. Starting on Defiance, a run-down district of old, concrete buildings surrounded by futuristic skyscrapers on all sides, I reached 20 kills without dying once, leading by 12 kills. As with every level, Defiance's layout is intricate, with at four levels interconnected by a maze of stairways and wide passages. Next up was Diesel, a very grey, industrial themed level with many corridors to explore and an open area at its central core. With the bots on Average I died three times and reached 20 kills with second place on 9. Next up was Rising Sun, a small, Oriental-themed level with a central raised section surrounded by courtyards and corridors in each corner. The Experienced bots killed me 5 times and I reached 20 kills with a lead of 8. I returned to a favourite from past UT games, Deck, for the Skilled level - it's an indoor level with a huge central area featuring multiple, criss-crossing walkways and corridors set all around the outside. This time I died 13 times and only reached 20 with a 4 kill lead.

Things were getting tough now! While on the lower levels bots just walk around, often standing still to shoot, they move a lot faster and dodge and jump a lot more as their skill increases, as well as being much more accurate with their weapons. I entered Fearless with the bots on Adept, a dark, cramped, hectic level with almost biomechanical style architecture and some ominous, towering statues, where I died 17 times but still came first with a 7 kill lead. Gateway was the level of choice to go up against Masterful bots, a fascinating level with three different-themed sections linked by portals - a luscious, forest area, a snowy warehouse area and a futuristic area with jump pads that launch you high into the air. Here I got killed 20 times and somehow scraped victory with just 2 kills in it! I went to one of my favourite levels to face the Inhuman bots - Sanctuary, a large, island-based level with the Redeemer placed at the end of a narrow walkway that leads over a chasm (running down here makes you very vulnerable!) and wide, open spaces surrounding the central ancient temple, inside of which much of the action takes place. This level is particularly eye-catching, with fluid water effects around the outside and gorgeous, intricate architecture. I had finally met my match here - I lost the match with only 9 kills and 22 deaths, and I considered that I'd done well!

I picked my favourite Deathmatch map to face the Godlike bots, the highest AI skill level. Deimos is arguably the best looking level in the game, and indeed in any shooter, as well as one of the best designs ever created. Set upon a space station orbiting a spectacular Earth-type planet with a stunningly rendered asteroid belt circling it, you'll almost certainly get fragged while you stop to admire the nebulae and special anomalies that add colour to the vast, blackness of the void. On this level there are multiple jump pads and when you go outside the space station you enter a low gravity zone and can soar through the air, plus there are liquid forcefields that you can swim through, which hold great weapons and pick-ups but you're very vulnerable when entering them. With several distinctive indoor and outdoor sections and endless eye candy, this is the ultimate deathmatch level, but not one for small groups, as it's so spread out. Despite losing very badly for the first half of the game, I somehow managed to galvanise into action, losing with 11 kills and only 25 deaths - a stunning achievement considering how tough these bots are.

The great thing about the range of bot AI is not only that they are so much like playing real people, but they're a great way to practice your skills and learn the layouts of this fantastic array of maps, while going up against bots that challenge you - if you're a novice then stick to the lower skill levels until you improve and if you're a UT veteran then go in at the higher levels, which will challenge even the best players in the world.

However, while the Instant Action is fun, but UT's appeal has always been in its online multiplayer, and UT III is no different. The human opponents you'll face will range greatly in skill; some will seem almost invincible and constantly be on killing sprees, while others you'll frag with ease again and again. Deathmatch, really, boils down to a race - as long as you can kill players at a rate faster than anyone else, you'll win the match. This might sound like an obvious statement that is true for any shooter, but with instant respawns and opponents dotted liberally around the place, it feels more like a race against the leader than most other games, where you sometimes have time to breathe and consider your tactics. Team Deathmatch doesn't feel like as much of a team experience as it can do with other shooters, although you will come up against opponents who work together better than you do, which this does make all the difference, even if again it largely boils down to running around and fragging your enemies. The fact that there's no map and that you can't easily discover the position of your teammates is frustrating though, meaning that you just have to run around until you meet them, hoping that you don't meet a group of enemies first - unless you've got your Rambo bandanna on and are ready to take them all down!

