Unreal is the first installment in the Unreal series, and was the first 3D venture by Epic Games and Digital Extremes. The game was approved by GT Interactive in 1996 and released on May 22, 1998 to the world; however, by several accounts, work on the engine actually started sometime around 1994. It was also the first game to use the Unreal Engine.
Unreal provided a single player experience along with a multiplayer mode that allowed for up to 16 players. It was rated 'M' for Mature by the ESRB for intense violence.[2]
Synopsis[]
Development history[]
Work on Unreal began in 1994 when James Schmalz, founder of Digital Extremes, showed Cliff Bleszinski a side project he had been working on. At the time, Schmalz was creating all of his own content, and programming the game all by himself, with the original concept being "a Magic Carpet-like environment where you fly through caverns with robots".[3] The game had not yet been fully realized, and Schmalz was creating all of his levels on paper. According to Schmalz, the idea for the game came from Digital Extremes, but Epic had the technology to bring it to life.[4]
A short time later, Schmalz showed what he had been working on to Tim Sweeney, founder of Epic MegaGames (later known as Epic Games). Tim was impressed and began working on a level editor for Schmalz to use to build his engine. As time went on, many people became involved in the process. Some of the key remote employees were Mark Rein, who was brought in as a PR specialist, Steven Polge, who was hired to work on the AI, and Shane Caudle, who was hired to make some of the game's maps. For a time, many of the people working for Epic were doing so remotely.
By 1996, the team signed an agreement with GT Interactive, and by 1997 Jay Wilbur joins the team as "Imperial Advisor", working with Mark on the 'Biz' side of things and bringing his experience as a founder member of id software. Steven Polge joins afterwards, being recruited by Mark Rein after the latter was impressed with the Reaper Bot mod that Polge made for Quake.[5]
Once the technology that was going to be used in the game was set, though, the team knew they had something worth showing on their hands. At a private press conference in a suite at the Marriott in Marina Del Ray, CA, Rein, Sweeney, Bleszinski and Schmalz revealed the engine. Afterwards, Rein and PR manager Craig Lafferty would keep hyping and promoting the game and its engine. Yet, the game still had to be named. Names such as "Sin" and "Dark Earth" (that would later be claimed by other game series) were considered, but they settled for the game "Unreal" after giving up. Sweeney quotes Myst and Riven as inspirations for the game, as he knew that, in order to surpass Id Software's efforts (as the company released Quake at that time), the game's technological prowess and the ambience must be both cutting-edge.[3]
Early in development, the team used clay models, which were scanned into the game. After switching to 3D modeling-based tools such as Maya and 3ds Max, these models were either deleted or heavily modified. The game missed internal deadlines, suffered delays, and many assets were made that were never used[6], the reasoning being the elevated quality standards which, in the words of Bleszinski, meant that only the best stuff makes the cut.[3] Among the cut assets, some of the most notorious pieces are:
- The Quadshot, a quad-barreled shotgun that is never seen in the game. It was removed for being overpowered and redundant with the Flak Cannon; however, its mesh and sounds can be seen in the Editor, and the OldUnreal patches restore its functionality.
- A dragon, gargoyle, chameleon, squid, and some other creatures were shown in tech demos and displayed on pictures and ads, but none of them were ever used in the final game. Some were not seen in the game because the areas they would have appeared in were cut to avoid making the game too long, and others were either replaced (like the Krall, which took the place of a centaur-like creature) or removed altogether (like the Dragon), because they were not high enough quality, the team behind which had the goal to make the game live to its full potential.
- Many maps were also cut from the final version: Soledad, Morose, Nexus, Nexus End, FHub6, and Cryox. The Deathmatch maps DmMorbfanza, Sky14, DmSplash, and the Kill the Cow gametype were also cut at the last minute, while DKNightOp was instead moved to the Darkmatch gametype.[7] Another map that was considered for the game, but was cut early on, was DM-Gothic, which eventually found its way into the series very late into the development of Unreal Tournament.[8]
- Out of all these ideas, however, the one that Tim Sweeney still laments not being able to implement was to give the game MMO-like functionality. It was described as being able to give players the ability to jump between servers using a game hub. The cut level The Gateway was the only existing proof of this feature ever being thought of.[9][10]
Crazy idea, right? To ship a 3D MMO in 1998? We ended up cutting that feature a very long time ago."
A line from the help file included in the 1995 Alpha version of the game revealed that the game was meant to be shipped on "Fall '96" and under distribution by EA.[11] The first officially announced release date, however, was for an April 1997 release. A beta was released that year, allowing players to get a feel for the gameplay. The beta was seen at GDC (Game Developers Conference) '97. Those who saw the demo expected the game to be complete by this time; however, the AI was unfinished, the levels, which lacked varying textures, looked repetitive, the sound effects were poor, and the game was overall too long to complete in a fair amount of time. This resulted in the development team, up to that point using a "virtual team" scheme, all assembling at Digital Extremes' Waterloo offices, returning to their homes a year later after completing the game. Other factors such as the team being dispersed all around the world, with members living in countries such as France and the Netherlands) also contributing to the delays.[3]
Around November 1997, the game gained a new software renderer, reworked by Erik De Neve to incorporate the true colored lighting in the same way as the 3DFX acceleration had it thorought the year. The tradeoff was that the game lost many of its unique surface flag effects, small and bigwavy flags no longer warped the surface but only moved it in motion. The pre-rendered skyboxes were also dropped at that point and new technology to project skyboxes via skyzoneinfos was being implemented.
