Unreal 2: The Awakening
The name has been synonymous with gaming for years, but this is the first true sequel. Read on.
Related
An article published on Ferrago.co.uk late last year discussed whether games will, or could, ever be considered as ‘art’ in the same sense that a sculpture, painting, play or musical composition could be considered such. Resoundingly we concluded, that yes, with a little maturity, a game could indeed be considered worthy of the title ‘art’, and therefore come to mean something more than a pastime or mode of entertainment.
Of course, not many games that exist today could be considered such. Postal 2, for example, could hardly be considered an inspiring comment on the nature of mankind, though, ironically, it may inadvertently be an artistic comment upon mankind’s obsession with controversy and voyeurism. But I’ll leave that can of worms alone for now.
Anyway, the original Unreal was one such game that could have been considered as moving the industry towards the mass acceptance that comes with ‘art’ status. It was still a violent action game, yes, and the gameplay was an evolution of the first-person shooter, rather than a revolution. But the game was blessed with such a wonderful sense of place and reality, and this was a beautifully escapist game. Everything from the subtlety of the back-story that was revealed ever so slowly, to the stunning design of the landscapes and worlds, really did offer the player a tangible feeling of being elsewhere.
This immersion was completed by an attention to detail in all that the game possessed, from character design to music and sound effects. Epic had crafted another world, and it impacted the genre immediately.
So, here we are, several years on, and the game’s first full-blown sequel is finally upon us in the shape of Unreal 2: The Awakening. Wheel of Time developer Legend Entertainment have taken the reigns from Digital Extremes and Epic, whilst the latter concentrate on multiplayer-focussed and console additions to the Unreal series. But where have Legend taken the Unreal name? Read on to find out.
In a bizarre and confusing manner, Unreal 2 has changed completely from the original, yet remained utterly the same. The game breaks the seamless flow of plot and progression that was so effective in the other-worldly original, and instead opts for a more conventional mission-style approach to gameplay. This instantly dissolves some of the immersive qualities of the original, but does offer a little more than ‘explore and survive’ on the objectives front.
The plot however is pure hokum, and whilst Legend have made a valiant effort to blend the on-screen action and your objectives into some kind of cohesive story, what you’ll ultimately find is something hashed together from every Science-Fiction inspired game/film/book that has gone before. I wasn’t expecting Shakespeare, but some deviation from the predictable might have been appreciated.
That said, Legend do a wonderful job of keeping you own you toes at times, building tension in a similar fashion to the way the first level of Unreal managed, as you catch flittering glimpses of your foe moving in the shadows. What’s more, the AI has been improved a little, though some may still find the lack of diversity on this front disappointing. It’s certainly not up to the standards of some first-person shooters out there.
Comments
One of the best games EVER!
Eeerm, Dennis, I'm not quite sure you realise what you're saying.
Wery nice game but it was to short, 2days and the game was over.
9,5/10 p.
/vidamic.
yeah, a pretty good game. 8/10.
81% is being incredibly lenient on Unreal 2. Aside from the detail in the graphics (not the actual graphics themselves which have little discernible artistic or aesthetic quality) it’s a totally uninspired and generic game.
Average story, average gameplay = average score, 50%.
you havn't played too many games, have you?
Hmm, where did the "coop play" option goes in Unreal 2???
I had seen forward to play coop in unreal2 like i did in the first game but what a disapointment..
I think Quake4 will kick unreal2 ass......
Average score for FPS games is not 50%.
Average game, expected better
Good review, I agree.
The defensive missions were great, setting up your defenses then holding off an attack. And some of the environments are very pretty.
But Legend do seem determined not to avoid any of the old FPS gameplay cliches.
Compare Halo, which threw out the Doom/Quake rulebook.
You think so? I hope. But Raven?
I would have bought it IF it had multiplayer...big mistake to omit that feature guys.
Z
I agree with Zerious. Whose bright idea was it to leave multiplayer out...that's the only reason I will buy a game.
LOL
Ok game, you'll play it through as something to do. A few nice moments but mostly just the typical. Last level is best especially with that amazing gun, that's something worth playing with! :D
You haven't played very many games have you?
I really enjoy this game. Even more than UT 2oo3. I love the graphics and it runs great on my amd XP 1900 with 1 gig of ddr ram. Immersion with my klipsch promedia 4.1 is awesome. I use a non overclocked geforce 4 4200 with no jitters or slow down. For a single player this game rocks. Might not be original but is better than the other single player games Ive played.
Any FPS that can be played through in less than 20 hours is a waste of money, however glitzy the graphics. Add an unispired storyline with more cliches than you can shake a skarj at, cutscenes that you can't escape from, VERY cheezy dialogues, and this game definitely merited the 2/10 rating I'm willing to give it.
While it is definetly a well short FPS unless we are all willing to give up playing these games, then developers won't veer from the current path of making very detailed but short games.
Tis game owes an awful lot to Halo. you wonder what form it took before it was changed into this clone.
Unreal 2 is god
9hrs from start to finish. A complete waste of money... I aint no expert ... Graphics good though
I just got the demo on monday and I think it rocks. I played it a number of time just so that I could explore the massive rooms and details there is to see.
Ive got an
Athlon 200XP with 512DDR ram and a GForceFX 5200 and it rocks.
Anyone who hasn't played it should go and buy it NOW
Unreal 2 suck s your better play Unreal 1
wana give a comment for a game unreal 2.i buyed a game thinking
it would be a killer game and it was till the final levels.liked the aliens,liked the 3d world liked a game,forgot abaut the bugs, but what happens at the end made me think whay did i spend so much that the end has gave me a bad day and i cant forget it once your in a game like me.totaly in.what i wana say is that games are not movies they are games and should end with a happy ending.not ALIEN movie style...bye
Who is coming out with coop levels for unreal 2.
I dont think so
help where is the bridge entranceto the alien dig site am by the 3 holograms
is there a single player download version too?
;-)
I like the lips on the 'make a comment' thing. its funny.
does any1 still play this online becuase i log on and all i see is only 1 person lol what a crappy game
Just serfed in. Great site, guys!s
i love this site.+
is their a actual walkthrough for the tutorial part of the game because i do not know how to get past it. so if someone can help me with it i would greeatly apreaciate it.
How. do i play Unreal 2 online with players?
Is. there a website i need to go to. or somein i need to download in order to play it online?.
Thx.
Leo
its ok think i found somein for unreal 2 online play.
http://www.fileshack.com/file_download.x/4215#