Flak Cannon/Reception

Overview

Gallery

Reception

Meta article
The following is a meta-article, which explains a concept which usually falls out of one of the wiki's categorizations, yet it's still important to explain something.

Being one of the most iconic weapons in Unreal history, the Flak Cannon not only received many awards for "best weapon", but also spawned many imitators.

References in other games

Main article: References to the Unreal series in other games

• Gunfire Reborn: The Porcupine has an alternate fire that makes it play similarly to the Flak Cannon.
• Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast: The Flechette Weapon is basically the Flak Cannon in all but name.
• Nexuiz/Xonotic: The Mortar's primary fire shots projectiles which can be summed up as Flak Shells.
• Nightmare Reaper: The Scrap Cannon fires fragments on its primary fire, and a shell on its secondary fire, making it a straight reference to the weapon.
• Nuclear Throne: The Flak Cannon works almost exactly like their Unreal counterpart, being a shotgun weapon that fires a sphere of multi-hit death.
• Russian Overkill: The Hotrod's secondary and tertiary fire shoot a spray of flak and a shrapnel bomb, respectively, just like the Flak Cannon.
• Serious Sam Bogus Detour: The Scrap Cannon weapon is based on the Flak Cannon.
• SYNTHETIK: The flak cannon functions identically to its Unreal counterpart.
• Warframe:
  • The Drakgoon shrapnel cannon is extremely similar to the Flak Cannon.
  • A later update added the Zarr, which is even closer to the original Flak Cannon.
  • In collaboration with Epic Games, an Unreal Tournament skin pack was released for a limited time through the platform, adding the "Drakgoon Flak Cannon Skin", which altered the Drakgoon's appearance to that of the UT4 Flak Cannon model.

Awards

2old2play

• 2old2play named it as the eighth best FPS weapon:

"The first great multiplayer FPS game on the PC also introduced one of the best weapons ever to shred your friends with. Visceral gibing never had it so good when catching people in close quarters and destroying every one who was hit by it. More fun then any of the other weapons in the game for up close action, just remember to wash up before eating."

– 2old2play

Altered Gamer

• Altered Gamer mentioned it as the best Shotgun-type weapon of all time:

"Whatever you play, there they are. You always get to shoot them: pump-action or automatic, sawed-off or combat, with shells of everyting from lead to alien plamsa. Nothing has stopped game developers from putting the shotgun (or at least an odd extra-terrestrial contraption with a low rate of fire, short range, and high damage) in EVERY FPS GAME I’ve ever seen. But which of them is the best, you ask?

Why the one that tosses frag grenades as a secondary fire option – with drumroll, welcome the Flak Cannon from the Unreal Tournament series! This one in particular is from the 2004 version. While it is not technically a shotgun, it looks like a shotgun, feels like a shotgun and does what a really unreal shotgun must do – like shooting the slugs around corners or tossing the giant grenade of destruction upon your enemies. And it is deadlier than anything else, when up close and personal. My “Flak Monkey” bretheren will surely understand me."

– Altered Gamer

Bit-Gamer

• Bit-Gamer mentioned it as the best weapon in gaming:

"There are so many reasons why I think Unreal Tournament's Flak Cannon is the best virtual weapon ever designed. Let's start with the name. Flak is the stuff that brings down aeroplanes, and Unreal Tournament gives you a cannon that fires flak from your hip. Not just a gun, a whole damn cannon. That's cool. I want to try that.

Then there's the visual design. Like Dead Space's plasma cutter, the Flak Cannon is not officially a weapon, but an industrial tool. It reflects this in its bulky aesthetic, the way its painted construction-site yellow, the way servos whirr and click as it loads a shell into place. When fired, flak is visible and glows molten hot. Not only does this look awesome, it provides clear feedback on where your flak hits.

Lastly, you've got its fire modes. The Flak Cannon's primary fire unleashes a wall of shrapnel that'll slice any nearby enemy into bacon. Flak also bounces off walls, meaning you can kill enemies via ricochet, and even fire the cannon around corners, bouncing flak off the wall like a weaponised snooker player. Meanwhile, the secondary fire launches an entire shell filled with shrapnel that bursts on contact, scattering flak in a wide circle. The shell also fires in a long arc, making it ideal for longer range kills, or even firing over obstacles.

These features make the Flak Cannon one of the most versatile weapons in gaming. In many ways it's the antithesis to Quake's Railgun. Whereas the Railgun demands perfection, the Flak Cannon rewards experimentation, of taking a punt and seeing what happens. It's more fun than a bucketful of puppies and my choice for the best virtual weapon ever designed."

– Bit-Gamer

Chaos (YT)

• The Chaos YouTube channel named it the 16th. most ridiculous weapon in FPS history.

