History VideoGame / UnrealTournament2003

''Unreal Tournament 2003'' is a multiplayer-based FirstPersonShooter videogame developed by Creator/EpicGames with help from Creator/DigitalExtremes and released in September 30, 2002 for the [[UsefulNotes/IBMPersonalComputer PC]], Linux and Mac. It's the third full entry in the ''VideoGame/{{Unreal}}'' series, preceding ''VideoGame/UnrealChampionship'' in the series as well as ''VideoGame/UnrealIITheAwakening'' on PC.

The game is a sequel to ''VideoGame/UnrealTournament'', and an attempt at updating the classic formula for the [[UsefulNotes/TheSixthGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames next generation]] alongside ''Championship''. You're tasked with building a team to win the Tournament, but it introduces qualifying rounds where you must also take down other hopefuls before your sponsor steps in and gives you the chance of building up a team by picking five individuals. As for the rest, Malcolm, one of the many {{player character}}s, broke Xan Kriegor's long tournament streak as champion and dethroned him. Now he's formed a team alongside former rivals Brock and Lauren from the Iron Guard team. It's now up to you and your team to dethrone them. In addition, many new races and combatants are searching for the same objective as you and are also paired with other hopefuls and veterans, including gene-boosted Juggernauts, [[AIIsACrapshoot the Automatons]] ({{spiritual successor}}s to the War Machines from ''Tournament''), the Nightmares (a team comprised of experiments and other abominations), the Gen Mo'Kai and the AncientEgypt-themed Anubans.

* AscendedFanfic: Many official mutators and some gametypes are [[AscendedFanon inspired]] from several user-made content, thanks to the ease of [[GameMod modding]] ''VideoGame/UnrealTournament''. For example:
** The Zoom Instagib mutator, inspired by the eponymous mutator for UT.
** The Bombing Run gametype, inspired by the Fragball gametype mod.
** The translocator's new built-in camera option, inspired by the Translocam mod.

* AsskickingEqualsAuthority: After you draft a team before exiting the preliminaries, the final qualifying match before the gametype ladders is a massive free-for-all against your new teammates, for you to prove yourself worthy to lead them.

** About the only thing you'll be able to see in the Allerian Penal Colony ([=DM-Oceanic=]) are technological concrete buildings... and [[EverythingsWorseWithSharks sharks]].

** There's a hidden picture of lead designer Cliff Bleszinski hidden in the Deathmatch map Asbestos.

The many changes introduced weren't enough to satisfy the fans, so later in 2003 Epic and DE began working on a sequel to straighten up things, as well as (re)introducing many missing features the fans may have missed. This sequel is known as ''VideoGame/UnrealTournament2004'', the "full" version of the game.

* NostalgiaLevel:
** ''VideoGame/{{Unreal|I}}'': [=DM-Curse3=] is an almost direct recreation of [=DmCurse=] which in turn got recreated as [=DM-Curse][=] for UT, and [=DM-Gael=] is a sequel to [=DmMorbias=], which also got recreated in UT as [=DM-Morbias][=]. To some extent, [=DM-Insidious=] is a SpiritualSuccessor of sorts to [=DmDeathFan=].
** ''VideoGame/UnrealTournament'': [=CTF-December=] is inspired by [=CTF-November=] (its symmetry comes from its unofficial Clan Edition for ''UT'); [=CTF-Face3=] is inspired by [=CTF-Face=]; [=CTF-Orbital2=] is the sequel to [=CTF-Orbital=]; [=DM-DE-Osiris2=] is the sequel to the UT [=PS2/=]DC map [=DOM-Osiris=]; [=DM-Flux2=] is inspired by (though not the same as) UT [=PS2/=]DC map [=DM-Flux=]; [=DM-Plunge=] is inspired by [=DM-Morpheus=]; and finally [=DM-Phobos2=] is a sequel to [=DM-Phobos=].

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:Map related tropes]]

* DownloadableContent: In the same vein as previous Epic releases, ''2003'' received a bunch of post-release content in the form of two [[DownloadableContent Bonus Packs]]:

