First Ut2004 review is in...

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S

Spoooon

Lifer
Mar 3, 2000
11,563
203
106
Fortunately for me, I'll never have the opportunity to get addicted to this game, as my desktop won't be able to handle it.
 
P

pg22

Platinum Member
Feb 9, 2000
2,644
0
76
9.5 Presentation
Slick, revamped menus, a polished HUD, easy game set up, and a just-helpful-enough manual make it easy to get into the action.

9.0 Graphics
Perhaps not mindblowing any longer, the Unreal engine is still drop-dead beautiful by any reasonable standard. With decent hardware, the gorgeousness is like buttah.

8.0 Sound
Servicable music, nice effects, and digital surround support and great, but the infernal announcer and repetitive taunts just need to go.

9.5 Gameplay
Match the tight, responsive, inviting controls of classic UT with the balanced brilliance of the new vehicles and weapons, and you've got big, big happiness.

10.0 Lasting Appeal
Assault and Onslaught's endless possibilities will keep you happy for a long time. But add new maps and mods, and the fun could never end.

9.4 OVERALL:
(out of 10 / not an average)

 
H

Hubris

Platinum Member
Jul 14, 2001
2,749
0
0
I gotta run down to Gamestop today and reserve my copy. Screw waiting for stuff to ship. Can't wait!
 
T

tec699

Banned
Dec 19, 2002
6,440
0
0
Originally posted by: Hubris
I gotta run down to Gamestop today and reserve my copy. Screw waiting for stuff to ship. Can't wait!
Click to expand...

Yea, I ordered thru gogamer.com $35 for the dvd SE.
 
X

xSauronx

Lifer
Jul 14, 2000
19,582
4
81
ill buy it used later on, once i see what mods are using some vehicles. i dont like the UT2k3/4 gameplay, but driving a tank is worth something
 
L

LordJezo

Banned
May 16, 2001
8,140
1
0
Can someone post the review here? Blocked at work.

Does it say anything about the new levels.. the non beta ones?
 
rh71

rh71

No Lifer
Aug 28, 2001
52,844
1,049
126
Relevant section:
EIGHTEEN MONTHS AGO, Unreal Tournament 2003 and Battlefield 1942 were released a few weeks apart. At that time, UT was the old standard, while Battlefield was the underdog, the hip newcomer that burst onto the scene with a fresh spin on teamplay. By the end of 2002, Battlefield was the new king of the hill, racking up fans and awards in droves, while UT 2003 was sort of left out in the cold -- a solid effort, but dismissed by many as an uninteresting update.

That battle renews itself next week with the release of both Unreal Tournament 2004 and Battlefield Vietnam, and UT 2004 has come out SWINGING. It's a stunning comeback for the franchise, a fantastic mix of the fresh and the familiar, and enough content to make this the only game you need for the next few months. If you're a fan of multiplayer shooters, odds are you'll find a LOT to like in Unreal Tournament 2004.

On With the Onslaught

While there's a lot to talk about in Unreal Tournament 2004, the story has to begin with Onslaught. Arguably the centerpiece of UT 2004, Onslaught is a new teamplay mode that could be described as a hybrid between Tribes, Battlefield 1942 and PlanetSide. Each team has a power core, connected by a series of power nodes. Your job is to systematically take control of these power nodes and build a chain to the enemy power core so you can destroy it.

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The beauty of Onslaught is that, because you can usually only attack two or three power nodes at any given moment, the action becomes very focused on a few locations. An in-screen map shows which nodes you control and which are under attack, and it's possible to teleport between any two nodes that you own, so it's usually pretty easy to locate the action and get there within seconds. This is a nice improvement over games like Battlefield 1942 and PlanetSide, where you could often spend a lot of time trying to reach the fight... instead of actually partaking in it.

To that end, Onslaught also introduces a new set of vehicles to the Unreal franchise: the Manta hovercraft, the Raptor fighter, the Hellbender jeep, the Goliath tank, the Scorpion buggy, and the Leviathan, errr, super-tank. The implementation of the vehicles is near-perfect -- they're easy to control, and loaded with options. You can switch between first- and third-person views or jump between different seats in each vehicle with the touch of a button, and the camera is fully controlled with the mouse, so you can swing around and zoom in and out for any view of the action you could possibly want.


In Onslaught, you can heal vehicles with the link gun.

