Choke me if you will, but I hated Unreal Tournament 2003. From the moment I booted up the first-released demo, I absolutely despised the game. While the original Unreal Tournament was a beautiful blend of action, tactics, and strategy, without being a mindless insane crazed twitch-fest like Quake 3 was, UT2k3 had turned around and gone in the complete opposite direction. Hence why I'm so surprised that I find myself attracted to Unreal Tournament 2004. A playable beta demo has just recently been released, and here's some insight on how I found it.

Unreal Tournament 2004 is a completely new standalone product from Epic Games, though on first glance the "feel" is almost that of an expansion pack to UT2k3. The weapons and basic gameplay all seem to be the same, and both products are, of course, based on modern builds of the venerable Unreal engine. But on closer inspection, one realizes that UT2k4 is a very different product from its predecessor, and the changes included could be enough to bring old-time fans alienated by the hardcore frantic deathmatch-focused gameplay of UT2k3 running back. Taking a call from the old days of the original Unreal Tournament, UT2k4 focuses on a more "squad-based" approach, with tweaks and additions to the existing weapons arsenal, news gameplay modes, and, best of all, full vehicular support. The demo includes functionality for all the standard modes, including the expected Deathmatch / Team Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, and "Bombing Run" (an explosive sport where players must deliver an object into an opposing team's goal), but there are a couple of new modes available that also spice up the action. "Onslaught", the more interesting of the two, revolves around a pair of teams fighting for supremacy over a number of unique and interesting maps. Players must work together to construct "power nodes" at specific points to boost their team's network, whilst destroying enemy nodes at the same time. The catch is, enemy nodes can only be attacked if your own team has an active node capable of connecting to it (each node connects to another), and a given team's central "core" can only be assaulted it you establish a steady network of nodes linking to it. Adding to the trickiness of controlling all the node locations is the fact that controlled nodes act as a kind of forward base, which will allow players to spawn directly from them instead of having to start all the way back at the "core" base, and that a controlled node station will constantly dispense vehicles and pickups (armor, health, weapons) as needed.

The second new mode is not really all that "new" at all, but is instead a callback to one of the coolest features of the original Unreal Tournament. "Assault" involves two teams (which are switched at the end of the round) - defense, and offense. The offensive team must attempt to seize or destroy a variety of objectives in order to gain victory, while the defending team must do everything in their power to stop them. It's very satisfying to see this mode make a comeback, and the additions and improvements seen in Unreal Tournament 2004 make it all the better. Assault mode now revolves around missions that contain a huge number of objectives and scripted events, allowing for a very unique and interesting gameplay experience. When accessing these maps in singleplayer mode (the demo lacks the full tournament/campaign functionality, but has an "Instant Action" function for setting up botmatch duels), I was presented by a complete introduction to the map in question that clearly showed what the objectives of the attacking team were and what action attaining them would have on the mission. Really cool stuff.

So let's get into the actual maps themselves, as well as the gameplay. Probably everyone's most favorite map in the demo is ONS-Torlan, an Onslaught map. The map is a symmetrical design with two opposing teams attempting to fight for control over the power node network, with wide open terrain filled with nice trees, general foliage, and an assortment of notable landmarks. It isn't TOO huge of a level, but it's large enough to warrant the use of assorted vehicles stationed at each core base. The openness of the terrain and multiple approaches to a single area means that a single power node can be easy to assault, but difficult to control, and its entirely possible for a distant sniper to deny control of a specific node location to an enemy team just by sitting off at a distance and sniping at it every time a team begins construction (nodes take quite a bit of time to fully "construct", and have barely any health when just getting started) - but the player in question may end up getting sniped himself, as every long-range weapon in the map leaves a brief tell-tale signature pointing right back to the harasser. The action in this map can definitely become fast and furious under a heavy player load, and yet it is also open enough to allow for a variety of tactical considerations. Definitely a very appealing map that is loads of fun to play.

