LAN games were a massive part of my gaming childhood. Nights spent perfecting the explosive crossbow kill in Half-Life, jumping across rivers of lava with a Rail-gun aimed at the opposition in Quake 3 Arena and finding myself woefully outclassed in Counter-Strike. Still, the very best LAN game ever made, was Unreal Tournament, in any iteration. There’s just something that Epic managed to nail right the first time in that series, which has been dormant for far too long. Unreal Tournament is making a comeback however. And the current results look promising enough to have my Friday nights booked in advance.
It’s still in the pre-alpha stages, but the current build of Unreal Tournament and its Unreal Engine 4 running on Direct X 12 is looking prettier than a free Ferrari. See for yourself below, in the Outpost 23 map which Epic says is the current benchmark for the direction of the game:
Microsoft of course, has said that the game “sets a new bar for visual fidelity.” Considering how 99% of every other big budget game made in the last couple of years ran on the previous Unreal engine, this isn’t exactly too much of a stretch. Direct X 12 happens to be a single API that can be accessed across Windows devices, something that Geoff told me when I asked him for a quote that would make me sound smart and as if I knew what I was talking about. This also means that games will get up to a 20% boost in performance over the previous Direct X software, using the exact same hardware.
Honestly, I’ll be damn happy for some classic Unreal Tournament action that has a shiny new gloss finish. Epic has a new model of payment for this game, as they’re making it fee to play, but taking a cut of the cash earned from custom mods and development from the public on a rather open game. Meanwhile, I’ll be penciling in Friday appointments for your face meeting my shock rifle instagib.
Last Updated: March 5, 2015
Admiral Chief
March 5, 2015 at 12:08
Check daai passion gap!
HvR
March 5, 2015 at 14:42
Squeeeel like a piggy!!!!!!
Matewis Jubilai
March 5, 2015 at 12:08
I say let the all the COD kids come, and see how real men kill each other with Flak cannon blasts to the face and deadly asmd alt-fire/prim-fir combos >:-)
Pariah
March 5, 2015 at 12:16
Guided mini-nuke to the face.
Matewis Jubilai
March 5, 2015 at 12:18
Nervously pacing to and fro at the redeemer spawn location 🙂
Pariah
March 5, 2015 at 12:19
I was the asshole with a sniper waiting for that. Just to steal it and boom. 😀
Matewis Jubilai
March 5, 2015 at 12:20
lol damn you!
Pariah
March 5, 2015 at 12:21
I was the target of much vengeance. Often ending in myself being targeted by all of my friends at once. XD
Lord Chaos
March 5, 2015 at 12:24
Loved the sniper
Pariah
March 5, 2015 at 12:25
Was my weapon of choice. Problem always comes when the bastards get in close with a Flak cannon and insta-gib you.
Lord Chaos
March 5, 2015 at 12:26
So true, that’s why I always kept moving.
3 Towers, constantly in the air and sniping.
Pariah
March 5, 2015 at 12:27
Now I want this game even more. Awesome. 😀
Norm
March 5, 2015 at 12:36
Think we all did this. Especially on the “facing worlds” map.
Matewis Jubilai
March 5, 2015 at 12:46
Somehow I didn’t realize (or forgot) that there was a Redeemer on that level 😛
Gideon Venter
March 5, 2015 at 13:58
I loved Facing Worlds. There was something magnificently grand about that map. Two floating pyramids, monuments to unknown Star-Gods… And an arena full of blood sacrifice.
Darren Peach
March 5, 2015 at 19:15
LOL. I wonder how this will be on consoles ?
Gerard Matthews
March 6, 2015 at 13:00
slow
Gerard Matthews
March 6, 2015 at 13:00
slow
Admiral Chief
March 5, 2015 at 12:08
ASMD!!!
Matewis Jubilai
March 5, 2015 at 12:13
I’ll take you and your ASMD on with my Flak cannon any day! as long as it’s not on a map with lots of open terrain tho 😛
Norm
March 5, 2015 at 12:34
That darn flak cannon!
BRING FORTH THE DUAL ENFORCERS!
Pariah
March 5, 2015 at 12:14
YES YES YES
WitWolfy
March 5, 2015 at 12:18
So does this mean its a Microsoft exclusive?
Guild
March 5, 2015 at 12:18
I’d be keen for a LAN tournament like this. Think last LAN I participated in was a Quake 2 LAN in Sandton
geel slang
March 5, 2015 at 13:02
Quake 2? haha, I think my last one was UT 2003, it sucked because only a few people could play it smoothly.
geel slang
March 5, 2015 at 13:03
Is still remember building my own maps in Quake 2, I had so much free time then…
Guild
March 5, 2015 at 13:58
Those were the days and now…lucky if you get an hour to game.
Lloyd Reyneke
March 5, 2015 at 12:19
And no one played the last one and it died cause no one had the hardware to run it, it was all CS back then, really hope the community run with this when it comes out, looks epic so far
Gerard Matthews
March 6, 2015 at 13:05
Looks Epic, made by Epic 😉
Pieter Kruger
March 5, 2015 at 12:24
Go Microsoft! ????
RinceThis
March 5, 2015 at 12:25
Used to love playing this game!
Norm
March 5, 2015 at 12:32
This game stole many years of my life… Thanks UT!
Galbedir
March 5, 2015 at 12:37
I have a feeling this is going to give the COD and BF community a good run for its money. Its looking so incredible…Hope the payment model works out well for them, I’d be glad to see this become a huge success,
PestControl
March 5, 2015 at 12:51
“as they’re making it fee to play…” – I don’t want to pay a fee every time I play the game 🙁
Lothy
March 5, 2015 at 12:51
As much as the original unreal tournament was a good game, Quake 3 Arena will always flow through these veins!
One of the best LANs I went to was the 1 hosted at the carousel, now that was a weekend jol of note!
Splooshypooh
March 5, 2015 at 13:02
You can download it from the Youtube page description! 😀
Ricardo Harvey
March 5, 2015 at 13:08
all that shiny graphics and what do the pros do…turn down everything and make characters look like glowing blobs
Darren Peach
March 5, 2015 at 19:15
Unreal VS Quake………..QUAKE 3 is king.
DrKiller
March 6, 2015 at 10:04
someone ban this dude!
Darren Peach
March 6, 2015 at 12:08
Why ?
Darren Peach
March 6, 2015 at 13:59
You might think you are somehow superior to everyone by randomly demanding that a stranger be banned. Yet I wonder what you gain by doing so. I am not a criminal and seeing as this website has a comments section I will comment like you do. I have no Idea why my comment is offensive but I have to assume you don’t value my input and that is telling. I would think you are a meek small minded person who thinks the world is perfect and life revolves around you but in reality you are just as insignificant as I am. The difference is I actually think for myself as opposed to be constantly be looking for approval. But make no mistake, I won’t let your snarky whine worry me beyond this reply.
DrKiller
March 6, 2015 at 14:03
joh, why so serious?
If you read around, you’ll see 99% of all comments include humour… You should learn that a bit and dont take life so serious.
Darren Peach
March 6, 2015 at 14:34
Sorry man.
Charl van der Merwe
March 6, 2015 at 09:10
omg, that made me a little wet.
DrKiller
March 6, 2015 at 10:04
We need to play UT2k4 again! I miss that game 🙁