Unreal Tournament 3

High Resolution Hijinx

The long anticipated Unreal Tournament 3 (UT3) has finally made its debut and much of the reviews of the game (PC) have been positive. (It's also released on the PS3).

Before I get into the game, I'll write about the much hyped detailed levels and characters that Epic released during UT3 development over the past few years. The demo released a few weeks back was met with equal praise and dismay. Something was amiss as the level of detail vs. the steep hardware performance requirements.

As many have noted there is deep connection with console development this time around which is very evident in the dumbed down user interface. Epic has since noted the anemic design and plans to update it to more PC centric arrangement of old.

Beyond that, game world wise - it's arguable just where the load on performance is. Any way you look at it, the game is either poorly optimized for the PC, or there are ini tweaks for performance that need to be delved into.

I have three copies running on Intel Quad and two Dual Cores. 3.2 and 3.4 GHz respectively. All are running 8800 Series cards GT and two GTS. 2 Gig Ram in XP Pro. With minor GameEngine.ini optimizations I am getting 1280x768 with High settings with appreciable frame rates.

Be Forewarned

People with AMD dual cores are experiencing apparent issues with peak performance. This may be a vocal minority but it's better to view the hardware conflicts and solutions on Epics forums before laying down your money for this title. There are a number of issues with this release and its better to see how and what Epic is working on to resolve them. UT3 Troubleshooting Forum

Forcing ini tweaks can lead to instability and crashing. As with all previous Unreal games, overclocked systems are suspect unless they have been rigorously tested for memory stability. This game is no different. Just because you can run other games OC'd, does not ensure that UT3 will run problem free.

Classic Game Play Wins Out

Given the steep hardware requirements, if you have what it takes to run UT3, you are in for some great game play. Even though the visual dynamics are hit and miss, the balance in the maps and vehicles is about as good as it can be on this release.

Epics much lauded bots are back but not without some issues this time around. As good as the bots can be, there are times they uncharacteristically lose it. Shooting at walls, piloting vehicles into obstacles, or going in odd directions. Hopefully Epic tweaks these errors and brings this much appreciated consideration into working order.

I can't say enough about the vehicle arrangements. These are fairly well balanced given the difference between the two side. A high note goes to the Dark Walker which is straight out of War of the Worlds. Quite a site to see even when its the enemy. They cast a bright death ray that is instant death equaled only by its counterpart the tank (Axon Goliath).

Vehicle Capture the Flag is definitely a new favorite. Getting to use the hover board to maneuver through troops on foot and firing vehicles will get your blood racing. No more trudging on foot across lengthy maps with little hope of making it. Using a link gun on a hover board to link with a fast vehicle adds to the tactics of team play.

Game Modes and Maps

Game modes are reduced and maybe for realistic reasons. As much as I liked Assault, I know I didn't play it as much as much as other types. Warfare is a combination of sorts with a new way way to win control points. Again, the wise use of Hover Boards with accompanying vehicles can really help organized teams better lone wolf tactics. That's not to say that lone wolf methodology isn't warranted or useful; it is. As individuals acting as scouts can snipe out defenses. UT3 is hardly a class tactic game, but played in roles its easy to see how individuals can be as beneficial as team players.

Immediate Tips for Stability

I initially had OpenAL audio enabled for my Creative X-Fi systems. After disabling that, I have had zero crashes or glitches.

Don't force settings in the ini files if you don't have to. Unfortunately the sliders appear locked to setting variables in the UTEngine.ini. If your system is high spec and you have the GPU with 512MB or more memory - set the detail sliders to their max. Test run a map from each game type to check stability. Some maps are more system heavy than others. If you want to push your luck and tweak the ini file further, make sure to back up your file. For right now at least, the game appears to want to adhere to a tight group of settings.

If you have an overclocked system, do a Prime95 (single core) or Orthos (Dual Core) to stress test your rig. As mentioned earlier, the UT series is very particular with hardware overclocks. Memory errors are the first sign of OC issues.