The
Unreal Tournament 2007 Preview on GameSpot has more on the next installment
in Epic's shooter series:
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.