I remember many years ago, when I was just a wee lad, I received this game for my birthday, or Christmas, or Hanukkah... or maybe it was Kwanzaa. Something like that. The point is, I fell in love with it immediately. This game is a must play for anyone who considers themselves a gamer. Why is this game so great? You get to build your own themepark. Place down rides, concessions, paths, trees and other decorations. You can set the prices for everything, and, most importantly, you can build your own roller coasters. There are preset designs for roller coasters, but it's much more fun to build your own. The best part is you can make these has dangerous as you want. I think everyone who played this game remembers loving to kill people by crashing roller coasters (or by picking them up and placing them in a pool of water). If you don't already own this game, get it now. It's a must have.
Many years ago I had a demo of this game that I just loved playing. I always found it so much fun to just build up a small little town. When this game appeared on GOG I got so excited that I'd finally be able to play it again, and the full game even. It's definitely a load of fun, but not all the elements of the game are amazing. First things first though, the town building. In order to build buildings, you need three things: Serfs, to move materials, laborers, to do the building, and the materials for the actual building. Once a building is built you'll also usually have to train the correct person at a school in order for the building to work. It's all very simple and fun. Unfortunately, the building up of your town is just means to an end. Usually the objective of a map means defeating enemy soldiers, and combat just is not any fun. Order soldiers around is very clunky, the fighting is slow, and seems a bit difficult. I really find it no fun at all. Improving upon this wouldn't have taken very much. It's a real shame it is how it is because I just enjoy everything else so much. Regarding the presentation, the graphics are actually pretty nice. They do carry a certain charm with them. The music isn't anything special, but it fits the game well and while it doesn't stand alone well at all is nice to listen to while playing.
UT2K4 is a great, fast paced FPS. With both a single-player option and the ability to play online with many different gameplay modes, there is plenty to keep you occupied. While the single-player mode can be a little repetitious, it still offers a decent challenge and is a good way to get warmed up and learn the basics if you never have played before. Multiplayer is where it's at though. There are many modes of play including capture the flag and deathmatch, and a few original modes too. Unlike shooters like Halo and Call of Duty the action is very fast paced and you have to keep moving to stay alive. Expect to be playing a long time before you become any good though. The game looks very good, and there are plenty of customizable options. Also, there are many mods available for this game, giving it a lot of replay value.