My second favorite map in the demo is the Assault level, AS-Convoy. In this map, the assaulting team is tasked with boarding a roaming convoy, working their way across a couple of vehicles to a repair vehicle, gaining control of it, and then making their way to the other side of the convoy to seize back some weapons of mass destruction ("N.E.X.U.S. Missiles"). The attacking team's first objective is to gain control of the huge convoy vehicle they start out on, work their way over to a control panel, and manipulate it for several seconds in order to swing a boarding platform over to the repair vehicle. From here, they must then advance across the boarding platform and blow down the doors of the repair vehicle (by planting charges). Following this, they can advance their "spawn-in" zone by opening the rear doors on the repair vehicle, allowing a tailing APC to drive onboard (this is all pre-scripted stuff - the map doesn't have any drivable vehicles and the way the convoy rolls across the terrain is akin to the train Assault mission from the original Unreal Tournament, albeit done in a much better fashion). Following that, it's a short hop over to the next switch to open another door and clear the way to the final objective. Then the attacking team must assault the last element of the convoy by working their way across a number of vehicles out in the open, get inside the final vehicle, and stand at a switch for several seconds to unload the missiles and claim victory. At the defensive team's disposal are conveniently placed "jump pads" that allow for instant and easy access to key defensible areas on the map, as well as a large number of weapons and even a few mountable defensive chaingun turrets. Sound complicated? Don't sweat it - the game is on hand to constantly provide updates on the game situation to the player, as well as list the current objective at the corner of the screen. There's also a huge arrow on hand to provide direct guidance to the current objective should the player become disoriented. Overall, I'm very happy with the way Assault was portrayed in the demo (brought back big nostalgia of my old UT days), and I very much look forward to seeing how it turns out in final.

The other gameplay modes are pretty much rehashes of what was seen previously, but the maps designed for those specific modes included in the demo were quite impressively done. BR-Colossus is a deceptively large map based around the "Bombing Run" gameplay mode, in which players must traverse large, open terrain, challenging hills and curves, and even wind tunnels in order to deliver their spinny yellow object into their opponent's goal. CTF-BridgeOfFate is a Capture the Flag map revolving around two symmetrical bases, set apart by a deep pit in an underground cavern and connected by only a scant pair of bridges, while DM-Rankin (which didn't get much play from me, admittedly - I never was one for stock deathmatch gameplay) is a somewhat close-quarters map set inside an industrial building in the middle of a rainstorm. All of these maps were very nicely designed and shoved off the game engine's capabilities to an impressive degree, and I spent several minutes on my own just digging through these maps to check out all the fine detail. I'm always happy to see what Epic's mappers have churned out next, and UT2k4 failed to disappoint in this department.

But this game is about much much more than just the maps. Weapon balance has been changed since Unreal Tournament 2003 (though essentially every weapon makes a comeback), with damage levels and other elements adjusted to make the gameplay a bit more tactical. Even the effects of some weapons have changed - the venerable Link Gun still has the ability to hose down a friendly with its alt-fire stream (which will boost that player's weapon power if he is also using a Link Gun), but the weapon now also has the ability to repair damaged vehicles and power nodes. The "old style" bullet-based sniper rifle also makes a return (though the controversial lightning gun is still in the game), allowing for sneaky snipers to land their headshots from an unknown direction. Probably one of the coolest weapon-related improvements, however, is one that focuses only on team-based maps and modes (like Onslaught and Assault). Sighted in AS-Convoy and ONS-Torlan are weapon "lockers". These lockers have a very short "resupply" period and essentially allow players to quickly run through them, grab the most essential weapons, and run off to support their team, rather than desperately search all over the map for that elusive Flak Cannon armed with nothing more than a dinky Assault Rifle and Shield Gun. Some special weapons (such as the AVRiL - another new toy in UT2k4 designed to annihilate enemy vehicles by use of a guided warhead) aren't available through the weapons locker and have to be hunted down manually, but I believe this to be overall a nice call in the name of balance, and helps greatly in ensuring all players can get themselves kitted out and helping their team in a decent manner rather than jumping around with the shittiest toy available because they can't find a decent weapon.

