Unreal Tournament 3

[WraithMaster]

So guys, the "beta demo" of this game has been released. I'm in the middle of downloading it now. Loads have been said about this game, including the somewhat low required specs and I really can't wait for this game. This and TF2 may become my 2 most played games after CSS if this is all Epic cracks it up to be. Here's some demo links for you:

Gamers Hell (http://www.gamershell.com/news/42421.html)
File Shack (http://www.fileshack.com/file.x/11252/Unreal+Tournament+3+Demo)
Fileaholic (http://www.fileaholic.com/cgi-sql/file-info.sql/148563)
FanGaming (http://www.fangaming.com/fileinfo.php?fileid=2414)
ActionTrip (http://www.actiontrip.com/files/demos/unrealtournament3.phtml)

And of course visit http://unrealtournament3.com for more info about the game itself.

EDIT: played it, the game is flippin' awesome. Hoverboards on VCTF ftw!

[The Grim Reaper]

This game is awesome as. Cant wait for the full retail.

I'm an avid UT player and this really goes back to the original roots in terms of brutal deathmatchs, rather than bunnyhopping stuff.

[Erskien_Parkour]

Awesome!

Downloaded that last night and its pretty damn good.

Looking forward to the full version.

Sadly there arent many servers for the demo =[

[WraithMaster]

Well there's a problem with the server lobby. I found that out last night while playing around with it. If you search for a Deathmatch server, EVERY server comes up (DM, TDM, VCTF, Duel). If you search for anything else you get barely any servers. There's loads of servers to be played on though if you just look in the right places.

[Munkee]

Had a play of the demo, and was very impressed. I stopped by the local "Game", and found it is due for release on 9th November. I'm taking this with a pinch of salt, as I know these dates have a tendency to slip.

[doctor_fruitbat]

I'll be getting it for PS3, partly so it doesn't chug like a broken steam train on my laptop and partly for the novelty of downloading mods on to a console (and getting my ass handed to me online by PC gamers :().

Seriously, if it's this easy to transfer PC mods to a console, why is it only happening now? I'd have killed for a raft of Oblivion mods on PS3.

[WraithMaster]

Had a play of the demo, and was very impressed. I stopped by the local "Game", and found it is due for release on 9th November. I'm taking this with a pinch of salt, as I know these dates have a tendency to slip.
Well the date is pretty much set in stone for PCs. PS3's version was supposed to come out the same day but has been pushed back to possibly the holidays.

[doctor_fruitbat]

Remember: if it's UE3 on PS3, it's going to be delayed.

Catchy and true.

[The Grim Reaper]

I'll be getting it for PS3, partly so it doesn't chug like a broken steam train on my laptop and partly for the novelty of downloading mods on to a console (and getting my ass handed to me online by PC gamers :().

Seriously, if it's this easy to transfer PC mods to a console, why is it only happening now? I'd have killed for a raft of Oblivion mods on PS3.

No cross platform play at launch due to game updates of the sony screening process would delay pc updates.

PS3 launch is delayed to around end of november/december but they still aim for 2007. However, originally the PS3 version wasn't going to have all the maps as the PC one did, but due to the delay now it can.

The 360 launch is some time in 2008 when microsoft gives into mods on the 360, which is pretty much the only thing stopping it.

Server lobby is being completely rewritten apparently.

[doctor_fruitbat]

Awesome.

Can't wait for lovely mods.

[Taekwon-joe]

I played a bit of deathmatch yesterday and despite the fact that my pc makes it look like your playing it through really thick glasses, I enjoyed it.

[Seriphyn]

I want the release date NOW. It's really good, wanna see how Warfare is like.

Oh, and Doctor Fruitbat, how abouts you get a keyboard and mouse to play it on your PS3? I mean, the game is incredibly fast paced, I've always wondered how anyone has any hope of playing it on a pair of analog sticks, given their slowness and lack of precision...I think anyway...probably best to try demo on the PS3 marketplace or whatever their equivalent of the 360 is, no?

[WraithMaster]

The demo is PC only, Seriphyn (as far as I know anyway) and the PS3 version won't be out til the holidays whereas the PC version will be out in a few weeks.

[doctor_fruitbat]

I could get a mouse and keyboard, but that would only encourage the myth that you can't make a brilliant aiming system for consoles. Every time I play a console FPS that isn't Timesplitters, I die a little inside.

Won't stop me getting this, mind.

[Shintaz]

Does this need higher requirements than TF2? I have a feeling my PC won't be able to run it and I don't want to go wasting my money.