A demo was alluded to many times by various people at Epic Games throughout the development of Unreal, but the only demos that were ever released came bundled with various hardware. Many people saw this as a negative to Unreal, as there was no real way to try the game before players bought it. However, Epic learned its lesson, and installments in the Unreal franchise after this game would feature playable demos, some of which had impacts on sales numbers.[3] There were also discussions for console versions, the chosen platforms being Sony's PlayStation (called Unreal: Rise of Jrath) and Nintendo's 64DD, an add-on for the Nintendo 64. However, the developer team for the former version could not complete it on time, while Epic eventually lost interest in the 64DD and its capabilities, and the device itself never made it outside of Japan.[12] A Dreamcast port was also in the works, but it was cancelled after GT Interactive suffered financial losses.[13]
The game was finally released on May 22, 1998, and its level of detail put video game publishers on notice: a new age of gaming had arrived.
GT Interactive, Epic Megagames And Digital Extremes Ship The Year's Most Eagerly Anticipated PC Game
Spectacular 3D Environments, Revolutionary Artificial Intelligence, Intuitive Level Editor and Vast Internet Play Usher in New Generation of Gaming. NEW YORK, NY, May 22, 1998 - It is called `Unreal,' but it is indeed a triumphant reality to gamers around the world, as GT Interactive Software Corp. (NASDAQ: GTIS) ships 1998's most eagerly anticipated 3D action video game for the PC, Unreal.
"One of the most highly awaited games of all time, Unreal is poised to set a new benchmark in the 3D action/adventure category," says Holly Newman, vice president of Marketing for GT Interactive. "We are excited to bring to players - both novices and gamers alike - an experience that combines cutting-edge technology with innovative game play, and we believe Unreal has the ability to further broaden the audience for interactive entertainment."
Heralded by Next-Generation magazine as "the best looking game of all time," and PC Gamer magazine as "the future of gaming," Unreal offers heart-pounding, single-player action; intense multi-play for up to 16 gamers; as well as the Unreal Level Editor - one of the industry's most advanced, easy-to-use level editor programs. The level editor allows even novice players to create their own Unreal levels or customize virtually any aspect of the game itself in "half" the time of other editors. "Unreal is the combined vision of the talented and dedicated teams at Epic MegaGames and Digital Extremes, who shared the dream of creating the most captivating action/adventure game ever," says Mark Rein, vice president of Epic MegaGames, Inc. "We're confident that gamers around the world will believe that their wait was well worth it when they sit down to play."
Designed for the Windows 95/Windows 98/Windows NT platforms, Unreal transports one or more players to a beautiful yet deadly planet which, as a result of a mysterious ore, has become the "Bermuda Triangle" of space, entwining alien races from across the galaxy in a battle for survival. Unreal's visuals set a new standard for realism - water is transparent, flames randomly flicker, moving clouds cast shadows -- while dynamic lighting and music changes complement the on-screen action.
GT Interactive's Unreal offers an exciting array of features, including:
Spectacular dynamic lighting -- enhancing Unreal's immersive 3-D environments; Optimized for Intel's MMX technology, Power VR and 3Dfx 3D accelerator chip sets - resulting in unbelievably fast game play with high-resolution graphics; Portal technology - literally bringing a new dimension to game play by allowing levels to defy 3D Euclidean space; Enhanced enemy artificial intelligence - resulting in intelligent, cunning and deadly life forms; Internet play with true client server environments -- offering multi-player matches on the Internet that are easy to set up and play. Ability to host own Unreal multi-play tournament and "hotlink" between user-created levels; Many highly-detailed polygonal enemies -- each with more than 300 frames of animation; Bilinear texture smoothing -- making environments appear more realistic, resulting in a far more intense game play experience; Vast true 3-D environments -- including spacecrafts, ancient ruins, mines and castles, each with their own unique challenges and secrets; Deadly arsenal of high-power weapons; Multiple intriguing puzzles; Dynamic cinematic quality soundtrack and special audio affects, adding to Unreal's eerie atmosphere and realism, including, Dolby Surround Sound and Aureal's A3D sound system. Unreal will ship with a fully functional beta version of Epic's Unreal Level Editor - an advanced 3D authoring tool which provides a sophisticated, yet easy-to-learn, method of creating 3D environments and objects by which players may create their own Unreal worlds. According to Computer & Net Player magazine, "if this doesn't bring level editing to the masses, nothing will." A feature-enhanced, fully supported and documented version of the Unreal Level Editor with additional 3D content and a tutorial is currently under development and will be released separately later this year.
GT Interactive is supporting the launch of Unreal with an in-depth marketing campaign. Comprised of extensive print advertising, online promotions, direct mail, in-store promotions and innovative merchandising, including novels and strategy guides, GT Interactive's Unreal marketing campaign will run through the holiday season.