Capture the Flag is where teamwork really starts to come into play as a necessity - the maps are symmetrical, meaning that if you know the layout of your own base then you know the layout of the enemies' base, and generally speaking you're at opposite ends of the map, so you must get the balance right of leaving enough people to defend while others go and attempt to get the flag. However, you generally spawn back into your base when you die, so it doesn't hurt to charge in early on - if the enemy gets your flag then you can always blow yourself up and respawn in your base to find them. Compasses show the direction of both flags, giving you an indication of where they are, but only an approximate one. The translocator is very useful in this mode, a gun that shoots a disc that teleports you to its location in an instant when you hit the secondary fire button. By repeatedly shooting this and teleporting you can traverse the sprawling CTF maps very quickly, but you can't do this when you have the flag in tow, so you'll need back up to bring it home (although you can still fire while carrying the flag).

Vehicle CTF introduces the game's excellent array of vehicles - over ten are available, from the zippy but weak Manta hovercraft with rapid fire blasters to the powerhouse Goliath tank that's slow but heavily armoured and incredibly powerful, and the flying Raptor, which can soar high into the sky and lock onto vehicles for a homing attack or just barrage ground-based troops and vehicles with its plasma cannons. Then there's the much-vaunted Dark Walker, an organic-looking towering tripod of death and destruction with a lethal heat ray attack, or the Hellbender jeep, with a rapid-fire shock core launcher that can be detonated with its shock beam and an a ion cannon turret for a second player to double up its firepower. Each vehicle is great fun to use and often devastating when brought into play, but you don't feel totally safe in a vehicle as they're not too hard for players on foot to destroy with conventional weapons, providing they can stay alive for long enough! The Avril Longbow comes in very handy against vehicles, a weapon that fires powerful homing missiles, as does the hoverboard (the translocator's replacement in vehicle-based levels), which is a quick way of getting across the map - and quicker still if you grapple onto a vehicle and hitch a ride! The hoverboard is really enjoyable to speed around on and you can carry the flag on it too - but you can't use your weapon and if you take a single hit you'll be knocked flat on your face, costing you precious seconds as you get back on your feet.

The addition of the array of vehicles (which respawn regularly) and hoverboards adds a whole new dimension to the gameplay, offering a wide range of tactical options, as well as a speedy way to quickly get from one side of the massive maps to the other. This is no more apparent than in the granddaddy of the modes, Warfare, which sets up each map with a series of nodes. Each team has a primary node that's linked to their nearby power core, with a bunch of neutral nodes scattered across the map between the two bases. Your objective is to capture nodes in sequence, either instantly by carrying an orb to them, or gradually by standing near to them (you must first destroy enemy nodes to make them neutral again), in order to link your primary node with the enemy's. Once you're linked up, you can then take over the enemy's primary node, which makes their power core vulnerable - then you need to hot foot it over there and blast it to bits, something that takes a good number of shots, before they can retake their primary node and start fighting back. With side nodes on offer that unlock extra weapons like turrets and tanks, Warfare battles can rage back and forth like a tug of war contest, and even when your power core is down to a few per cent strength, if you can retake your primary node and beat the enemy back temporarily then it's still entirely possible to make a comeback - it ain't over 'til it's over! These matches are intense and challenging, requiring smart tactics and co-ordinated teamwork, as well as skill, to win the day.

Unreal Tournament III is a powerhouse of a game and a real boon for the PS3, which is in dire need of some fantastic shooters. It won't be to everyone's tastes, but the combination of its old-school sensibilities and cutting edge looks provides some of the most eye-catching, visceral, fast twitch gaming you'll ever experience. Throw in the superb array of death-dealing weapons and the astonishing range of inconceivably well designed, gorgeous maps, and you've got a shooter that, in the online multiplayer arena, is hard to match and will last you indefinitely. As a gaming experience, unreal is probably the only way to describe it.

Reviewed by Geoff Holland for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).