UT2004 will include more new levels than UT2003. Everything shipped with UT2003 will also be shipped with UT2004. This is mainly for the mod community, so their efforts on UT2003 mods won't be considered a waste of time. Translation of mods from UT2003 to UT2004 should take little or no effort. With the inclusion of Assault, Onslaught, vehicles, turrets and additional weapon properties, mod teams will be able to pump out some great interpretations of the Unreal engine. Besides the mod community, mappers will have a great opportunity to express their artistic talents with the slightly tweaked editor. For those who just want to play the new game types, expect to receive over six Assault and nine Onslaught levels.

Epic is on target with a holiday release. Don't worry about purchasing high end components before Christmas, UT2004 will come packed with software rendering support. Pending approval, fans could also receive quality head sets, with microphones, in the final release. At press time, I was unable to secure a solid comment about the incorporation of 64 bit. CliffyB was unable to state if UT2004 would be fully 64 bit compliant. Another feature will include the return of matinee tutorials for new players. As in Unreal Tournament, the tutorials will teach new players the necessary skills for Assault and Onslaught.

In conclusion, UT2004 will please the fans. I've heard the concerns and rants that UT2004 appears to be a highly modified bonus pack for UT2003. Yet Unreal Tournament was originally designed as an add-on for Unreal and it was very successful! UT2004 is the true successor of Unreal Tournament. Almost all the faults we've addressed in UT2003 was corrected in this sequel. Although the game still includes Adrenaline and Double Jump, they are slightly toned down from the original.

Thanks to the well balanced weapons, vehicles, turrets and overall game play, fans will be very pleased with UT2004. Team work is now the primary focus, not individual stats. The game is still in the beta stage and many things could change. As of right now, I can honestly state that UT2004 will be worth your money and time!