Unreal is currently available at retail outlets nationwide at a suggested retail price of $54.95."
Release dates[]
- May 22, 1998 - Unreal (PC) - 1 CD
- January 21st, 2000 - Unreal Gold (PC) - 1 CD
- Included Return to Na Pali.
- August 29, 2001 - Totally Unreal (PC) - 4 CDs
- Included Unreal Gold, Unreal Tournament (Game of the Year edition) and an Unreal Championship/Unreal 2 preview disc.
- November 6, 2006 - Unreal Anthology (PC) - 1 DVD
- Included Unreal Gold, Unreal Tournament (GOTY), Unreal II: The Awakening, and Unreal Tournament 2004.
- Published by Midway Games, who took publishing rights from Atari.
A full version of Unreal was released with certain S3 video cards to show off Unreal's S3TC capabilities. This version came with several S3TC showcase levels that can be found online.
A free trial of Unreal was released with certain Creative products to show off Unreal's EAX capabilities.
On May 22, 2018, in honor of the game's 20th anniversary, Unreal Gold was released for free on Steam and GOG for a 48-hour time period.
Post-release content[]
- Main article: Unreal (video game)/Release Notes
- Main article: Unreal Mission Pack: Return to Na Pali
Two strategy guides were published for the game: Unreal: Prima's Official Strategy Guide by Prima Games, on June 1, 1998, and Unreal: Official Strategy Guide, by GW Press, on June 29, 1998. With the GW Press Guide, some addon levels were released exclusively for a quiz question on the GW website: DmLocke, DmScruular and DmVilla2.[15]
Several OEM versions of the game were released, some of them possibly lost/cancelled, others becoming available only thanks to efforts of a few individuals who backed them up. The oldest version being the 205 Unreal Special Edition, which was a precursor to the "reboot" Shareware version that never materialized, and whose files are still included within the UT 221 beta. These came with certain creative graphics and audio cards like Sound Blaster Live!. The Special Edition included three exclusive Deathmatch maps: DmCreek, DmBayC and DmKrazy. The graphic card and Riva TNT versions also had the shadows patch that allowed the use of stencil shadows within those cards. A special mappack called "UnrealAO" was included on the CD, "Addon Scenarios" which had mostly Deathmatch maps and a showcase/single-player map. The unique thing about UnrealAO is that its installer detects whether or not you have a full version of Unreal. If you do, it copies even more maps (the full count being 5 DM maps and one test map) into your Unreal install. This executable was also distributed on some cover discs and distributed online limitedly. The purpose was to test the stencil shadows and reverb effects in relatively low-tasking environments. All the maps except raver2reverb can be played just fine in Deathmatch, but they lack the "Dm" prefix.[16]
A separate French version came with a bonus disc having the map votlan on it and a readme file. It urged you to download more maps, and turned out to be a selection of the official contest maps at the time, at least when it comes to single-player. The french GTI, in association with Xanaweb, also had their own contest running, whose winners would then be featured in yet another future compilation/special edition of Unreal; this later version was later cancelled and never came to be. Votlan itself was a modified version of a pre-release Vortex Rikers map. "Back to the Vortex Rikers" was its english title, however the map was entirely in French. Some people found this a waste of CD space and its a really obscure content that only one person recovered together with the cd cover scan. Despite its controversy, it is considered an official content and led to the creation of the "French Level Pack".
A 219 S3 version (more of them existed also with another additional map or two) was also released and recovered, having a unique patch supporting S3TC textures and an unique mappack of test and pseudo-DM maps lacking any weapons.
OEM versions 222 and 223 were also released, one of them mislabeled as Unreal Tournament. These versions had extra maps in form of an early version of the Fusion Mappack with the exception of the map DM-Twilight.
There's a small extra level pack called "Fusion Map Pack", containing six new Deathmatch levels for the game: DM-Cybrosis, DM-Letting, DM-Loxi, DM-Mojo, DM-Shrapnel and DM-Twilight. The first map of the pack which was released was Loxi, on November 20, 1998.[17]
Several official and semi-official commercial expansions and mods/TCs were cancelled for Unreal, among them the original Epic's Level Pack which was later handed on to Legend Entertainment and which would eventually became Unreal Mission Pack: Return to Na Pali. The maps and weaponry were not shared however, and Epic only insisted that some content like music and a selection of cut Unreal maps makes it in. The rest was Legend's own initiative/creation. Originally all the licensees were entitled to have one expansion made, but this plan got canned thanks to GTI doing budget cuts, along with other compilations and the Unreal Level Editor (a full version with example/addon maps and extra textures, some of which ended up in UT).
An Intel OEM version, lost and rumored to have been quickly pulled off the shelves, was completed and included a separate addon by Fusion Creative Design, a small team/company by Eric Reuter that also contributed into Unreal PSX (especially episode 1, which is almost entirely made by them). There are only a couple of pre-release screenshots from this addon that started life around march 1998, which were screenshots of a hub level.
