While the folks at Epic Games are busy working on its next big (and still mysterious) game project - Unreal Warfare (rumored to be the sequel of Unreal Tournament), they are handling the production chores of the sequel to their debut smash-hit FPS, Unreal 2 to another team - Legend Entertainment. Legend is best known to action fans for its Unreal engined game - The Wheel of Time, and are currently hard at work on Unreal 2. At this year's E3 they showed off some of the work they have completed so far, and lucky for you - we were on hand to check it out.

Legend team members Mike Verdu (lead designer) and Scott Dalton (lead level designer) took us through the demo, and Epic’s own Tim Sweeney was also in attendance. Mike began by describing the story for the game, which takes place in the same universe as the first, but follows the path of a different character this time around. The hero is a law enforcement agent in space who is itching for some action as the game begins. He gets more than he bargained for as an all-out war break out between several alien races.

The E3 Unreal 2 demo begins with a familiar sight: as in the original Unreal, the demo for Unreal 2 showed off a vast outdoor level containing a huge dam, a waterfall with some nice water effects and some rather nasty looking lizard creatures munching on a dead carcass. The demo showed off some of the game’s weapons like the pistol, machine gun, flamethrower, (which was particularly nice looking; it shows that more developers can come up with some good fire effects now) and sniper rifle. There will also be some more exotic weaponary such as a device that leeches health energy from its targets.

Other parts of the demo demonstrated the improvements for Unreal 2’s tech, such as its animation system (characters look at you and turn their body without any noticeable polygon breaks) its increased polygon count for the enemies (the Skarrj warrior, the only returning alien from the first Unreal, has gotten a huge makeover for the sequel) and the game’s AI, which was used to have the player give orders to computer-controlled teammates. Some FPS battle action was also demonstrated as well to great effect.

One level during the E3 demo showed off some truly alien looking environments with weird ridges on the walls and ceilings as well as some neat looking reflective surfaces and lighting effects. They also showed off a CTF level set entirely inside an asteroid field. Yes, there will be multiplayer in Unreal 2, including CTF and deathmatch, and Legend has plans for new multiplayer modes as well.

While the E3 demo was brief and the press was not allowed to play the game, Unreal 2 is shaping up to be a true next-generation first person action game. Currently it is scheduled to be published in the first half of 2002 by Infogrames.

(Click to Enlarge!)

Game Features
- Innovative Game Play – Unreal II combines intense, pulse-pounding action with the magic of exploration and discovery in new environments, character interaction, and a richness, cohesion, and integrity that flows from its story-based framework. The variety of game play experiences found in each game session will delight both veteran gamers and those new to the genre.
- Advanced Technology – The incredible new technology under the hood brings the worlds, characters, and creatures of Unreal II to life. Outdoor landscapes generated by the terrain system look amazingly realistic. Particle effects create the delightful illusion of running water, blazing fire, drifting smoke, breaking glass, advanced weather effects, and even flowing hair. Humans and creatures become believable as head tracking, eye movement, and facial expressions turn them into real characters instead of the stiff puppets that traditionally populate 3D games. Enemies use their new AI to find cover during fire-fights, work together in teams, react believably to threats, and present a serious challenge to the player.
- Uniquely Approachable – Unreal II is designed to let players get in and have fun, fast. There is a lot to do in Unreal II, but the mission structure eases new players into the game without overloading them with complexity.
- An Arsenal of New Weapons – Fifteen brand new weapons ranging from familiar favorites like the Rocket Launcher and Combat Assault Rifle to exotic alien variants like the Leech Gun and the hunter/seeker Takkra.
- A Large Bestiary of Creatures – The Skaarj from the first game make a return appearance; the rest of the 24 enemies found in Unreal II are new.
- Real Time Conversation System – A new dialogue system allows players to start and leave conversations in real time, interrupt conversations between other characters, give orders, and respond to events. The system tracks the emotional state of each character so they react appropriately when engaged in dialogue.
- Enhanced User Interface – new graphically and functionally enhanced menus, and specific HUDs for each mode of play

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