This game is about evolution, balance, and refinement, and at the same time retaining the things that make this game Unreal. I came away from the game feeling very impressed. The changes Digital Extremes have made in every aspect of the game have been done to promote better team play and a fairer, more balanced game. The additions to the gameplay such as the double jump, berserk, and speed will change the way the game is played. The weapons are very balanced and retain their tactical uniqueness and remain friendly to new players while not being overly spammy. The translocator changes will change the way CTF is played but should not alienate players who already have mastered the device. Domination 2 and Bombing Run have real chances at becoming breakthrough gametypes and not falling to the wayside as Assault and Domination eventually did.
The look is remarkable. Even if you have seen all of the pictures and videos that are available for download. Unreal Tournament 2003 looks to be a bigger step forward than Unreal Tournament was from Unreal. Details such as player shadows and the new "ragdoll" models make the game a step closer to realism. The level of detail is scalable so that higher end systems will really be able to knock you out with the game's look, while systems at the lower end should be able to run the game fairly well with less detail.
Linux and Mac users will have to wait to see what Epic is going to do. The thoughts at DE were that those two platforms might be supported, but it remains to be seen if or when Epic will make the port.
I would like to thank Digital Extremes for their hospitality; Meredith for her help in setting up the trip; Juan 'Pancho' Eekels, Dave Ewing, and Bastiaan 'Checker' Frank for all of their time, information, and just being excellent hosts (Checker especially for kicking my ass on his own map!); and Epic for creating such a fine engine.
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