Thankfully, the vehicles are balanced well against each other, and they're also vulnerable to some of your weapons, so you're not totally helpless while on foot. The lightning gun can take down a Raptor with a few shots, while a single homing missile from the new AVRIL can make instant shrapnel out of a Manta or Scorpion. Adding to the spectacle, the physics are fairly forgiving, allowing for some crazy stunts and spectacular explosions -- you can flatten players with any of the vehicles, and it's common to see demolished trucks flipping into the air, crushing anyone in their wake.

There are nine Onslaught maps in total, coming in varying sizes and themes, from the forest-based "Primeval" to the frozen "Arctic Stronghold" to the grassy plains of "Dawn." With the exception of "Frostbite" (a tiny map with only one power node connecting the cores), there are multiple routes connecting each base on every map, and it's hard to pick a weak one in the bunch. When all is said and done, we think a lot of people will pick up UT 2004 just for Onslaught, and could be their game of choice throughout the rest of the year. Personally, I feel like I'm just starting to scratch the surface of what Onslaught has to offer (I'm currently working on my Raptor skills) -- clearly, the community is already loving the lone Onslaught level from the UT 2004 demo, and I can't wait for servers to start filling up with the rest of the maps.
Click to expand...
 
B

brxndxn

Diamond Member
Apr 3, 2001
8,475
0
76
8.0 Sound
Servicable music, nice effects, and digital surround support and great, but the infernal announcer and repetitive taunts just need to go.
Click to expand...

Fvck that.. I love the announcer. WTF do they want it replaced with? Nothing gets your adrenaline going like, "double kill! ultra kill! mega kill! killing spree! MONSTER KILL! DOMINATING!!!" After playing a lot of instigib bombing run in UT2k3, I heard it a LOT and it never got old. The new "ROADKILL!" is awesome too. Repetitive taunts? Most fps games don't have any taunts. It seems like they would rather this game just be like every other fps game. BTW, you can turn the freakin' announcer off.

 
D

Derango

Diamond Member
Jan 1, 2002
3,113
1
0
Originally posted by: brxndxn
8.0 Sound
Servicable music, nice effects, and digital surround support and great, but the infernal announcer and repetitive taunts just need to go.
Click to expand...

Fvck that.. I love the announcer. WTF do they want it replaced with? Nothing gets your adrenaline going like, "double kill! ultra kill! mega kill! killing spree! MONSTER KILL! DOMINATING!!!" After playing a lot of instigib bombing run in UT2k3, I heard it a LOT and it never got old. The new "ROADKILL!" is awesome too. Repetitive taunts? Most fps games don't have any taunts. It seems like they would rather this game just be like every other fps game. BTW, you can turn the freakin' announcer off.
Click to expand...

Exactly. "CARJACKED!!!!"
 
L

LordJezo

Banned
May 16, 2001
8,140
1
0
Originally posted by: brxndxn
8.0 Sound
Servicable music, nice effects, and digital surround support and great, but the infernal announcer and repetitive taunts just need to go.
Click to expand...

Fvck that.. I love the announcer. WTF do they want it replaced with? Nothing gets your adrenaline going like, "double kill! ultra kill! mega kill! killing spree! MONSTER KILL! DOMINATING!!!" After playing a lot of instigib bombing run in UT2k3, I heard it a LOT and it never got old. The new "ROADKILL!" is awesome too. Repetitive taunts? Most fps games don't have any taunts. It seems like they would rather this game just be like every other fps game. BTW, you can turn the freakin' announcer off.
Click to expand...

Won't this game be moddable?

With that said how hard would it be for someone just to release an "announcer sound pack" or something? I bet it would be pretty simple.
 
C

CChaos

Golden Member
Mar 4, 2003
1,586
0
0
There are several announcer packs for UT2003 and I'm sure there will be for 2004 also. I prefer the sensuous female announcer myself...

Nine Onslaught maps is good news! I have to say, I've played a bit of low-grav and some IG in UT2004 this weekend and I was not impressed. I love low-grav in 2003 but for some reason I'm not comfortable with it in UT2004. Also, I've run across some highly skilled DM players lately. I don't know if they are UT players or what, but there are some sick folks out there. I'm looking forward to seeing the new dynamics on some of the UT2003 maps I know so well.
 
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BaboonGuy

Diamond Member
Aug 24, 2002
4,125
0
0
man Assault sounds so awesome! Onslaught is fun to a point, assault sounds like awesome variety. the one where u start in raptors and fly to dock onto a boarding ship then fight on foot sounds f-in awesome!
 
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