There is also a lost OEM version that might have had DmCore, DmGen and earlier version of Shane Caudle's Arcane Temple. The last official versions of DmMorbfanza, Sky## (possibly 14) and DmSplash are also missing, and might have been available for download once as well.
In July 13, 2000 the official support ended, with the version 226f patch.[18] On August 26, 2005, Smirftsch of OldUnreal announced that he managed to get a Non-Disclosure Agreement that allows him and his community to maintain the game.[19][20] The first patch for version 227a was released on December 26, 2007.[21] The latest patch, for version 227i, was released in November 11, 2012, and features new graphics rendering like DirectX 9, updated OpenGL, new sound rendering based on OpenAL and fixes many incompatibilities with modern operating systems and hardware. The OldUnreal patches restore and finishes the Quadshot and Translocator and showcases them in their test Deathmatch maps. It also features new effects for maps and the implementation of Unreal Engine 2 features such as StaticMeshes and a particle effects system. The maps created with these features, however, can't be used in older versions up to the final 226f patch.
Cancelled post-release content[]
Several official or semi-official expansion packs for the game were considered or under development until circumstances forced their cancellation or reworking:
- There was a mention of Invasion of Na Pali while linking to Legend Entertainment's website on Drevlin's old webpage once. He claims it was his personal project, however it might be a wrong memory of him because why would it link to an official site instead. There are theories it was supposed to be MissionPack2's name instead. Drevlin also worked on official capacity later on the cancelled vaporware Helix: Alien Legion project, which started as a mere Unreal addon pack too, and the story involved an invasion too, but with the location changed to Earth and different faction names. However, it has obvious references to Unreal and acts as a spinoff game. The game in its early phases would have featured new multiplayer game modes, some of them ported from Unreal mods by the same authors as they joined the team, they were Capture the Base (a version of conquer the base), AirAttack, Deathmatch 2.0 and Flag Tag.
- Another cancelled expansion pack thought of before Return To Na Pali was the Cyberlore addon that would center on a civil war on Na Pali after the Skaarj are defeated, and split into multiple clans that now fight control over Na Pali. It would have featured a hub system and several cut enemies such as the Skaarj Dragon transmutation. The player would have been able to even choose factions and play even as Skaarj or Mercenary, not just human. And the end of the game would be different depending on what factions they chose. For example there would also be a true/secret game boss like the mentioned Wizard of Oz-like character, whether he was based on the "nali monk" like wizard is unknown. The game would have had new bosses and variations too, like a new Slith Boss and Slith eggs and young Slith.
- There was an Impel Productions Unreal Expansion Pack as well, the authors behind the unofficial, commercial Expansion Pack Abyss of Pandemonium for Quake. Not much is known except that it was started.
- The Wing-Chu kung fu addon by Zen Tao Interactive also started with Unreal content.
- The UT Addon Operation Na Pali originally started as a sequel to Return to Na Pali just titled RTNP II. It was intended to be more of a semi-official addon but many of the Epic Games members/contractors left active production before it became what it is now.
- Unreal PSX on itself can be counted as expansion pack as plans were underway to turn it (with heavy changes) into an expansion. It never materialized, and Matthew Kagle's initial reworks are the closest to it, except for the new rework project.
- Creative Carnage with publisher WizardWorks (a GTI subsidiary) were making A World Gone Dead, a TC-like addon for Unreal featuring ten levels and eight new weapons. WizardWorks later decided to not publish upon some disagreement, and the original team never found a new suitable publisher, thus it was cancelled. Bits of content/code ended up in Steele Dawn and Return to Na Pali subsequently. The idea for the addon by WizardWorks already started by December 1997, but active development only started right after the release of Unreal. It was the first TC project, an unofficial expansion/addon like many other WizardWorks published works. The project featured ideas that would later pop up in other works such as Stranger Things, Left for Dead. Inspired by Resident Evil and maybe a little bit by the film Event Horizon, the project took an unique take on Zombie-themed story. One of the team leaders, Joe Wilcox, later ended up being in Epic, twice over. He worked on the Matinee there as kind of a continuation of his Unreal Director's Suite (package UDSDemo) that was developed for AWGD at first and security side of things, apart from designing few maps as well. He wanted to revive UT4 later as it was partially his project, unfortunately Tim Sweeney didn't greenlit it, and neither did his other Unreal spinoff project.
- Level Infinity worked on Steele Dawn which was first announced as fully fledged mission pack. However after their experience with the Shadow Warrior addon Twin Dragon, they decided to make Steele Dawn entirely for free, but it ended up being cancelled. In a later phase of the project, Joe Wilcox lent a hand and gave them some AWGD scripts to work with as well, apart from designing a Deathmatch/test level as well. It looks like they might have planned to ship it together with AWGD and some compilations as a bonus, by WizardWorks and other later publisher when WW was disbanded. A project by related people/team, Stone Killer, also had a similar fate. Steele Dawn was the only one of the projects that was mostly recovered and reworked later by the community. Level Infinity is also known for the Red Rover mod that was part of the Quake II Netpack addon and also provided textures for the Zaero addon.
