Given the constraints of our review format we
couldn't go into much detail comparing the two games every Deathmatch fan is talking about. So as an addendum,
we offer what we feel are the standout reasons for our scores in our reviews and also give our users a sense
of where we stand on the genre itself. Keep in mind that this article is by no means a proclamation of the
superiority of one game over the other.
5 Reasons Why Quake III Arena is Better than Unreal Tournament
By Chi Kong Lui
1. Future Mods and Add-ons
The reality is that id loyalists have been churning out mods (modifications) and add-on levels since the early
days of Doom to the latter day Quake games. And while the Unreal series have made quite a
name for themselves and developed a strong following, Quake III Arena (Q3A) has already proven to be everything that its
long-time fans have hoped for and is sure to receive their continued support with an inevitable deluge of user
created mods and add-on levels. Unreal Tournament (UT) may currently sport more variety in weapons, levels, and modes of play
out of the box, but with the sizable Quake community continually pouring their efforts into Q3A,
that standing may soon prove otherwise. Not only may Q3A sprout longer legs then its competitor, we might
also see more innovations along the lines of Team Fortress (an original mod for Quake) down the road.
Commercial companies will probably be more inclined to develop add-on packs for Q3A as well due to the
larger user base.
2. Speedier Action
By making design decisions like implementing kinetic bounce and acceleration pads rather then stilted elevators
to quicken the overall pace, Q3A is simply more
a intense and thrilling experience then UT.
UT is far from boring in itself, but with deadly long-range weapons like the sniper rifle and the remote-controllable
Redeemer missile, that encourages 'camping,' coupled with limited use anti-gravity boots, the action in UT is
in some ways just more restrained. Q3A, on the other hand, boasts unrelenting non-stop action that really gets
the adrenaline pumping especially on maps with plenty of bounce and acceleration pads that will have players leaping
and flying all about in a frenetic haze.
3. Visual Style
While both games depict particularly brutal violence and gore, I preferred the more artistically direct and vivid
graphics in Q3A. The stages maintain an
architecturally-consistent fusion of Gothic, demonic, and Cyberpunk styles. The cast of 'skinned' character models in
Q3A are also bunch of rag tag individuals who, while bordering on absurdity (especially the skeleton models),
still maintain a grittier and wonderfully more wicked edge to their bold appearance and personalities.
UT, on the other hand, boasts a blander
and almost generic new-age look where stages look like they belong on the covers of dime-a-dozen sci-fi novels and
the characters look like they can't decide if they want to be GI Joes or X-men. Bottom line, the
characters in Q3A look like they could eat the characters in UT for lunch!
4. More Refined Gameplay
id Software made no secret of what Q3A was going
to be like when they released test demos out to the public to gauge reactions. It was a bold and risky move that
effectively showed their hand to competitors, but id themselves weren't overly concerned since they were always
open about what they were trying to do through their notorious .plan files. So they plainly continued about their
business, collected feedback from users, and then further fine-tuned the gameplay in Q3A. The final results
are a testament to the craftsmanship that id put forth in making sure that none of the weapons would be over or
underbalanced, competition would stay more or less fair, game flow would be consistently heated, and the final
Deathmatch experience would be without equal. Again, that's not to say that UT is lopsided or unbalanced, it just doesn't seem to be as finely tuned as Q3A.
5. Superior Competition
When all is said and done between Q3A and
UT, what it ultimately boils down
to for me is competition. After all, the basis of both games is battling out with people all around the world
and seeing how you stack up. And when it comes to the most skilled and serious competitors, no one can deny that
Q3A is where it’s at. Unlike the Unreal franchise, a long tradition of Quake playing gamers has
been Deathmatching for years to the point where they have formed extensive communities and clans. This, along
with support from groups who organize official competitions like the PGL (Professional Gamers League), ensure
that Q3A will be the definitive game to determine who is the very best in Deathmatching. So if you want
to see if you're the best, Q3A is the only true test.
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