Quake III's single-player mode is arranged into several sets (or 'tiers') of levels, each with their own indigenous warriors. Complete one load, and you are allowed to access the next. On the lower two skill settings, any gamer with a modicum of competence will finish the lot in a few days. Don't, however, make the mistake of viewing this as a fault. It isn't. While it would be nice to have league systems, and other such peripheral appurtenances (very impressive, sub), you don't really need them, as such. You can arrange any kind of battle that takes your fancy, on any map, with any characters, whenever you so please. And, with map-editing tools now in the Public Domain, there will be literally thousands of new maps to play on within the next few months. Single-player longevity just isn't an issue.

Even the few features that Unreal Tournament has that Quake III lacks - like the Domination modes, or themed, team-based levels - will doubtlessly appear soon. Always keen to encourage third-party mods, id have fostered an enormous community of level designers and programmers who will - in time - cater for just about any demand. When you buy Quake III, you're not just purchasing a simple, stand-alone product - you're buying into an almost boundless supply of extra goodies. This is one game that will last.

But enough, already. Quake III is... is... well, we've exhausted our supply of superlatives. If you own a PC, buy it. If you don't, buy one, then buy it. We'd love to tell you more about it but, really: you'll enjoy yourself far more if you get yourself down into town and grab yourself a copy right now. It is... oh, actually, we have thought of something that we don't like about it. The front end is a bit scruffy. Ha! Punitive marking, here we come...