- Crest of Dharim was a Nali-focused addon/TC that evolved into its own game and had its team rename itself into OMG games, and then even change the name of the game to Rites of Acerbus, before being cancelled altogether. Ken Post, the project leader, worked previously on Steele Dawn and AWGD as well.[22][23][24]
Digital distribution[]
The pack was sold alongside Unreal Mission Pack: Return to Na Pali as Unreal Gold on the Steam and GOG platforms. This distribution ended on December 14, 2022, after Epic Games announced the shutdown of all their online services in order to concentrate everything on Epic's own Epic Online Services, which included the online distribution of several games as well as their master servers. Users of the platforms that already had the games can still play them either offline or with local multiplayer.[25] While online Unreal Gold gaming may remain active thanks to OldUnreal's efforts and master servers, this essentially means that, outside of used copies and copies found at online auction sites, there's no legal way to acquire the games if the players don't already have them.
On November 12, 2024, a full game installer that installs Unreal Gold from an Epic Games-approved source was released at OldUnreal.[26] A later interview with the gaming site Gaming On Linux effectively confirms that, yes, Epic approves the effort.[27]
Game content[]
Gamemodes[]
- Main article: Unreal Single player
Aside of the campaign, which features both single player and co-op modes, Unreal features four multiplayer modes: Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, King of the Hill and Darkmatch. With the exception of the latter, the rest of the multiplayer gametypes use the Deathmatch maps.
Maps[]
| Unreal Darkmatch maps |
|---|
| DKNightOp |
| Unreal Deathmatch maps |
|---|
| DmAriza • DmCurse • DmDeathFan • DmDeck16 • DmElsinore • DMfith • DmHealPod • DmMorbias • DmRadikus • DmTundra Fusion Mappack maps: DM-Cybrosis • DM-Letting • DM-Loxi • DM-Mojo • DM-Shrapnel • DM-Twilight Unreal Special Edition maps: DmBayC • DmCreek • DmKrazy GW Press Addon maps: DmLocke • DmScruular • DmVilla2 OldUnreal v227 maps: DmBeyondTheSun • DmExar • DmRetrospective • DmRiot |
Characters[]
| Characters from Unreal |
|---|
| Prisoner 849 |
| Minor characters: Kira Argmanov • Mac Harrison • N. Onalopov • L. Goeranov • Yuri Andromov • Pelli Onsov • N. Onatop • A. Connectof • Anders Kerig • Ivan Romanov • M. Mottobanov • Jonas Gershwin • S. Kroon • Vandora • Boris Clague • Benjamin Nathaniel • Hrang • Ash • James Cavanaugh • R. Bijl • J. Strang • N. Vos • M. v. Wely • P. v. Heel • Chizra (god) • Ssja'Rath • Tatiana Zimna • Sergei Dubrov • William Bradford • Haith M'olner • Khan Vhranna • Duk'Choroth • Grok Vhul'rath • Mikail Leatham • Jaara • Kriin • Kruun • Shrk'Tajji • Dorro • Chakti'Nrrj • Grorq
|
| Friendly/Passive NPCs: |
| Enemies: Skaarj Berserker • Slith • Tentacle • Skaarj Infantry • Skaarj Pupae • Skaarj Warrior • Brute • Mercenary • Krall (enemy) • Skaarj Gunner • Ice Skaarj • Skaarj Scout • Skaarj Trooper • Krall Elite • Lesser Brute • Manta (enemy) • Devilfish • Skaarj Lord • Skaarj Assassin • Fly • Skaarj Sniper • Gasbag • Cave Manta • Skaarj Officer • Mercenary Elite
|
| Bosses: |
Weapons[]
Unreal originals[]
Unreal v227 (OldUnreal)[]
Items[]
These are divided in two categories: Inventory Items and Pickup Items.
Inventory items[]
These can be picked up and used during the course of the single player game, and a few are available in multiplayer levels. Use the bracket keys [ ] on your keyboard to select an item visible in your inventory icon bar (default controls). The currently selected item is bounded by a white box. Use the Enter key to activate an item. Activated items are highlighted in red. Press Enter a second time to deactivate an item.
Unreal originals[]
Unreal v227 (OldUnreal)[]
Pickup items[]
These are activated or put into use as soon as you pick them up. For this reason, it is often wise to leave a Pickup item on the ground and come back to pick it up only when you need to use it. Every Inventory item becomes pickupable in multiplayer mode.
Creatures[]
There are two types of creatures in Unreal: Passive (or NPCs) and Enemies.
Passive creatures[]
These creatures make no attempt at attacking Prisoner 849. Note that certain creatures may actually be aggressive depending on the difficulty level.
Unreal originals[]
Unreal v227 (OldUnreal)[]
Enemies[]
These creatures will always attack Prisoner 849 on sight.
Unreal originals[]
Unreal v227 (OldUnreal)[]
Soundtrack[]
- Main article: Music/Unreal
Unreal features music in UMX file format, based on tracker music. Alexander Brandon from Straylight Productions and Michiel van den Bos were in charge of the music, with additional contributions made by Andrew "Necros" Sega and Dan "Basehead" Gardopée.[28] Additionally there are some music tracks which were included in the game, but were not used in the original game alone. Some of these unused tracks were, however, used in Unreal Mission Pack: Return to Na Pali.
