So, beat the PC regularly and you won’t be shamed online, is that the idea?
Pretty much. Of course, playing the PC is never going to be as much fun as playing against humans, but Unreal Tournament takes it further than anyone else has. There are team games, where you can give your computer team members orders, such as 'watch your back, guard the base, snipe' or 'go on a rampage'.

No linear game for the single player then?
Not as such, although there is an Unreal Grandmaster Ladder, where you have to beat increasingly tougher opponents within increasingly advanced level designs, which makes for good practice.

Capture the Flag?
Yep, and classic Deathmatch. Plus Domination where you have to maintain control of key points within a level, and Assault, where two teams take it in turns to attack and defend an installation, such as a speeding train, gunboat or medieval castle. You can take any mix of human and computer opponents into the fray.

But wasn’t Unreal’s network code a bit pants?
It was last year, but recent patches have fixed it. We’ve played Unreal and Unreal Tournament online now, and we are mightily impressed.

*Stunning graphics still, and you might have a PC to handle it now
*All new sound effects and new, bigger, better weapons
*Stunning computer AI provides the greatest challenge so far
*Great multiplayer and single-player experience
*A lovely selection of games, and probably more to come