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The
first Unreal, while still a good game, is not necessarily one
of the best. Released in 1999, it is based on the Unreal Engine.
The single player experience is massive, with beautiful outdoor
areas, spectacular castles, and interesting tech bases. The single
player gameplay leaves a bit to be desired, however.
One of the best parts about Unreal was the fact that you could
play multiplayer botmatches. This turned into a full online spectacle,
where players battled each other on virtual fighting grounds. It
led to the release of one of the most popular multiplayer-only games
of all time.
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After
the original Unreal was released, Epic
Games, creator of the Unreal series, quickly realized that
the botmatches and online play were the most popular part of the
game. This culminated into the release of Unreal Tournament, a
strickly multiplayer game akin to Quake III. It was a huge hit,
and was even given the award Game of the Year.
The original Unreal weapons were redesigned, and the equivalent
of a handheld nuclear missile launcher was even added. Many brand
new levels of play, and new game modes, such as Domination and Capture
the Flag, were added.
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Epic
added to the Unreal legacy with the release of Unreal Tournament
2003 in 2002. Weapons were changed, all new levels were included,
a new mode of gameplay was introduced, and the announcer was replaced
with one that sounds like an NFL reject. All in all, opinions differ
widely in how good the game really is. It is based on the Unreal
engine yet again, only this time it has been vastly improved over
the original used in Unreal and Unreal Tournament. There is no doubt
that the game looks pretty, but how well it plays is up to much
debate. |
Unreal
2 was released in 2003 to great expectations, and many believed
it did not fulfill them at all. Sure, the graphics were cutting
edge, but great graphics do not necessarily make a great game. The
gameplay was rather slow paced, people complained of too many cut
scenes, and the mission briefings were abnormally long. For most,
the game was too short. While not quite another Daikatana, Unreal
2 was too overhyped. |
Once
again, Epic has released yet another Unreal-engine based multiplayer
game, this time calling it Unreal Tournament 2004. Is Epic turning
this into some kind of a sport or something? Sure, it looks pretty,
but I've heard otherwise about the gameplay. Seems to me that they're
just holding on to their cash cow and milking it for all it's worth,
what with the more or less flop of Unreal 2 and all. |
I started playing through the original
Unreal again several months ago, but couldn't make myself keep playing
it. It's not bad, it's just that the game doesn't have much replay
value. Unreal Tournament is still a great game, and I still play
some botmatches once in awhile to keep from getting too rusty. Single-player
modifications for Unreal Tournament have surfaced that I never even
knew about, and one of the most awesome is Operation Na Pali. Unreal
Tournament 2003 is most likely too much for my computer, in terms
of processor ability, but more so in hard drive space. The game
takes up three CDs, and that much space I cannot spare for a game.
Unreal 2? More of the previous, and based on what I've heard about
it, I'm not sure I would want to play it even if my computer could
handle it. Unreal Tournament 2004? Give me a break. |
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