Reception[]
Unreal was given very good reviews and was generally accepted very well by gamers. On release, no less than John Carmack was impressed at the game's technological feats.[3]
That is not to say that the game was flawless, however. Shortly after the game's release, it became apparent that the multiplayer network code was not up to scratch for the 56k modem connections in wide use at the time. Due to this, the Epic MegaGames message board filled up with hundreds of posts of complaints about the poor quality of the Unreal netcode and the general need for a patch. This led to Epic's message boards being nicknamed the "Epic FlameBoards". In response, Epic released dozens of patches to the game, later including Direct3D and OpenGL support to the Software Rendering and Glide support.
Eventually, the problems with the netcode were so apparent and so prevalent that, in order to fix them, an entire rewriting of the code was needed, planting the seeds for the expansion pack that eventually became Unreal Tournament.[29]
Accolades[]
- Damien Smith of GameSkinny named the game the number 1 "FPS game you must play before you die" on the site's list.
It isn't long before you run into the Skaarj, a hostile and barbaric alien race who enslave and terrorize the natives of Na Pali, the Nali. As far as alien worlds go, there are few games that have ever presented a strange, unique and magical world like Unreal.
A blend of the wonderful visuals for its time, magical soundtrack and fast-paced action, Unreal is one of the best FPS games of the 90s."
- ServReality deemed the game as one of the best games made with Unreal technology.
The developers managed to make their project one of the most innovative for its time. Among the games of the 1990s, Unreal had no competitors in the field of the number of various types of opponents, which were opposed to the player. 3D graphics with Unreal (game and engine) has reached a new level. Competing with one of its main opponents, Unreal presented highly detailed interiors and huge locations with magnificent views – this was not even in Quake II. Unreal was the first game in which detailed textures appeared."
- The ShackNews community deemed the game the 91st best PC game of all time.
- Jon Rettinger of Techno Buffalo deemed the game as one of the 10 greatest PC games of all time, closing the list.
Awards[]
| Awards of Unreal | |
|---|---|
| IGNPC.com | Best Graphics of 1998 |
| Newsweek Magazine | Top 10 Video Games of 1998 |
| New Media Magazine | Bronze Award for "Best Game" 1998 Invision Awards |
| Next Generation Magazine | Editor's Choice Award |
| PC Gamer Magazine | Editor's Choice Award Special Achievement in Graphics Top 50 Games of All Time Editor's Choice Award "Breakthrough Game" Editor's Choice Award "Best Art" |
| PC Review Magazine | Innovation Award |
| PC World Magazine | Top 100 Products of 1998 |
| Voodoo Magazine | Editor's Choice Award |
| Adrenaline Vault | Editor's Choice Award |
| Gamesmania | Award of Excellence |
| Gamespot | Best Graphics (Technical Excellence) |
| Macworld | Macworld Game Hall of Fame Editor's Choice Award (Eddy) Game of the Year 1998 |
| C-Net Gamecenter | Macintosh Game of 1998 |
Tim Sweeney resumes all of Unreal's "firsts", developmental and technical achievements in this quote from an RPS retrospective:[6]
Credits[]
| Credits of Unreal | |
|---|---|
| Epic Games & Digital Extremes | |
| Game design | James Schmalz, Cliff Bleszinski |
| Level design | Cliff Bleszinski, T. Elliot Cannon, Cedric Fiorentino, Pancho Eekels, Jeremy War, Shane Caudle |
| Animator | Dave Carter |
| Artists | James Schmalz, Mike Leatham, Artur Bialas |
| Programmers | Tim Sweeney (Engine), Steven Polge (Game & AI), Erik de Neve (Effects), Carlo Vogelsang (Audio), James Schmalz & Nick Michon (Scripting) |
| Musicians | Alexander Brandon, Michiel van den Bos |
| Sound effects | Dave Ewing |
| Epic Biz | Jay Wilbur, Mark Rein, Nigel Kent, Craig Lafferty |
| GT Interactive | |
| Producer | Jason Schreiber |
| Executive Producer | Greg Williams |
| Lead Tester | Joel Maximillion Breton |
| Product Manager | Ken Gold |
| Assistant Product Manager | Phil Tucker |
| Public Relations Manager | Alan Lewis |
| Director of Creative Services | Leslie Mills |
| Creative Director | Vic Merritt |
| Artists | Michael Marrs, Jill Pomper, Lesley Zinn, Jen Scheerer |
| Production Corordinator | Liz Fierro |
| Box Design | Vic Merritt, Leslie Mills |
| Manual | Mike Forge |
| Testing | |
| Lead Tester | Mike Barker |
| Second | Jim Tricario, Dan McJilton |
| Testers | Mike Barker, Jim Tricario, Dan McJilton, Dave Munro, Andre Cerny, Cormac Russell, Jesse Smith, Clint McCaul, Fran Katsimpiris, Corey Allen, Ed Piper, Barry Gilchrist, Adam Coleman, Chris Carr, Chris McGuirk, Randy Denmyer, Kevin Keith, Thomas Watkins, Dave Afdahl, Andy Mazurek, Matt Kutrik, Troy Kupich, Jake Grimshaw, Mark Leary, Matt Miller, Ian Giffen, Justin Dull, Calvin Grove, Ruben Brown, Mike Prendergast, Geoff Gessner, Steven Rhodes, Rocco Rinaldi, Jim Biltz |
| Special Thanks | |
| Mark Poesch (UnrealEd enhancements), Andrew Sega (additional music), Dan Gardopée (additional music), Chad Faragher, Nick Oddson, Chris Hargett, DJ Carroll, Diane Schmalz, Shannon Newans, Evelyn Eekels, Lani Minella, Gina Hedges, Ryan Schwartz, Mark Visser, Richard Young, Mike Forge, Eric Reuter (Additional Level Design), and the guys at UnrealNation and Unreal.org. | |
Essential files[]
If you're looking for a complete list of patches for Unreal, you might want to check this page.
