Remembrances of Games Past, Part # 25 - Unreal (1998) (PC) (Epic Games)
15I've always felt that Epic (Mega-)Games is a good but not great developer. Ever since Tim Sweeney first started crunching his magic code the studio has been known for technological innovations - be it the impressive creator tools in ZZT or various iterations of the hugely influential Unreal Engine - and in terms of sheer programming skills it's clear that they're second only to id Software.
When it comes to actual game design, however, Epic's track record is a bit more mixed. Gears of War 1-2 were innovative and graphically impressive but also weighted down by generic characters and monster design, clichéd plots and unusually infantile dialogue. The Tournament series helped evolve the online shooter subgenre but has limited long-term appeal outside the hardcore multiplayer crowd. As for Unreal 1-2, they undeniably pushed 3D gaming forward in terms of visuals and level design, but ultimately weren't particularly memorable shooters. This is especially true of the second game - which I played through from start to finish but can't remember anything from - but even the ground-breaking initial entry in the series is curiously lacking in authentic "wow" moments beyond the very first level.
All that being said, stepping out of the derelict ship at the beginning of Unreal and being completely blown away by the enormous outdoor environments is one of those moments that make gaming history. It was clearly Epic's ambition to create larger, more realistic levels than had ever before been seen in shooters (a type of game usually dominated by narrow corridors and simple rectangular rooms), and they deserve all the credit they can get for showing the world just how massive and beautiful 3D shooters can be. Also, the retro-ish MOD soundtrack for Unreal 1 is really cool....