Unreal Tournament(Dreamcast): Lock n' Load!
Written: Apr 09 '02
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Product Rating:
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Pros: good AI, online play
Cons: LAG in online play
The Bottom Line: GET THIS GAME
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| Rock_On's Full Review: Unreal Tournament for Windows |
Note: I guess Epinions was once again too lazy to update with the Dreamcast version of Unreal Tournament, so I'm posting it under the PC version.
I got Unreal Tournament the same day I got NBA 2k1 that one Saturday afternoon when my Dad and I went to Best Buy to get a new printer. I skimmed the aisles for Dreamcast games and decided upon getting NBA 2k1(which was the review I wrote yesterday), which was $7.99, and Unreal Tournament which was only $9.99(two great games for under 20 dollars, it’s sad to think of the Dreamcast’s death, so many good games on the console). I had heard people talk about the game before, both the PC and PS2 versions, but I hadn’t really ever heard of anybody talk about the Dreamcast version(which I think in many ways is an awesome game). I don’t usually play computer games, as my computer is slow, I don’t like to have to upgrade my computer when a game can’t run on what I’ve got, and my hard drive is taken up by school, school projects, and other stuff(no not porn); so I thought I’d skip the PC game. Then I saw Unreal Tournament on pS2 and was tempted to buy it until I heard about the DC version and that the replay value is nay without online play(which the PS2 doesn’t have right now, so when the game was ported to PS2.....I just think it was a bad idea).
“Go ahead, make my day!”
In case you’re wondering, there is NO story in Unreal Tournament. It’s basically “run around with cool weapons, collecting better weapons, and then fragging the monkeys out of you(fragging means to kill, like if you frag someone, it means you killed them).” The game really lacks in the single-player mode, and for some people may be no fun at all. Anyways, I thought the single-player was actually rather fun...the first time through. There are four or five different game options, each one having between 10 and 15 different maps to play on.
You’ve got the basic games; Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, Domination, and one other one, which is actually some kind of one on one thing(it gets really boring, I’ve only bothered to complete the first map). Deathmatch is just as the name implies: frag as many players as you can without dying yourself. There is a set frag limit, such as 10, 15, or 20, in which whoever frags that many players first, is declared the winner. Capture the flag, which its name implies, is one of the most popular scenarios to play in a lot of multi-player games like this. Here each team(Red and Blue) starts at their own base, which is where their flag is located, and from there you have to get the other team’s flag and bring it back to your base to score a point without dying. Once you’re fragged, the flag is dropped and you have to go get it again. How do you gain access to the other team’s flag you say? By any means available, and it aint gonna be easy(well, in Multi-player it’s not easy, but single player is a cake walk). And the last scenario is called Domination, where you’re on either the Red or Blue team, and there are three places around the level that can be switched from Red to Blue or vice versa. Whatever team you're on, you want to try and keep the switches that color and defend them if you can. It’s basically king of the hill, only these switches count as points for your team, and in king of the hill it was just to stay some where for the longest time.
OK, I’m sorry, that was a really, really long paragraph up there, I won’t do it again...I promise(doh!). Anyways...hmm, that’s basically it for the single-player mode. Like I said at the beginning of the review, some people like me may like it the first time through as a kind of way to get used to the feeling of the controller and such, but after that first time through, it’s worthless, even to practice for a big game coming up, you’d get way better experience playing online than you would the single-player.
Well ok, since I’m on the subject of multi-player, why don’t I elaborate a little? First and foremost, I’m not entirely sure if there’s a split screen offline multi-player used in conjunction with the four-controller ports, but I wouldn’t think for a game like this, they wouldn’t add split-screen offline play. As for online multi-player...it’s awesome. Anyone who’s played the game but didn’t like it on first judgment because they only played single-player, needs to try again. Other than Phantasy Star Online, Unreal Tournament is the only other game I play regularly, even more than NFL and NBA 2k1, Alien Front Online, Bomberman Online, and Chu Chu Rocket!. There is so much to do, and so many different people with different play styles and play levels that there’s no way boredness could come for a long time.
Anyways, once you’re online, there are different game servers you can go to. The maximum player limit for them all is 8 players, so when playing the team scenarios, the teams can be evenly divided. When one of the games is finished, the server will automatically start to load a new map. Even though there are only two scenarios, Deathmatch and Capture the Flag, the replay value is extremely high just because it’s fun to play with different people.