* NoOSHACompliance: Lampshaded in a lot of the stages: it's stated Liandri confiscated or shut down the facilities involved due to unsafe working conditions, and then repurposed the facilities into arenas for the tournament, with all the horrifically-unsafe parts left as an extra challenge.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Gameplay related tropes]]
* AIBreaker: Many maps have one or two tricks which the player can do in Single Player or Instant Action matches to completely break bots.
%% (ZCE) * ArmorPoints: Displayed as an icon-number combination on the HUD.
* ArrowCam: The Redeemer's secondary fire allows you to take control of the missile, and guide it around until it explodes. You are left vulnerable, since you can't see what's happening around you in this mode, though.
* AscendedGlitch:
** The Lift Jump. After the first ''Tournament'' game, many maps feature areas with movable platforms where you're required to do this in order to gain an advantage, such as a shortcut to another area or an entrance to a secret area with an otherwise unobtainable item. It's still used in later installments.
** Team boosting, also from the first ''UT'', was made into an option for Instagib matches.
* AsskickingEqualsAuthority: After you draft a team before exiting the preliminaries, the final qualifying match before the gametype ladders is a massive free-for-all against your new teammates, for you to prove yourself worthy to lead them.
* ATeamFiring: Low-level bots behave like this. Don't try it, or you'll get murdered.
* AwesomeButImpractical: The Superweapons have their disadvantages:
** The Redeemer IS an extremely damaging weapon, but you should be careful while firing it (especially in closed areas) or you might end up killed as well.
** The Ion Painter calls a KillSat, and said Sat is an awesome way to take down enemies in lack of a Redeemer. The downside is that, despite the high damage output, it's very difficult to score. Also, you can only fire it if you were in the range of said Sat. And if that wasn't enough, you can only use them on open maps.
* BeamSpam: The Shock Rifle, either the normal or Instagib version.
* {{BFG}}:
** The Redeemer, a portable nuclear warhead carrier.
** The Ion Painter is a variation, as the weapon per se doesn't inflict damage, but calls a satellite strike to deliver the powerful damage.
* BlatantItemPlacement: [[JustifiedTrope As expected]] for an arena shooter: piles of ammo near their associated weapons, weapons themselves in unlikely places, including more powerful ones (typically rocket launchers) in zones with some risk involved in grabbing them.
* BodyArmorAsHitPoints: The only straight example in the ''Unreal'' series. Armor simply takes over completely for damage dealt to you until you run out of it.
* BreakingOldTrends:
** This game, alongside ''VideoGame/UnrealChampionship'', extended the player's moveset by adding WallJump, dodge-jump, DoubleJump, combo-jumps (i.e. Wall-Dodge-Jump) and polishing the Lift Jump (with certain maps having shortcuts or rewards for those who managed to pull them at the right spot). ''VideoGame/UnrealChampionship2TheLiandriConflict'' would extend even more these movesets with chimney jumps and the third-person exclusive Jump Attack.
** Both this game and ''Championship'' modified the Rocket Launcher vastly from ''Tournament'', first by incorporating the "Instant Rockets" option that was all around UT into the weapon as its primary fire, then by reducing the amount of charged rockets (SecondaryFire only) fired from the weapon from 6 to 3. This would be the standard for the rest of the series.
* CaptureTheFlag: The eponymous gamemode, where the objective is to steal the enemy's flag and bring it to your base.
* ChargedAttack: All of them of the "Hold" variety:
** The Shield Gun's primary fire deals extra damage and push.
** The Assault Rifle's grenades can be thrown further.
** The [=BioRifle=]'s secondary fire launches a bigger glob which explodes in smaller ones if hitting any solid surface.
** The Rocket Launcher's alternate fire fires up to 3 rockets in either a horizontal line or as a spiral.
** The Ion Painter requires the charge for the satellite/bomber in an open field.
* DeathFromAbove: The Ion Painter calls a KillSat.
* DoubleJump: Players can jump at the height of the first jump for an extra boost. The Quad Jump mutator allows them to do so two more times.
* EliteMooks: The Invasion mode has the Warlords and the Brutes; the latter did ''even more damage'' than the warlords.
* EmergencyWeapon: The Shield Gun is the fallback weapon when even the Assault Rifle has no ammo, combining the Impact Hammer's melee-only desperation weapon with a impenetrable shield.
* EnergyWeapon:
** The Lightning Gun is the games' primary Sniper Rifle.
** There's also the [[OneHitKill Instagib]] mode where everyone spawns with a OHKO Super Shock Rifle.
* FlawlessVictory:
** Finish a match without getting fragged or with your team with perfect score, and the announcer will say this.
** On the receiving end, there's "Humiliating Defeat", which is also the case if an Invasion match ends with zero beaten waves.
* GatlingGood: The minigun.
* ImplausibleFencingPowers: The Shield Gun (and vehicles and turrets which uses shields) can deflect energy weapons like shock cores and link pulses.