Windows[]
| OldUnreal Epic Games-approved full game installer for Unreal for Windows systems | |
|---|---|
| |
NOTE: You don't need any of the following downloads in this section if you've installed your game from Steam or GOG.com, own the Gold Edition, or used OldUnreal's full game installer.
| Patches for Unreal for Windows systems | |
|---|---|
| Official (Epic Games/Digital Extremes) | |
| |
| Semi-official (OldUnreal) | |
|
Since OldUnreal has the blessing of Epic Games to output updates for Unreal, these patches are considered semi-official builds. NOTE: You don't need the following download in this section if you've installed your game from the aforementioned installer, as it downloads the latest patch automatically.
| |
| Other patches | |
|
If you're looking for a complete list of patches for Unreal, you might want to check this page.
| |
Linux[]
| Patches for Unreal for Linux systems | |
|---|---|
| Semi-official (OldUnreal) | |
|
Since OldUnreal has the blessing of Epic Games to output updates for Unreal, these patches are considered semi-official builds. | |
| Other patches | |
|
If you're looking for a complete list of patches for Unreal, you might want to check this page. | |
Mac[]
| Patches for Unreal for Mac systems | |
|---|---|
| Official (Epic Games/Digital Extremes) | |
| |
| Semi-official (OldUnreal) | |
|
Since OldUnreal has the blessing of Epic Games to output updates for Unreal, these patches are considered semi-official builds. | |
| Other patches | |
|
If you're looking for a complete list of patches for Unreal, you might want to check this page. | |
Content Packs[]
| Content Packs for Unreal | |
|---|---|
| Official (Epic Games/Digital Extremes) | |
| Semi-official | |
| |
| Unofficial but still recommendable | |
|
See also CliffyB's Ownage/Unreal.
| |
| Other map/mod download sites | |
| |
Trivia[]
- The song "Isotoxin" is featured as the opening song of another game, called "In Pursuit of Greed".
- A full install of Unreal uses around 420 MB of hard drive space.
- Before leaving Epic Games, Cliff Bleszinski pitched a remaster of the game, and didn't come to pass.
That was my last request when I did my exit speech at Epic. There was a lot of magic in that game, darnit!"
- According to Elliot 'Myscha' Cannon, these were the keys for the success of the series:
Easter eggs[]
- Main article: Easter eggs/Unreal and RTNP
- The manual contains the line "In memory of Myscha and Pelit" in the Credits section. These names also appear in the level Bluff Eversmoking, in the cemetery portion. They refer to T. Elliot Cannon's mascots Myscha and Pelit, who died during the development of the game.
External links and references[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 "Unreal Struts Its Stuff". IGN (February 23, 1999). Retrieved May 23, 2019.
- ↑ "Unreal". Entertainment Software Rating Board. Retrieved 28 May 2017.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Keighley, Geoffrey. "Blinded By Reality: The True Story Behind the Creation of Unreal". Gamespot. Archived from the original on May 12, 2008. Retrieved May 9, 2019.
- ↑ Callaham, John (September 24, 2002). "Unreal Championship Interview". HomeLAN Fed. Archived from the original on October 17, 2002. Retrieved May 9, 2019.
- ↑ "History of UT". UnrealTournament.com. Archived from the original on Aug 16, 2004. Retrieved Jun 24, 2025.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Caldwell, Brendan (5 June 2018). "A retrospective of Unreal, from the people who made it". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
- ↑ "Errata". GW Press. Archived from the original on 9 Oct 1999. Retrieved 10 June 2017.
- ↑ Leo(T.C.K.) (November 21, 2018). "Dm Gothic is a 1997 Unreal level". UT99.org forums. Retrieved May 5, 2019.
- ↑ Lombardi, Doug (August 1, 1997). "The Magnificent Seven: 3D Shooter Showdown - Unreal". GameCenter. Archived from the original on February 3, 1999. Retrieved April 19, 2019.
- ↑ Totilo, Stephen (December 7, 2011). "The Quiet Tinkerer Who Makes Games Beautiful Finally Gets His Due". Kotaku. Retrieved May 7, 2019.
