The engine will have support for advanced special effects, including high dynamic range lighting and bump offset mapping--which is an advanced form of lighting that can make a completely flat surface appear to have protruding features, like a brick wall built from jagged, uneven stones--and an all-new physics engine powered by Ageia's Novodex technology. "We've never been able to do an avalanche in-game before," says Epic president Mike Capps, referring to both the simulated mountain avalanche in this year's GDC demo and to the sorts of effects you'll see in the game.

Capps explains that beyond the graphics, UT 2007 will also feature improved gameplay, based on feedback from the fans and from Epic's own goals. According to Capps, the studio is "trying to make sure that UT 2007 is a mix of UT 2004 and [the original Unreal Tournament from 1999]," while maintaining the series' focus on multiplayer competition. "We want to own the deathmatch space." Competitive play is a key element in the series' success, so Epic definitely plans to keep head-to-head competition around in the form of deathmatch, team deathmatch, and one-on-one duels, as well as capture the flag.