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2001 E3 Part 2
May 25, 2001 - Alex Hafez and Jakub Wojnarowicz |
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Unreal 2
Unreal 2Immediately following the Unreal Championship
showing, we settled in for more Unreal action with Legend
Entertainment's Unreal 2. Unreal 2 is being labeled the "proper sequel"
to the best selling Unreal (I suppose that would make UT the "bastard
spawn" of Unreal…). U2 is set in the same universe as Unreal, but
follows the exploits of a new hero. A lawman in a new sector of space,
our lead character is in charge of keeping order on a variety of
colonized planets. Everything is well and good until six battling alien
races (including the signature enemies from Unreal, the Skaarj) appear,
seemingly out of nowhere, right in our fearless hero's lap. Cruising
the sector in his ship, the "Atlantis," it is our hero's duty to bring
order to his sector, once again.
Sparks
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Burn baby burn
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Legend was quick to point out that U2 would be a much less linear
ordeal than the original Unreal. U2 will have 13 "chapters" taking
place on a variety of different alien planets in the area. Each level
would have a variety of different objectives, ranging from the
traditional "find the key, open the door" formula, to more elaborate
missions, such as commanding a team of NPCs (as many as eight) as they
defend an outpost from alien attack.
VisualsGraphically, the new Unreal engine is quite a sweet
piece of code. Everything in the game world is rendered in true 3D:
from each blade of grass in the expansive outdoor levels, to the little
bumps on the ceilings and walls in the Aliens-like indoor labyrinths.
No more alpha blended textures here. A brand new skeletal animation
system allows character models to react in a variety of different ways.
When you walk by one of your team mates he will move his entire body to
track your movements, from the torso, to shoulders, to head and even
the eyes. The new particle system can be used for a variety of special
effects, including rain, smoke, waterfalls, and sparks from weapons
blasts.
Aida
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Fetching, isn't she?
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WeaponsOf course, being a shooter, U2 will have plenty of
weapons to play with, ranging from the more traditional FPS staples
(assault rifles, sniper rifles, and rocket launchers) to more exotic
toys (most based on alien technologies). The flame-thrower in
particular had a nice animation, with billowing bluish white flames
that fried alien enemies to a crisp with ease.
Dynamic conversationsOne of the other interesting new
features that will play a prominent part in the gameplay is the
addition of an "advanced conversation system." Normally when players
initiate a conversation with another character, it switches to a cut
scene, plays out whatever bit of story was scripted, and then dumps the
character back into the game world after its done its thing. U2 will
give players much more freedom in their interactions, including a
variety of responses to choose from and the option to break off a
conversation midway through. Of course doing so has an effect on the
course of future encounters, as characters will remember these events,
possibly bringing up these rude and abrupt ends to past talks. This new
ability should help player become further immersed in the character and
story development in U2.
Asteroid land
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Remember me?
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Finally, U2 will ship with the usual suite of multiplayer modes,
including death match, team death match, CTF, king of the hill, and
domination. The Legend guys only showed us one map (a low gravity space
CTF map set in the middle of an asteroid field, complete with burning
sun overhead) but assured us they would be committed to providing a
strong multiplayer experience, in addition to the 25+ single player
levels.
Max Payne 
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