Unreal Tournament III is for anyone looking for entertaining online play, but stay far away if you're looking for more.
In fact, the story is the weakest part of the game, as the gameplay is nothing more than simulated on-line matches. And while you are treated to some really nice cut-scenes before, after, and in-between the game's five chapters courtesy of the Unreal Engine, those same cut-scenes are short and lack any real depth.
It does do a beautiful job of preparing you for the online battles you're about to face, however, and you will find that you're very familiar with the game's maps and controls by the time the campaign is completed. This feature helps make sure you at least stand a fighting chance when you step out onto the battlefield, and helps with the nasty learning curve that most twitch games have.
Moving on to the basics, Epic Games has everything in hand with this one, as they should. Whether you're discussing the game's fantastic graphics, incredible physics, or amazing sound, you're left wanting for nothing. The only issues I experienced actually took place offline, where the frame-rate took an incredible drop for no apparent reason. This happened infrequently, however, and cleared itself up quickly.
One area where they went above and beyond with Unreal Tournament III was with the controls. The PS3 version actually features mouse and keyboard support, which was a huge step forward for this game as it gives you more accuracy. It's especially noticeable as the game is incredibly fast-paced, and it's unfortunate that 360 owners were left out of the loop this time. The gamepad is their only control option.
Online play is virtually lag free and will provide you with hours of entertainment, especially considering the bevy of modes available including Warfare, Capture the Flag, and Deathmatch (to name a few). But what's even more impressive are the maps you'll be playing on. Some of them are not only expansive, but they're also designed in such a way that players on opposing teams will still find each other for battle. Epic games' attention to detail in this regard truly stands out as one of its high points, and they even provide you the ability to edit and share your maps with others when you finally tire of them.
Overall, the game is simply fantastic thanks to it's incredible online gameplay and many options available, and I highly recommend it for any twitch gamer. But again, don't come here looking for kind of single-player experience, as this title just wasn't designed for it.