Okay, I know this games been out a while, but I just got to try it last night and here's a review I penned.
FIRST LOOK UT 2004:
Unreal Tournament 2004 has gotten some of the best reviews this year, on par with those of the original which appeared back in 1999 ? but does it deserve them?
Yes? yes it does.
How does it compare favorably with the original UT, when last years outing was nothing but a shallow, soulless (tho beautiful) shell of the original?
It does so by doing two things:
Not only have the designers gone back to UT?s roots to make this year?s installment a more violent and faster paced game than the one released in 2003, they have also actually included a complete updated remake of the best features and the best maps from the original 1999 Unreal Tournament release.
This makes the nostalgia trip alone worth the price of admission for many a true UT fan-addict!
Add to that the Huge, and I mean HUGE, number of new maps and playable characters, and the game is a stellar bargain at its $29.99 price.
But the game goodness doesn?t just stop there!
UT 2004 comes with an entirely new mode called ?Onslaught?. This new mode is filled with fully drivable, multi-user vehicles, stationary ?mech-like? gun turrets, and emphasizes Team based play.
Well, so what you say ? Tribes / Tribes 2 and Battlefield have all this. Well, perhaps but I doubt it has ever looked or played so good!
The vehicles used drive very intuitively, and each has their own distinct advantages, weaknesses, and feel. The turrets are also very easy to use, and very effective for providing defense to the captured positions in the Onslaught maps. On top of all this there are many, many little touches that make each vehicle feel like an awesome and fearsome killing machine.
The new Onslaught mode very effectively encourages Team Play, and the in game team voice channels make strategic communication a breeze. All this is done with the high speed, balls to the wall, over the top pacing that the original UT was well known for.
The bot A.I. also remains exceptional for this third UT release, and can easily be confused for real, online, players on all map types (except for maybe that they use better teamwork then seen on most public servers). Playing an Onslaught, CTF, or Assault map with the bots is an absolute blast.
Now for the bad news.
There is none?. Nada? PERIOD!
Ok, well, the level load times could be shorter ? and the install is a whopping 5.5 GB mandatory?. but? considering they have thrown in everything but the kitchen sink in this latest release, I think those are really rather small complaints.
Final Thoughts:
Is this a Battlefield killer?
Well yes and no.
UT 2004 is definitely better polished overall than its Battlefield multiplayer brethren. And it is also more accessible.
It even has better performance, on lower to mid end machines.
However, it is a super high speed slugfest, with fantastical, out-of-this-world, weaponry, and it just can?t deliver the gritty feel that B1942 and BFV are known for.
Since UT 2004 is more polished, includes in game voice, and has a superior single player component than any other multiplayer FPS out there ? I will have to give it my highest Rating of the Year ? 4.8 out of 5.
And, if you consider the Mods that will soon be available, it may well soon deserve a 5 out of 5.
If you have the means, I highly suggest you pick up your copy today!
Topic: UT 2004 - a First Look (Read 1610 times)