[WraithMaster]

Actually the requirements are low enough to run on bricks...er I mean low-end PCs. Just download the demo...that's usually a good way to judge how your PC will do with it.

[Erskien_Parkour]

Theres something wrong with this.

Something is wrong. I cant place it but I just cant grow to like the demo.

Agh. I LOVE 2k3. The series went down after the vehicles came in.

[The Grim Reaper]

Theres something wrong with this.

Something is wrong. I cant place it but I just cant grow to like the demo.

Agh. I LOVE 2k3. The series went down after the vehicles came in.
I didnt like 2k3. 2k4 was an improvement if you ignore the vehicles, though changes were subtle.

Wait for the proper demo with bugfixes, new maps(?) and other stuffs then decide again.

[WraithMaster]

And even better graphics. Rumor is that the graphics aren't up to scale yet. That and DX10 graphics aren't enabled yet.

[WraithMaster]

Uber-bump, yes I know but I didn't wanna make a new thread when this one was still here.

So I bought the Collector's Edition of UT3 and I must say this game is spectacular. It runs very smooth on full settings (no Anti-Aliasing but I may test it later just to see how that goes) and it just looks gorgeous. The maps are breathtakingly beautiful and colorful (I personally like the revision of ONS-Torlan, which is now known as WAR-Torlan). The new character customization is pretty awesome, you can switch any character's default armor, add a helmet/mask/goggles, change whether he/she wears both shoulder pads, no shoulder pads, or even just ONE shoulder pad (not to mention what arm it's on), and you can even change the boots you wear. The only downside is that you can't change the color of your armor. You take what you're given I suppose.

Outside of the aesthetic value of the game, it's still the same basic formula as UT2k3/2k4. Mass chaos at high speeds in small DM and CTF maps, and loads of tactical manuvers and vehicle-on-person relationships (which always end in catastrophe like any bad relationship should) in large maps for VCTF and Warfare. Speaking of Warfare (and yes this is a downside), it is unfortunately not what Epic promised. No it's not BAD, it's simply a glorified Onslaught mode and not the Onslaught/Assault hybrid they hyped it up to be. Sure there are SOME things that give it an Assault feel (such as on the map WAR-Serenity, if you capture the bonus node, a Leviathan tank is built within 60 seconds for your team) but I'd rather have maps like AS-Convoy back, thanks.

Vehicles...Lordy where do I start? Not only are the vehicles awesome, they're numerous. You'll almost never play a default vehicle map without using a vehicle (as you sometimes would in UT2k4). Sure some people think the vehicles kill the Unreal experience, but let's face it kiddies, this ain't UT99 and if you want to go back to that, stick to DM and CTF (or just play UT99...don't sit in a server and whine every time you're killed that the game just isn't like UT99 like some asshat on my team last night). I, for one welcome our new vehicular Gods. Vehicles like the Darkwalker...the somewhat imbalanced, but still really cool Darkwalker that is. Speaking of imbalanced, some of the vehicle maps, such as WAR-Torlan(Levi), imbalance the sides greatly, giving a Leviathan tank and a bunch of other vehicles to one side and stiffing the other with a bunch of useless-against-the-all-powerful-leviathan vehicles. Oh well, there are always going to be cases like that in games like this which are otherwise awesome.

Lastly, the singleplayer tries to make sense out of keeping with the UT respawning and gametypes by making no sense whatsoever. First mission of the game:

Reaper(you): You save me, but then you wanna blow me away with a rocket launcher?!

Jester: Don't be silly, this place is surrounded by Respawners.

Reaper: Respawners? In a warzone? So no casualties then...interesting way of waging war.

Me: *watching the scene unfold* Wha...but that's...ugh...*bangs head on keyboard*

The game goes on to try and explain how waging real war by capturing flags...er sorry, "FLaGs", makes sense. I'll stick to Instant Action for my bot bashing thanks...(though the bots aren't dumb as rocks anymore, they put up a really good fight and know how to bank the goddamned Flak Cannon shrapnel around a corner perfectly!).

All in all this game is worth a buy, and even if you get bored with the current game modes and maps, it's only a matter of time til people get used to the U3 Editor and make some mods and maps, and of course until Epic decides they want to patch the game with more awesome maps and in-demand gameplay modes (Assault plz! kthx!)

[WraithMaster]

PS3 is going to have the Editor as well. Not sure about 360 yet.

[Shintaz]

Yum yum. Just got it lads, installing it. Taking it for a test run!