Unreal Tournament 2003 Demo
Well, now the game's gone gold I guess I'd better tell you lot about it.
This review is confined to the Linux version of the demo, as I'm still organising the the 3GB of disk space required for the full game.
Installation
Uses Loki's installer, works like a dream. Can't complain. Also you get functionality which Windows users do not, namely automatic patch location and installation.
Menus
One of the weak points of Unreal Tournament was that the menu structure was a bit cryptic, with tabbed dialogue boxes that didn't make a whole heap of sense. This has been fixed. UT2K3 has a far simpler user interface that's more responsive. This is goodness.
The front menu has a good "instant action" option, which throws you straight into a firefight on the map of your choice. Again, sane defaults mean that 99% of the time you just hit "Fight" and get on with it.
Graphics
Lush.
Gorgeous.
Rich.
Slow.
This game is nothing short of stunning to look at. Some stonkingly high poly counts mean that the UT2K3 world is rich, immersive and satisfying. Procedural textures, subtle lighting and water that looks wet all add to the experience.
All this beauty comes at a price, and that price is CPU cycles. You'll need at least a P3 1GHz or better, and at least a GeForce2 with 32MB. At least. The minimum specs are a joke.
Gameplay
I come from a Quake 3 Arena background, which means I'm into lightning fast deathmatch gameplay, combined with highly tactical CTF work. A lot of people have said that UT2K3 is like Quake 3. Well, it's not. It's not as fast. One of the key moves in Q3A is the rocket jump, which seems pretty much absent.
However, if we forget about Q3A for a moment and enjoy UT2K3 on its own merits, we find a satisfying game that has few flaws. One of those flaws is that your enemies have a habit of blending into the background. This is not a realistic game. You should be able to see your target :-)
Once you get over this, and let the game's unique dynamic settle in, it's fun.
The weapons seem to be reasonably balanced, but as usual he who has the flak cannon wins in close combat. The lightning gun is a poor replacement for the sniper rifle - which, to be fair, was a horrendously powerful weapon in UT.
After a while, I found myself concentrating on the trio of flak cannon, rocket launcher and minigun.
The gametypes are varied enough to provide much interest, with Bombing Run and Double Domination likely to be unfamiliar to new players.
Bombing Run is basically UT2K3 football. When you have the ball, you can't fire. Put the ball in the opponent's goal to score.
Double Domination is a variation on Domination from UT - only this time, you must hold two specific points on the map for a period of time to score. CTF and deathmatch are their perennial selves.
Summary
Although this isn't the game I'd hoped for after all the hype, I was pleasantly surprised by how it grew on me. It'll not replace Q3A in my gaming life, but it will sit nicely alongside it.
What really remains to be seen is what the modding scene makes of it.
