Top 5 Deathmatches

Classes, Unlocks, Squads, Teams, Nodes, Flags - if all those terms make you dizzy, maybe it's time you indulged in some old school deathmatch action. If you're in the mood for an every-man-for-himself free-for-all bloodbath, we feel you! In fact, we've been missing the good old deathmatch so much off lately, that we've decided to commemorate some of our favorite free-for-all indulgences in this article. Here are a few games with our favorite deathmatch offerings:

Unreal Tournament 2003

Right since the original Unreal Tournament days, you could never have a discussion about the hottest deathmatches without mentioning a game from this franchise. Right from the redeemer to the shockrifle, Unreal Tournament hit the sweetspot when it came to weapon selection. Then along came Unreal Tournament 2003, with far sweeter visual, faster action and some really massive shock-rifle combo-blasts! The best part about this one was that it had a very steep learning curve for those who chose to indulge in it. Each weapon had its individual learning curve too, with different ways of honing them - the Flak Cannon could be used to scatter shots around corners, the rocket launcher could load-up a payload of three boom-booms and blast an unsuspecting duo of enemies fighting each other, and the shock-rifle could me masterfully honed to combo the alternate fire with its primary fire, to create an explosion that would send your enemies' limbs gleefully skimming through the air.

Quake III Arena

The classic shooter, and one of the first shooters to make it extremely big in the multiplayer competitive shooter scene - Quake III Arena undoubtedly dwarfs most other deathmatches by leaps and bounds. From the pin-point precision of the rail gun and its per-shot load time, to the powerful but laggy blasts of the Plasma rifle, each weapon was balanced out perfectly to ensure that only those with true skill could dominate each match. The unique and customizable character selection were a big boon, but what really took the cake was the game's masterfully designed maps that allowed you to catapult yourself between platforms (how I love DM17!), and others that were labyrinths of claustrophobic passages that would make for great rocket launcher splash damage zones. This game was the manifestation of online carnage!

Alien Versus Predator II

Some of you might find this game ill-fitting to this sort of a list, but don't dismiss it yet. Not only did Alien Versus Predator II have a superb singleplayer campaign, it had some of the best multiplayer deathmatch modes out there! It had the best of both worlds - you could pick between different classes of Marines, Aliens or Predators, each of which played vastly different from one another. Marines were all out firepower, Predators were stealthy and lethal, and Aliens were sneaky, fast and devastating in close quarters combat. There were great modes, the best of which was one that allows you to start off as an Alien Face-hugger that let you latch onto the enemy, and depending on their race, you'd get a different hybrid of an evolved Alien with unique abilities!

Halo 3

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As much as the Halo series might seen overrated, there's no denying that it always had some of the best multiplayer play to offer. The deathmatches right from the first Halo game have been top-notch, with the perfect mix of great maps, awesome power-ups and some of the best vehicular combat in multiplayer. Running after a tank with the invisibility power-up, yielding a rocket-launcher, and planting a rocket right in the driver's face, has got to be one of the most satisfying things you could do in a deathmatch, and it was possible in all Halo games.

F.E.A.R. Combat

F.E.A.R. Combat got a new addition to the mix of deathmatches - Slo Mo DM - that allowed the yielder of the reflex booster to slow time down, and frag all his sluggish opponents with a distinct speed advantage on his side. It was absolutely the most orgasmic feeling to use your nail-gun and pin your enemies to the wall in slow motion, or to shoot from your grenade launcher and see debris fly all over the place, with the dead enemy(s) rag-dolling like a kitten in a washing machine! The best part about the game was that it was completely free, so if you haven't tried it already, please do yourself a favor and download it from here.