Top 20 Most RIDICULOUS Guns in FPS HISTORY

GameSkinny

• The weapon was deemed the 6th. greatest weapon in videogame history:

"The trouble with a lot of shotguns in video games is that they all fire a similar type of ammo. The Flak Cannon from the Unreal series changed this by introducing a gun that uses ionised flechettes as projectiles. This gives enemies on the receiving end of the Flak Cannon the same sensation as having a bucketful of hot coals blasted into them, which is never a nice experience. Using this gun is simply one of the most enjoyable experiences in video games.

The flechettes are launched in a spread pattern that can bounce off walls, or as frag grenades that radiate the terrifying ammo in all directions - although managing to hit anyone with this secondary fire mode is another matter. And the cannon works perfectly within the short corridors and verticality of Unreal Tournament 99's levels."

– GameSkinny

GamesRadar

• The site named the weapon as the #39 best weapon in videogames:

"In the future, all shotguns will also double as cannon launchers. The Flak Cannon has taken various forms over the years, but the firepower's always the same: a spray of neon-yellow pellets on the left-click, a mortar-like bomb on the right. And you haven't lived until you've mulched an opponent with the Flak Cannon at point blank range, their body turned to (bloody) Swiss cheese in an instant. Plus, nothing says "Have a nice day!" like the smiley face emblazoned on the cannon itself. Oh, and ssshhh--don't tell PC Gamer that we didn't rank the Flak Cannon as the number one gun, like they did."

– GamesRadar

Gaming Top Tens

• The weapon was named the eighth most iconic weapon by Gaming Top Tens:

"Respect for the Flak Cannon for being the only shotgun-style weapon that made it onto this list. Red hot scattershot blown in random constellations of flak likely divines’ death for any victim unfortunate enough to meet it face to face. The unpredictable nature of the flak pattern leads to a tense millisecond of uncertainty before the shot connects, and this feeling is further bolstered by the lethal “bounce” of the flak shot. This bounce trait is perfect for the 90-degree hallway turns ever present in the Unreal Tournament arenas, and killing a retreating opponent with a flak ricochet is a testament to the discipline of triggernometry.

The alternative option for this gun is explosively delightful. Each connection with a Flak rocket celebrated with gory confetti burst from your enemy’s chestpiece. Dangerous at midrange for your assailant, but dangerous for all at short range. Send it anyway."

– Gaming Top Tens

Gmanlives (YT)

• The Gmanlives YouTube channel named it the eighth best Shotgun-type weapon of all time.

7 of the Best FPS Shotguns - Gggmanlives

HubPages

• The weapon was deemed the ninth best FPS weapon of all time

"Lots of shooters have grenade launchers, and there are more shotguns in gaming then you can shake a boomstick at. However, very few games have managed to combine these two iconic weapons in the way that Epic Games did with their Unreal Tournament series.

The Flak Cannon has been the shotgun equivalent in the Unreal Tournament since the series first saw life in 1999. While the primary fire sent red hot shrapnel bouncing around the arena, its ability to ricochet rounds off walls was a blast. It was fun to score frags online with the flak cannon.

Secondary fire introduced opponents to a whole new world of hurt with a shrapnel grenade that exploded on impact. The Flak Cannon was not the easiest weapon to wield because it could inflict as much pain on you as it could your target.

There have been slight changes to the Flak Cannon over the years, but the weapon has been present in every Unreal Tournament game to date. Because of its bouncing ammo, ability to kill yourself, and longevity, the Flak Cannon earns the number nine spot on my list."

– HubPages

LevelSkip

• LevelSkip mentioned it as the ninth best FPS weapons of all time.

"Lots of shooters have grenade launchers and there are more shotguns in gaming then you can shake a boomstick at but very few games have managed to combine these two iconic weapons in the way that Epic Games did with their Unreal Tournament series.

The flak cannon has been the shotgun equivalent in the Unreal Tournament since the series first saw life in 1999. While the primary fire sent red hot shrapnel bouncing around the arena with its ability to ricochet rounds off walls was a blast it was only half the fun of gibbing people online with the flak cannon.

Secondary fire introduced opponents to a whole new world of hurt with a shrapnel grenade that exploded on impact with anything or anyone releasing its own set of bouncing shards of death. The flak cannon was not the easiest weapon to wield because much like other games of the time your weapons could inflict as much pain on you as it could your target.

There have been slight changes to the flak cannon over the years but the weapon has been present in every Unreal Tournament game to date (as much as I would love a UT4 I doubt it will see the light of day). Because of it's bouncing ammo, ability to kill yourself, and longevity, the Flak Cannon earns the number nine spot on my list."

– LevelSkip

PCGamer

• PCGamer named it one of the most satisfying weapons in FPS in their list.

The Most Satisfying Weapons in FPS History

Prima Games

• The weapon was named the 18th. best videogame weapon of all time:

"There are a number of great weapons to choose from in the Unreal games. However, you can’t go wrong with the Flak Cannon. This modified shotgun shoots little particles that bounce off walls, hitting anyone they come in contact with. One good up-close shot can shred an enemy almost instantly, and the secondary fire-bomb tactic isn’t too shabby either. Make sure you have one of these on hand during your next match."

– Prima Games