Unreal Tournament 2003

Infobox VG| title = Unreal Tournament 2003


developer = Epic Games
Digital Extremes
publisher = Atari
designer = Cliff Bleszinski
version = 2225
engine = Unreal Engine 2
released =
genre = First-person shooter
modes = Single-player, Multiplayer
ratings = vgratings|ESRB=M|PEGI=16+
platforms = Linux, Mac OS X, Microsoft Windows
media = CD (3)
requirements = Windows® 98/Me/2000/XP, Pentium® III or AMD Athlon 1.0 GHz processor, 128 MB RAM minimum (256 MB recommended),3.5 GB free, 64 MB of video memory recommended
Linux 2.2+ or Windows 98-XP, 733 MHz x86 CPU, 128 MB RAM, video card with 16 MB RAM, 3 GB HDD space, DirectX 8.1 or OpenGL 1.2

Mac OS X 10.2.6+, 700 MHz PowerPC G4 CPU, 256 MB RAM, GeForce 2 MX or Radeon with 32 MB RAM, 3 GB HDD space
input = Keyboard, mouse

"Unreal Tournament 2003" or "UT2003" is a first-person shooter video game designed mainly for multiplayer gaming. The game is part of the "Unreal" franchise's 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. [ [http://pc.gamezone.com/news/09_24_02_01_43PM.htm ATARI’S UNREAL TOURNAMENT 2003 DEMO EXPLODES ONTO THE INTERNET] , Atari Press Release, September 24, 2002.] 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.

"UT2003" has received mostly positive reviews, although it did not have the impact that its 1999 predecessor had. One reason was increased competition, with "","Tribes 2", and "Battlefield 1942". These games had raised the bar for the multiplayer first-person shooter gaming by including vehicles and more complex teamplay.

"UT2003" contains several Easter eggs (e.g. a hidden vehicle) to hint at future potential for the series. "Unreal Tournament 2004", the similar but highly refined sequel with added game types, arrived in 2004 and completely replaced "UT2003" on store shelves. "UT2004" boxes sold in the United States include a voucher that, along with proof of having bought "UT2003", gives a discount for "UT2004".

"" was released as a sister product to the game.

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. Which control point must match the same color has of the teams in order to win a score.
* Bombing Run — Bombing run can best be described as "Unreal"-style football where the player gets the ball and has to take it into enemy territory and score in the enemy forces 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 isn't 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 player to use up all his/her lives last wins.
* 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" 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's 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

Over a century has passed since Liandri Corporation first began the Tournaments, and while the tradition lives on much has changed in the world around it…

Seventy years ago an invasion fleet appeared in human space, wiping out virtually all resistance before it could begin. Humanity, a race that had taken pride in its freedom suddenly found itself bound by the shackles of an ancient race vastly superior in numbers and technology.

The Empire quickly established a foothold among the worlds of its latest acquirement, using propaganda and brute force where necessary. Those who swore allegiance to the Emperor found that life wasn't so different under the new rule, and for some it even improved. But for those who would not kneel before their new rulers, death awaited them on the prison planets scattered across the sectors.

The Emperor and his counsel, at first repulsed by the idea of the tournaments, soon began to see the advantage of providing the populace with a form of entertainment that both enraptured the viewers and reminded them where disobedience would lead them.

Arena worlds were picked from the harshest of the prison planets, and the training began. People who had watched the Liandri Tournaments with savage glee found themselves on the arena floors fighting for their lives again and again, as the alien technology ripped them back from the brink of death until their minds finally collapsed under the strain.

Examples were made of the more vocal dissidents, each broken and remade in the image of the darkest nightmares, to show the scorn the Emperor felt for the weaklings who opposed him. Not all the participants took part unwillingly. A race of beings previously unknown slaughtered the new combatants with reckless abandon, taking pride in the ease at which they butchered the new meat. For all they cheered during each battle, every time another human died the spirit of the men and women who watched grew weaker.

Now that the Tournaments have become a fixture of the Empire's power, the aristocracy has begun to take part as well, in carefully orchestrated battles that pose no real danger to their lives. Unlike their prisoners, these Highborn can not use the resurrection technology so readily available, without losing their status as ones tainted by madness. To kill a Highborn is to kill him forever.

The only hope for mankind is that a champion will rise from the ashes of their civilization and succeed against all odds, to hold the Emperor's life in their hands.

Weapons

"UT2003" features 11 weapons:
* Shield Gun
* Assault Rifle
* Bio Rifle
* Shock Rifle
* Link Gun
* Minigun
* Flak Cannon
* Rocket Launcher
* Lightning Gun
* Ion Painter
* Redeemer

In addition, "UT2003" features the Translocator that allows your player to quickly teleport across the map by shooting a small disc where the player wants to go. If used properly, the Translocator can be used as a weapon. The ion painter does not appear in the demo version.

There are also alternate weapons/weapon sets which are available for download as 'mutators' (explained below). These will replace other weapons' places on maps in the game.

The disappointing absence of a sniper rifle and its replacement by the Lightning Gun which led some players to not play the gameFact|date=July 2008 was acknowledged in the official future history of Unreal Tournament: "The aging Sniper Rifle (a relic of centuries past) is removed ... Many fans of the Tournament complain at these changes, with some combatants refusing to participate in the new format." [cite web|url=http://www.unrealtournament.com/general/timeline.html|title=UT Timeline|accessdate=2007-04-13]

Music

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 II, and Unreal Championship.

Mutators

Mutators are addons to the game which 'mutate' the style of gameplay.
* Big Head (increases the size of a player's head proportional to how well they are doing)
* Floaty Cadavers (reduces the effect of gravity on dead players' 'corpses')
* Quad Jump (allows people to string 4 jumps together instead of the normal 2)
* InstaGib (all players are equipped with modified Shock Rifles with unlimited ammunition that reduce other players to gibs in a single hit)
* Zoom InstaGib (gives all players modified Shock Rifles with sniper scopes. The rifles also have single-hit kill capabilities and the shots are red or blue, depending on which team the player is on)
* Vampire (when a player shoots another, the victim's lost health is transferred to the aggressor)

External links

* [http://www.unrealtournament.com/ut2003/ "UT2003" official website]

References