Unreal Tournament 3 Beta Impressions

Getting PhysXical

One of the most touted features of the new game is that it will incorporate for the Ageia PhysX hardware, not just using the PhysX software.

We’ve met with the guys over at Ageia and, despite mixed feelings on the success and importance of the hardware, we felt we owed it to them to test the physics of the game.

In vanilla mode the game looks great and explosions are both realistic and intense, often flipping wrecked hulks and sending ragdolls spasming into the floors. The game uses the Ageia software if there’s no hardware present and we were able to spot only one or two glitches – usually when a ragdoll found itself nearly stuck in a wall and ended up twitching like a pro-gamer on caffeine pills.

There weren’t really any issues with the game without PhysX hardware, though we did feel that perhaps the levels could have done with a few bits of moveable clutter. The level design is actually pretty basic if you reduce it to it’s level of possible interactions and there just isn’t a lot of debris to blow about.

Obviously, we expected that to change when we put a BFGTech PhysX card in the machine.

Unfortunately, there was no notable difference we could pick out with the advanced hardware physics enabled and the game was exactly the same as before. We got in contact with Ageia to find out if we were missing something or if there was a specific place where the effect of PhysX could be spotted and they duly got back to us with an answer.


Apparently, the software-based physics have been incorporated into the engine and gamers can expect the PhysX drivers to install alongside the game. However, the PhysX hardware isn’t as incorporated as you might have thought and will be seen mainly in a series of “Extreme PhysX” mods that’ll become available on release day.

These mods will show off some incredible physics simulations, such as tornadoes and whirlwinds, and will be available to anyone with the required hardware.

So, the good side to this is that if you were worried about needing a PhysX card to get the most out of the game then you can rest easy – the core gameplay won’t rely on the hardware at all and is simulated well enough through the software. The bad side is that if you did buy a PhysX card for the full game, expecting the game to fully exploit the hardware, then you may feel a little cheated.

Conclusions

It’s that time again, when we draw our thoughts to a close and assess the game as a whole. So, what do we reckon of the Unreal Tournament 3 Beta?

Well, in terms of gameplay the game is fantastic. Smooth, fluid and involving, the game is accessible to new players and won’t overly put unfamiliar players at a disadvantage. At the same time, it encourages players to experiment and try and learn more from the game, rapidly gaining skill.


Graphically the game is a marvel too; environments appear both lush and detailed without interfering or distracting from the match at hand. It’s the kind of thing which shows that the game has been playtested to death.

However, there are a few things which could be a problem – mainly the lack of change. Sure, the graphics are enhanced and there are new levels, but a lot of that could have been accomplished in a smaller update. The Necris vehicles could help address our fears, but we can’t really comment since we didn’t get to see much of them.

Basically, it’s the same old Unreal Tournament, but with a facelift and boob-job which is well simulated in terms of bounce. Yeah, I liked that analogy too.

If you liked the past games then you’ll love UT3 and if you haven’t played the past games then you’ll probably still love it. If you’re one of those in-between players though who’s looking for something a little different or new, or with more of a focus on teamplay, then you may be better off waiting a while before you buy.