Genre: First-Person Shooter
Developer: Epic MegaGames
Publisher: Diversions Entertainment

First-person shooters continue to get more and more intense due to their enhanced realism and faster pace- UT2003 takes these thoughts to the next level. The texture quality is absolutely fantastic, and the heavy use of detail texturing and spectral highlighting add to the glory. The map architecture makes full use of the improved unreal engine, as they force a mind-boggling number of polygons on screen pretty much no matter where you are on a given map. The player models likewise are exceptional, and the much ballyhooed "rag doll" karma physics is one of the more impressive things I've ever seen in a game.

This is the first Epic release in over 10 years that doesn't have that "Epic feel" to the music, apparently they changed composers. As a result, the music has taken a step back; it's still a blend of catchy light-techno, but the melodies aren't nearly as memorable as those from the original UT. The sound effect quality has also regressed, the announcer gets more than slightly tedious during busy CTF matches, and the character voices sound cheesy, although this might have been intentional...

Ironically, hardcore UT players (myself included) will probably feel less at home playing UT2003 than a diehard Quake 3 fan. The pace of the game has been substantially increased, and the weapon balance tweaked; out goes the much loved 8-ball cannon, and in comes an eerily Quake-esque rocket lancher. It can still fire 3 rockets simultaneously via alternate fire, but its addition has changed the chemistry of the game a great deal. Also, many of the maps are much more arena-like, feature jump-pads, and even give a nod to Quake 3 in the aesthetic department. There are a plethora of play modes, over 30 maps, and the gameplay is still extremely balanced despite the changes, but still the nagging question: did Epic sell out?

The UT crowd may be a little turned off by UT2003; it's lost that surrealistic edge to it that make the unreal games what they are. The character design, pace of the game, weapon balance, map design, and every other facet of the game is an mesh of Quake 3 and the original UT, an effort by Epic to perhaps snare in a wider range of gamers. On the other hand, the game is a great deal of fun, and has content to spare to go along with all the glitz. For the turned-off, UnrealEd and its assisting tools are as easy to use as ever, so I'm sure a mod that plays exactly like the original UT, except with the benefits of the new engine, is an inevitability. Also, UT2003 has one advantage its predecessor did not: lack of competition. There is no Quake 3 standing in the way of this title, so except it to be around for years, or at least until the next interation of the franchise.