Hey Wait! You’ve been talking about these games and fragging people n’ all, but what do we use to do that?!
There aren’t as many weapons as I thought there were, and a little more diversity in the selection might have made playing the game a lot funner. But, since there’s not the weapons that are in the game are pretty cool. There are about 8 or 9 different weapons including: BioSludge rifle, sniper gun, mini-gun, razor(which shoots oat mini-stars that ricochet off of objects, very fun while in an enclosed room), Enforcers(which are handguns, double enforcers can be crucial in some spots), and a Plasma Gun.
Those are just regular weapons, my favorites are the Rocket Launcher, and my ALL time favorite in ANY game with guns, the Shotgun. Yes, the shotgun is just as powerful as ever. The only thing I wish was in Unreal Tournament is the BFG, which stands for the “Big(insert offensive word here) Gun.” Although, I think that was just a gun in Quake or Duke Nukem, one of those two I’m not exactly sure. Course’, there is this one weapon that I consider the BFG, and it can only be found in a certain area(s), and that’s this Nuke type gun. It looks like a Rocket Launcher, but because of its bulkiness, there’s only one Nuke, so use it wisely. Once you shoot it out, there’s an initial explosion like the Rocket Launcher, but then an extra explosion that blows out covers a big radius, just like a real Nuke.
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Graphics
I’ve said the Dreamcast can run some good games, and Unreal Tournament is no exception. The graphics for the most part are crisp and clean, however the only thing that really needs to look good in a game like UT is the guns and environments, but even then, everything else also looks good. The frame rate for the most part is smooth, and runs at a smooth 30 or 35 FPS, in single player that is. When you’re online, LAG comes into affect sometimes and when it starts to LAG, Frame rate drops to a horrendous speed. However, when it’s not lagging and the frame rate is back up to normal speed, the action is fast and yet the frame rate still keeps up with all the action on-screen for a semi-smooth contest of who’s the bigger BA(Bad Donkey).
The environments most importantly, range in size, yet there isn’t one yet that was big, most of the maps are rather small to medium. Every map is an inside arena, so they’re mostly darker, and makes you feel like you’re in a type of futuristic setting. The guns look like something you’d see in the movie Aliens vs. Predator, only keeping their own feel. The gun that takes the coolest to me is the Nuke, I don’t know why even though it looks like a Rocket Launcher, I just think it looks like a BA(Bad Donkey).
Control
Before I played the game, I didn’t know how it’d feel to play since the DC controller only has one Analog stick, but once I started playing, I got use to it. The controls kind of feel the same as using double analog controllers(Gamecube, PS2, X-Box, only the right analog stick is shaped with four buttons in a diamond shape(X, A, B, Y). For some this may feel odd and the stiffness of the buttons might hinder your ability to play with full potential like you could with double analog set-up.
Anyway, the controls are basic, VERY basic. The analog stick is used for side-stepping and moving forward, while the Diamond buttons are used for looking around. The right trigger is used for shooting, left for jumping, and D-Pad is used to change weapons. See, what did I tell you, piece of cake right? I don’t think there’s a need for me to complain about the camera being whacked and stuff since, well, UT is a first-person shooter and a camera really isn’t used except your eyes. There’s one thing I must say about control before I move on, and it’s that the action is so fast paced in this game, that if you’re not fast with the controls, you’re most likely going to be fragged(unless the guy REALLY has had aim).
Sound
“it’s music to my ears” ...Really? No, but it’s still good listenin’, especially if you like guns, explosions, and really, REALLY loud BOOMS(I know I do). Like a regular FPS would, sounds include that of bullets o’ blazing, rockets o’ blasting, and body parts o’ flying(quite literally). Some people get tired of the same old sounds and turn the mute on and just listen to the radio while playing these games. “Well not I”...because for this game, I used my ears more than I have ever used them(not that they work very well anyway, ha!).
Overall
If you don’t like taking up Hard Drive space on your computer, or if you just don't like PC games in general, then skip the PS2 version(cleaner graphics yes, but no online play, which is the whole point of this game) and head right over to the good ole’ Dreamcast and pick Unreal Tournament up.
Next Review in Dreamcast Month: Skies of Arcadia
~Happy Gaming
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
Rock_On
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Member: Rocky
Location: Brownsburg, Indiana
Reviews written: 367
Trusted by: 477 members
About Me:
For the record, my past six reviews were written on my iPhone.
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