A repeat of Quake II, but this time all the elements of Quake are stripped clean and replaced with standard elements of the military/squad shooters of the 2000 years: corridors, slow character movement, squadmates, bullet sponge enemies & generic vehicle sections.
Not too bad for a post-2000 FPS. The main character still moves very slowly, and the levels are still linear corridors, but the unusually good A.I. and slow motion ability keeps most of the firefights fun. Enemies will react to your actions, can take cover, lob grenades, attempt to flank you, and will retreat when overwhelmed. The slow motion feature allows you to take on a squad of enemies without having to hide behind cover continuously. Still, all of the levels are bland and ugly (a water treatment facility, an office block, etc..), the horror elements are various levels of cringe (especially the very last moment, on the chopper, LOL). Also disappointing that Norton Mapes is just shot by the scientist, he should have been the final boss!
I played through Unreal for the first time in 2019, and it was great fun. If you like 90s FPS this is a must have. The expansive and atmospheric levels range from Meso-American style temples, native villages, underground installations and space ships both human and alien. The movement is fluid and responsive, the weapons will be familiar to anyone who enjoyed Unreal Tournament and the game features one of the best soundtracks I've heard.