* KillSat: The Ion Painter is used to call one in the open maps which have the satellite.
* LargeHam: The ''[=UT2003=]'' announcer, who sounds like an excited game show host who SHOUTS EVERYTHING, and the "Sexy" announcer, who moans and screams with excitement at damn near anything.
* LightningGun: In two flavors:
** The Link Gun's secondary fire, which locks on to enemies and delivers constant [=DPS=] until it leaves the enemy a charred skeleton.
** The Lightning Gun is, ironically, a subversion: it's a more damaging version of the default Sniper Rifle, at the cost of announcing your sniping position to everyone who can see the lightning bolt.
* LimitBreak: The Adrenaline system. By collecting Adrenaline pills scattered through the maps, completing objectives (scoring in Bombing Run, capturing flags in Capture The Flag or Double Domination points) or outright fragging, you fill the Adrenaline meter. Once it reaches 100 and the Announcer exclaims "Adrenaline Full", you need to introduce a sequence in order to gain an advantage, which can be either a boost on damage, rate of fire or speed, or health regeneration. This lasts until the meter is down to 0, though you can still do the required stuff to make this mode last a second more. Also, Adrenaline drains faster if you carry a flag or the Ball.
* MoreDakka: The minigun's primary fire.
* MultiMookMelee: The Invasion gametype pits you and your EnemyMine teammates against hordes of enemies ranking from loads of Pupae to tougher Warlords.
* NoOntologicalInertia: Subverted. Some weapons fire their charged shots when you release the trigger, or when you die.
* OneHitKill:
** No matter how much health, armor, or shield you have, get shot by a fully charged Bio goop, a well-placed Shock Combo with [[QuadDamage Double Damage]], or the [[{{BFG}} Redeemer]] or the KillSat's beam and you're done.
** There's also the Instagib Shock Rifle in the games with the eponymous mutator, which kills everything it shoots in one hit.
* QuadDamage: The Damage Amplifier. Doubles the effect if it's used with the Berserk adrenaline combo.
* StandardFPSGuns: Largely averted. Most of the weaponry has a different feel to it, and one of UT's selling points is that its weapons invariably have some function attached to the alt-fire button. How weapons differ:
** The ''Shield Gun'' is the melee weapon, replacing the Impact Hammer. Unlike other FPS where melee usually consists of a punching or stabbing motion, this item uses a ChargedAttack as it's primary fire. It also has the namesake shield, which can deflect energy projectiles and lasers.
** The ''Assault Rifle'' replaces the Enforcers. The Alt-fire is a grenade launcher. Also can be [[GunsAkimbo dual-wielded.]]
** The ''Bio-Rifle'' remains unchanged. The primary fire shoots slime goops which can adhere to a wall. The secondary fire is a ChargedAttack.
** The ''Shock Rifle'' remains unchanged. The primary fire is a laser, while the secondary fire is an EnergyBall; as in the previous game, the secondary fire can be shot with primary to release a massive explosion that's all but guaranteed death to anyone caught within it.
** The ''Link Gun'' replaces the Pulse Rifle as the game's assault rifle analogue. Primary fire remains the same, but its altfire beam can repair allied vehicles and control points, and supercharge an ally's Link Gun efforts (good luck getting non-clan players to do this, though).
** The ''Minigun'' has both of its attacks switched. This is, both attacks are those of a typical Chaingun, but the primary fire is less accurate but noticeably faster, while the second fires more slowly but is more accurate and deals twice the damage per bullet.
** The ''Flak Cannon'' remains unchanged. The primary fire shoots shards which bounce on walls and lasts a few seconds, while the secondary is a projectile which explodes upon impact.
** The ''Rocket Launcher'' can fire one (primary) or up to three (secondary, which is a ChargedAttack) rockets in a horizontal line, a tight corkscrew, or locked on to an enemy player in any of the previous modes if you give the gun a second to acquire them.
** The ''LightningGun'' is a sniper rifle which uses lightning instead of bullets. The primary fire shoots a lightning thunderbolt, while the secondary fire uses a Zoom function.
** The ''Redeemer'' remains unchanged. The primary fire shoots a mini-nuke missile. The secondary lets the player to take control of the nuke.\\
\\
The ''Ion Painter'', a laser which designates the strike zone for a KillSat. Primary fire produces the laser, altfire zooms for precision targeting.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Misc tropes]]
* AbortedArc: The original plot for ''2003'', used as the plot for the near-concurrent ''Unreal Championship'', was an AlienInvasion which took control of the Earth and made dissidents fight each other for the Overseers' amusement. This arc wasn't further explored, being replaced instead for the actual sequel to VideoGame/UnrealTournament's story.
* AnnouncerChatter: The game has four announcer voices: the default [[LargeHam hamtastic sports commentator]]; a new, more subdued male voice; a female voice; and a [[OrgasmicCombat sexy]] female voice.