The vehicles newly presented in Unreal Tournament 2004 are nothing less than completely awesome. The physics handling is beautifully done (still didn't feel quite up to the extent that Halo presented, but it's getting there), and vehicles such as the Hellbender Jeep and Scorpion buggy are a true pleasure to drive. Here's a quick rundown of the different vehicles available in the demo. The "Scorpion" buggy is a light, fast vehicle with little armor but very high maneuverability. Primary fire discharges a mouse-aimed turret at the top of the buggy which launches a plasma ribbon (green sticky thingie), the size of which varies based on how long the player holds down the trigger before releasing. When the ribbon comes into contact with an object, it wraps itself around the victim and detonates shortly thereafter, commonly causing heavy damage. Alt-fire deploys a pair of razor blades to either side of the vehicle for utter hilarity as you plow through a group of unsuspecting enemy soldiers, scoring decapitations left and right as you go. Be careful though - running against a solid object with the razors deployed might cause them to snap off (seriously).

The Hellbender jeep is probably the closest thing to Halo's "Warthog" you're going to find in this game. Designed with seating for three, the Hellbender can accommodate a driver, forward gunner, and rear gunner. The rear gunner has access to a devastating laser cannon that can be charged up to do more damage in a single burst (its precision makes it an astonishingly useful anti-aircraft weapon), while alt-fire zooms in for a better shot. The forward gunner, meanwhile, has access to a shock rifle turret mounted on top of the cab that is handy for fending off harassing infantry. I'm of the opinion that this could have been a more useful position if the shock rifle mount was replaced with some kind of chaingun, but that's just me. Two other noteworthy ground vehicles in the demo include the Manta, which is an insanely fast ground vehicle with light armor, light weapons, but has the ability to briefly overload its engines to suddenly "jump" upwards or downwards on a whim to dodge incoming fire (or to squish unfortunate vehicle-less players), while the Goliath is a mighty battle tank with auxiliary seating for someone to man a machinegun on top of the turret. Finally, for all you air combat freaks out there, a highly maneuverable aircraft called the "Raptor" is available, equipped with a pair of light-damaging energy cannons and a missile launcher capable of automatically homing in on certain vehicles (including enemy aircraft). Again, all of these vehicles were really great to drive (if a little low on graphical detail), and I had hours of fun squishing people and bouncing over terrain with my nimble Scorpion. Players can even hit F4 if they feel like sitting in the cockpit of whatever vehicle they're piloting (the game defaults to a third person view for this element) if they feel like it, which is really awesome.

Let's discuss engine mechanics and interface improvements. First, input-wise, UT2k4 is just like its predecessors. Getting set up and heading off is a very easy affair, as all the default key bindings are laid out in a logic WASD config for the average gamer (and it's easy enough to change stuff for the ESDF or Numpad freaks out there), though a few additions have been made to the available key bindings (such as a "Use" key). One neat aspect in UT2k4 is the ability for players to get a visual cue (via a colored floating trail) on where exactly their relevant objective is (such as the enemy base or a specific point in Assault mode) and how to go about getting there by hitting the M or N keys, which is probably one of the greatest helping aspects of all to players still trying to get oriented to a new map. The interface shown in the demo looked quite versatile (and yet simplistic and straightforward), with tons of different configurable options to play with. The multiplayer dialogue was quite easy to get into and had all the expected functionality for finding servers and sorting by ping, playercount, name, etc, but was also somewhat buggy. As this is indeed only a "beta" demo, there were some anomalous interface bugs - primarily, the "Buddy" system, which enables friends to find one another on servers easily was non-functional, and I was unable to get the advanced filter settings to apply properly. The game's master server (for listing games currently running) was also overloaded on many occasions, but all of these issues will of course be resolved in time for the final game to launch.