Unreal Tournament 2003 (Demo) review

DM-Antalus: Good
An outdoor environment of this type in a FPS is something new. The varied level of terrain (that didn't look like MAX HEADROOM and TRON had a baby) is a nice change of pace. The graphics and sounds of the level do a good job of creating a more realistic outdoor environment in a FPS. As for graphics/textures, my only complaint was the amount of tiling used on the rock texture (the repeat of the pattern is VERY noticeable). One sound note, walking on grass provides a nice crunching sound (Thumbs Up!, realism). However, jumping down onto the ground sounds like you just jumped onto concete (Thumbs Down).

But what about the gameplay? The gameplay does offer a good bit of space to move, and multi axis combat situations. There are only a couple of spots where a player comes to a dead end and must turn around. Of the two DM maps in the demo this one is definitely the better of the two. However, it appears once again, that weapon placement (and ability to "hog" certain ones of them) will be the determining factor in who will most likely obtain the highest number of kills.

The entire map does "flow" from one area to the next, but, there does not appear to be any one real "focus" area that people will try and head towards to duke it out in mass. Instead players will focus on the areas around the items they wish to pick up. Personally, this level reminds me of an "open" version of so many levels that consist of nothing more than just one hallway after another without really heading anywhere specific (as into rooms to do battle).

While it sounds like the level may not offer enough, the open areas to move and multi-axis combat offer enough to outweigh the cons "just" enough to make it a level I would want to play again, and thus give it a Good rating.

On a side note, this pic is good reason to make sure your levels have geometry all the way around them. If a player can find a way to reach an area that is normally unreachable, this is what they find. This was done by jumping off of the highest point I could find in the level while using the Low Gravity mutator. Then again, a limit on where (how high) players can go could be put into the level like that the one in the BR-Anubis level.
Picture 2

DM-Asbestos: Below Average
A big factory to run around in with lots of metal pipes, stairs, ramps and railings. Haven't I seen this before? :} I wasn't really impressed by this level at all. While the architechure/geometry is beyond what has been shown in most FPS ever before it did NOT HELP GAMEPLAY! Out of ANY of the levels provided in this demo, this was the one level that did the worst in terms of video performance (at least on my machine)...not to mention gameplay.

Yes, there is a great deal of multi-axis combat that can take place in this level. Unfortunately, getting a shot thru all of the pipes and other obstructions (that is if your framerate doesn't drop unlike on ANY of the other levels with the same or greater number of players) can seem like an uphill battle by itself. Many of the highest areas that would have been great overlooks for taking out targets (victims) below were so full of walkways/ramps and such that there were no clear shots offered.

Again, the item placement, as opposed to the actual level design, is what determined the flow of this level. Some areas were CONSTANT sources of battles (usually in tight small confined spaces with little to no manuvering room) while other areas were like a ghost town most of the time. With large numbers of players, these tight areas become a bloodfest with no rhyme or reason...just the guy with the biggest gun trying to take out anyone else who is trying to take the gun he is attempting to horde.

While the "look" of the level in terms of massive machinery (geometry) and old rusted/worn textures and such was VERY well done, the flow of the gameplay was just not there with this level. With the exception of a few dead ends, you can usually keep moving from one area to the next via hallways. More than simply being able to move from one area to the next is required for the kind of flow that makes for good gameplay. The environment should play a part in battles/gameplay, but, it should not get in the way.

As far as sound goes, where are the MASSIVE sounds being created by these HUGE pieces of machinery that are running and sparking like crazy? The intricate detail and work that went into the level helped to create a great "looking" space for battle. However, using gameplay as the main focus of the rating this level actually drops into the area of those levels that I would play if I had to, but, more than likely I would pick another level for my maplist.

On a side note, the first time I ran this map, one of the huge beams along the wall next to a pillar did not show up. I could see the walls on either side of the pillar but was only able to walk around one side. The next time I ran the level the beam was present.
Picture 3

I also ran across some interesting graphical glitches where geometry would be stretched out across one portion of a map. These glitches don't always show up when running the level.
Picture 4 & Picture 5

CTF-Citadel: Good
As far as look of the level design goes, this was my favorite level. The architecture was something out of a nightmare that let you know, THIS IS GOING TO BE A BATTLE! The geometry, lighting and sounds used all helped to create a great atmosphere. The level was not designed for a very large number of players, which is a shame since CTF is one of the most popular modes of play online for UT (and most likely will be for UT2003, my prediction).

Now we come to the gameplay. Out of all the maps in the demo, this one also provided, what I felt, was the best example of good gameplay. The geometry helped to create the atmosphere without getting in the way of gameplay. Yes, you can miss a shot occasionally by hitting one of the spike/railings, but, that it does not happen ALL the time. The bases were balanced (a BIG plus for CTF gameplay type). About the only limiting factor to this level, gameplay wise, was the fact that a decent defensive team could nearly lock down their base by knocking opposing players off the ledges with Shield Guns (primary fire) and/or using a Rocket Launcher to spam near the lower entrances to their base.

Even with those limiting factors, this level provided some of the best gameplay offered in the UT2003 demo. It is the one level that kept me really wanting to play more. And therefore, deserves nothing less than a "Good" rating. If the level not had those other minor limitations I would have possibly given it an "Exceptional".

BR-Anubis: Average
This Egyptian style level does a good job of showing how far the Unreal Engine has come in terms of ability to display a lot of scenery objects on the screen and yet still create a playable level without it being cluttered. The look and mood of the level is VERY well done. However, with that being said, I still found this to be my next to least favorite level in the demo.

Perhaps it was the gameplay type of the level or the fact that the actual area of the map that is really "required" to play is essentially linear, but, most players focus on running to the center of the map, and then just one of two directions after that. Also, with just one entrance, there is a good opportunity for teams to "turtle" up and defend the ONLY path into their scoring room.

This map also suffered from one of the same problems as Asbestos...framerate drops when a few players (less than 4 in the case of this map) were on screen in an area with a good bit of level geometry. Again, it is NOT a good thing if the design of the level makes it such that gameplay suffers when even the smallest number of players is on screen. Also keep in mind that this problem did NOT occur on the other maps with the same (or more) numbers of players were on screen.

One pet peeve I ran across is the lack of ability to "get" to areas that I could see. I could "see" ledges and high up areas that would have been GREAT for sniping/ambush spots. Unfortunately, they were inaccessable because firing your Translocator towards them would cause the disc to either reset back in the Translocator, OR, bounce off of "invisible" walls placed there to keep players from reaching such areas. If I can "see" something that "should" be accessable via the tools at my disposal, and I am blocked from reaching them, it just hurts the entire "believablity" of the situation.

On design and atmosphere alone (the pros) I would have been willing to give this level a higher rating. But, when you take into account the cons associated with the level, they bring the overall score down to a rating of "Average". Perhaps creating multiple paths to the scoring areas would help to increase the diversity of gameplay on the level.

On a side note, I ran across some interesting graphical glitches where geometry would be stretched out across one portion of a map. These glitches don't always show up when running the level.
Picture 6 & Picture 7

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Added: September 16th 2002
Product reviewed: Unreal Tournament 2003 (Demo)
Reviewer: STATIC3D
Score: 7/10
Page: 3/7