Unreal Tournament 2003

Unreal Tournament 2003
File:Unreal Tournament 2003 cover.png
Developer(s)	Epic Games Digital Extremes
Publisher(s)	Atari, Inc.
Designer(s)	Cliff Bleszinski James Schmaltz Shane Caudle
Programmer(s)	Steve Polge
Composer(s)	Kevin Riepl Starsky Partridge
Series	Unreal
Engine	Unreal Engine 2
Platforms	Microsoft Windows, OS X
Release date(s)	Microsoft Windows OS X
Genre(s)	First-person shooter
Mode(s)	Single-player, multiplayer

Unreal Tournament 2003 or UT2003 is a first-person shooter video game designed mainly for multiplayer gaming. The game is part of the Unreal series of games, and is a sequel to Unreal Tournament (UT99). The game set a record for the number of downloads (1.2 million) when the demo was released, which is a reflection of the popularity of the original UT. In addition, the game engine has been widely licensed for games such as the Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six series, Splinter Cell, and America's Army. Its sequel/expansion, Unreal Tournament 2004, was released on 16 March 2004.

Gameplay

The available combat modes are:

• Deathmatch — Frag other players as much as possible to gain the highest score.
• Team Deathmatch — Two teams go head to head to be the best fragger.
• Capture the flag: Players must invade the enemies' base, capture their flag and bring it back to his/her base in order to score.
• Double Domination — In double domination two teams must control two points on the map. Holding both locations for a certain period of time gives points to a team.
• Bombing Run — Bombing run can best be described as Unreal-style American football where the player gets the ball and has to take it into enemy territory and score in the enemy force's goal. Players can pass to other teammates. Getting killed causes the ball carrier to fumble the ball. The ball launcher is used to carry the ball, it is not a weapon but helps the player heal when he/she is in low of health. 3 Points are awarded for field goals (shooting the ball through the goal), and 7 points are given for touchdowns (carrying the ball through the goal), although the levels are often designed such that this kills the ball carrier.
• Last man standing — All players in this gametype spawn with a limited number of lives. The last remaining player to still have lives wins the match.
• Invasion — Is a co-op gametype where you play with all the players in the server in an attempt to kill the invading alien AI. If you are killed, you must sit out until your team clears the map of aliens.
• Mutant — Mutant is very similar to a "Juggernaut" or a "King of the Hill" type of gameplay. The first person to make a kill becomes the mutant, which gives them unlimited ammo, camouflage, and super speed. The mutant then tries to get as many kills as he can until he is killed. The person who kills the mutant then becomes the mutant.

The game has single-player mode that mimics multiplayer gaming by featuring AI-bots.

Plot

In 2291, consensual murder is legalized, opening the way for a previously underground event. Smaller mining companies have been running smaller matches to channel aggression, but now the Liandri Mining Corporation established a professional league, which quickly proves to be an extremely lucrative form of public entertainment. Liandri entered into the Tournament, as it is officially called, sponsoring their own team, the Corrupt. The Corrupt's leader, Xan Kriegor, quickly achieved champion status and held it for two years. In 2293, a human named Malcolm dethroned him and became champion himself. A huge media figure, Malcolm is hailed as the biggest star in human history and is worshipped as a god. His success nets great rewards for his sponsoring corporation, attracting the attention of jealous rivals both in the arenas of the Tournament and in the corridors of power a galaxy away. Liandri attempted to win back the champion title with Xan MK2 but failed (unknown to the other contestants, each member of the Corrupt is purely robotic, including Xan).

Now it is 2302. The Tournament is undergoing a massive overhaul. The aging Sniper Rifle (a relic of centuries past) is removed from the Tournament as is "Assault" - a team-based event that forms a part of the competition. Many fans of the Tournament complain at these changes, with some combatants refusing to participate in the new format. Malcolm, shortly after his victory, hired two of his former opponents (Brock and Lauren, members of the former Iron Guard team) as teammates in his reformed Thunder Crash team. But the Axon Research Corporation, another of the four great corporations, entered the Tournament as well, sponsoring the geneboosted Juggernaut team, led by the brutal and savage Gorge.

Soundtrack

Main article: Unreal Tournament 2003 soundtrack

The UT2003 soundtrack, created by the Canadian producer Starsky Partridge and Kevin Riepl, contains grand orchestral scores, hard rock and minimalistic electronic songs. Starsky Partridge was also responsible for the music for Unreal Championship.

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score Aggregator Score Metacritic 86/100 Review scores Publication Score GameSpot 8.8/10 IGN 9/10 PC Magazine

External links

• Official website (archived from the original)