- ↑ "Proto:Unreal/December 1995 Level Tech Demo". The Cutting Room Floor. Retrieved Aug 24, 2024.
- ↑ "Epic's Unreal Plans for PlayStation 2". IGN (August 6, 1999). Retrieved May 22, 2019.
- ↑ Kollin, Mike (June 2, 2000). "Did Somebody Say Unreal Tournament on DC?". IGN. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
- ↑ "History of Unreal - Part 1". BeyondUnreal (31 May 2005). Archived from the original on 14 October 2014. Retrieved 17 June 2017.
- ↑ "Unreal Add-On Levels". GameWizards. Archived from the original on Feb 2, 1999.
- ↑ "Unreal Scenarios". SoundBlaster. Archived from the original on Apr 13, 2001. Retrieved May 29, 2025.
- ↑ "New Unreal DM Map from Epic!". Unreal.com (November 20, 1998). Archived from the original on December 3, 1998. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
- ↑ de Neve, Erik (July 13, 2000). "Final Unreal 1 Patch Released". Epic Games. Archived from the original on August 15, 2000. Retrieved May 22, 2019.
- ↑ "OldUnreal Forums". OldUnreal. Archived from the original on Jul 24, 2005. Retrieved May 7, 2022.
- ↑ Meer, Alec (12 November 2012). "Patchy Like It's 1998: Unreal 1 Updated". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved 6 April 2019.
- ↑ "227 Release Notes". OldUnreal. Retrieved Sep 29, 2020.
- ↑ "Crest of Dharim Interview". BluesNews (Aug 24, 2000). Retrieved Jul 23, 2025.
- ↑ "It's All In The Game Name". BluesNews (Aug 24, 2000). Retrieved Jul 23, 2025.
- ↑ monokoma (Mar 18, 2021). "Rites of Acerbus (Crest of Dharim) [PC – Cancelled]". Unseen64.
- ↑ "Epic is turning off online services and servers for some older games". Epic Games (December 14, 2022). Retrieved December 25, 2022.
- ↑ "Full Game Installers". OldUnreal. Retrieved Nov 14, 2024.
- ↑ Dawe, Liam (Nov 14, 2024). "Classic Unreal Tournament and Unreal now easier to download free thanks to OldUnreal". Gaming on Linux. Retrieved Nov 14, 2024.
- ↑ "Unreal (Epic Megagames): Game rip". Mirsoft.info. Retrieved 17 June 2017.
- ↑ Reinhart, Brandon (June 9, 2000). "Postmortem: Epic Games' Unreal Tournament". Gamasutra. Retrieved May 25, 2019.
- ↑ Smith, Damien (November 19 2016). "Kickin' Ass and Chewin' Bubble Gum: 20 FPS Games You Must Play Before You Die". GameSkinny. Retrieved May 25, 2019.
- ↑ "The List of The Best Games Made With Unreal Technology". ServReality (May 14, 2019). Retrieved May 25, 2019.
- ↑ Mejia, Ozzie (September 22, 2014). "PC Games of All-Time: #100-80". ShackNews. Retrieved May 25, 2019.
- ↑ Rettinger, Jon (October 28, 2009). "Top 10 Greatest PC Games of All Time". Techno Buffalo. Retrieved May 25, 2019.
- ↑ Bleszinski, Cliff (31 Aug 2021). "Cliff Bleszinski on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved 1 Sep 2021.
- ↑ Cannon, T. Elliot (Jan 20, 2025). ""That's easy. We were original" (comment)". Reddit. Retrieved Jun 5, 2025.
- Unreal @ Wikipedia
- Unreal (video game) @ TVTropes.org
See also[]
- Unreal II: The Awakening
- Unreal Mission Pack: Return to Na Pali
- Unreal Gold
- Totally Unreal
- Unreal Deal Pack
| Unreal (series) |
|---|
| Videogames |
| Single player series: Unreal • Return to Na Pali • Unreal II Tournament series: Unreal Tournament • UT2003 • UT2004 • UT3 • UT4 Championship series: Unreal Championship • Unreal Championship 2 |
| Books |
| Novels: Unreal: Hard Crash • Unreal: Prophet's Power • Escape to Na Pali: A Journey to the Unreal Strategy Games: Unreal (Prima) • Unreal II (Prima) • Unreal Championship (Prima) • UT2003 (Prima) • UT2004 (Prima) • UT (PS2) (BradyGames) • UC2 (BradyGames) • UT3 (BradyGames) • Unreal (GWPress) • UT (GWPress) |
| Featured Mods |
| UT: GOTY Edition: Chaos: UT • Rocket Arena: UT UT2004 ECE Edition: Air Buccaneers • Alien Swarm • Chaos: UT2 Evolution • Clone Bandits • Deathball • Domain 2049 • Frag.Ops • Jailbreak 2004 • Red Orchestra • Rocketeer • UnWheel |
| Soundtracks |
| A History of Unreal Music • Unreal Tournament 3: The Soundtrack • Epic Games 20th Anniversary Original Soundtrack |
| Cancelled Projects |
| Unreal Warfare |