Unreal

Just what makes Unreal so great? It doesn't really add anything to it's genre, and it's got even less story than Quake 2. And those weapon sounds ... Sigh. There will be lots of comparing with Quake 2 in this text, simply because I think it was number one before Unreal.

I think the first important thing is the locations. Impressive, vast landscapes and buildings combined with a game engine to show it off with great lighting, water and other enviromental effects. Castles clinging to mountain tops, spookily lit and seemingly miles away make for great atmosphere. And the sheer amount of variation puts Quake 2's mostly brown, mostly indoors world to shame.
"Wow, this place, too, is 2,63 times cooler than anything in Quake 2"

Then, there's the AI in the game, again with the graphics to match. When you play Unreal, you realise monsters in other games don't really think at all. Those Skaarj keep jumping out of harm's way, hiding behind corners and never, ever, do they get stuck behind a crate. And then there are the Quake 2 monsters:
"Uuuh, player. Kill! Uuuh, player moving away. Follow! Uuuh, corner ... If I keep pushing, perhaps it will go away ..."

And the third thing, included in the two above, is the game engine. Unreal does have enough eye candy to rot your lashes. Put your nose to a wall, and examine the veins in the marble, invisible from a few steps away. And all those light effects ... And the ripples in the water ... Drool ...

Also, Unreal has sort of a different approach to enemies than for example Quake 2. Quality instead of quantity, so to speak. Not only are the Skaarj smart, they're also bloody hard to kill (especially since they can't stand still ...). And beacause of this, when you meet two or three enemies at the same time in Unreal, you're in for a very rough time. Whereas in Quake 2, when you ran into ten grunts sitting in a room, it was Party time with a very capital P.

Addition on January 11, 1999.
No, I haven't played Half-Life yet. And yes, the Unreal 220 patch makes the weapons sound much better. About time ...

Addition on January 28, 1999.
Completed Half-Life today, read all about it here!

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