* AscendedFanfic: Many official mutators and some gametypes are [[AscendedFanon inspired]] from several user-made content, thanks to the ease of [[GameMod modding]] ''VideoGame/UnrealTournament''. For example:
** The Zoom Instagib mutator, inspired by the eponymous mutator for UT.
** The Bombing Run gametype, inspired by the Fragball gametype mod.
** The translocator's new built-in camera option, inspired by the Translocam mod.
* BloodSport: Continuing the basic premise of ''Unreal Tournament'', the eponymous Liandri Grand Tournament has warriors from all kinds of factions and walks of life fighting for their lives either on their own or as a team.
%% (ZCE) * BondOneLiner: Taunts in general.
* BraggingRightsReward: The {{kill streak}}s and {{combos}} don't reward anything, but the game keeps counting them.
* CompetitiveMultiplayer: Well, it ''is'' a continuation of a game series that really popularized competitive FPS multiplayer!
* ContinuityNod:
** Many maps are inspired by previous ''UT'' map DM-Morpheus, such as [=DM-Plunge and BR-SkyLine=].
** Invasion mode uses some of the classic ''VideoGame/{{Unreal|I}}'' enemies, and plenty of game mods restore the rest, as well as add more from the sequel.
* CuttingOffTheBranches: Out of all the selectable players back in ''VideoGame/UnrealTournament'', it's stated that the canonical winner of that year's Tournament and the one who broke Xan Kriegor's streak is Malcolm.
* DiscontinuityNod: Somewhere between this and TheArtifact, but there are still mentions of [[VideoGame/UnrealChampionship the Overseer invasion]] in ''2003''.
* DoubleEntendre: There are a few, such as when someone gets killed from an explosion from his own rocket launcher:
--> ''"X fired his rocket prematurely"''
* EasterEgg: [[https://unreal.fandom.com/wiki/Easter_egg Several:]]
** Mandible, from the Blood Fist team, has an ejection seat sticker.
** Some weapons have inscriptions, such as the Redeemer's "Swallow This!" and the Rocket Launcher's warning sticker.
** There's a trapped Gorge fan at the bottom of the pit in the map Gael.
** There's a hidden picture of lead designer Cliff Bleszinski hidden in the Deathmatch map Asbestos.
** Media players can be seen on character models (Gorge) and weapons (the Bio Rifle).
* GameMod: The main bread and butter of the game to the point that the game seems to be only a framework to load a lots of mods with. Mods ranging from custom characters, custom maps, custom mutator script (that is so powerful that it can even load completely new weapons, vehicles, and gameplay mechanics, and even whole new games.
%% (ZCE) * TheGovernment: The New Earth Government.
* GreenRocks: Blue glowing crystals (tarydium) that pretty much everyone uses as a power source. Similar to RealLife nuclear power, in that it produces dangerous waste material when used for such a purpose. Unlike nuclear power, said waste is then used as ammo for the Bio Rifle.
* HaveANiceDeath: "X was X'd by X." "X cratered", often seen in maps where you can fall into space... or lava.
* IdiosyncraticComboLevels:
-->''"Double Kill!"''\\
''"Multi Kill!"''\\
''"MEGA KILL!!"''\\
''"ULTRA KILL!!!"''\\
''"M-M-M-M-M-MONSTER KILL!!!"''
* KillStreak:
--> ''X is on a killing spree.''\\
''X is on a rampage!''\\
''X is dominating!''\\
''X is UNSTOPPABLE!!''\\
'''X is GODLIKE!!'''
* LighterAndSofter: In contrast to ''Championship'', and despite technically the same game with many additions, the game retold the story as an intergalactic tournament game and starts with a cutscene resembling a ProfessionalWrestling match.
* MarkedBullet:
** Flak shells have a smile face painted on the front, but require a high texture resolution to see.
** The Redeemer gets "[[BilingualBonus ADIOS!]]" written on the side.
* MegaCorp: Liandri (main organizer of the Tournament), Axon (backer of the Juggernaut team).
* NinjaPirateZombieRobot: The Nightmare "species", consisting of revived corpses, insane psychopaths, and goths who've been blown apart and remade into [[Creator/HRGiger Giger]]-esque psychopathic zombie goths.
* SexIsViolence: The female sexy announcer (yes, she's actually called that) [[TheImmodestOrgasm really enjoys the combos.]]
* ShoutOut: Check [[ShoutOut/{{Unreal}} the page]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Character-specific tropes]]
Tropes related to Malcolm, Brock and Lauren can be found in [[Characters/UnrealTournament the first UT's character sheet]], while tropes related to Gorge, Arclite and Sapphire can be found in [[Characters/UnrealTournament2004 the UT2004's character sheet]]. This is for those characters who do not appear in any other game.

* ActionGirl: All the females.
** DarkActionGirl: ''Especially'' the Nightmare and Juggernaut females.
%% (ZCE) * AIIsACrapshoot: Every Automaton robot is stated to be this, in different degrees.
%% (ZCE) * AmbiguouslyBrown: Horus and Hyena.
* AncientEgypt: The Anubans are styled after the popular depiction of the Egyptians.
* AndYourRewardIsClothes: Winning the SP ladder brings you to an "AWinnerIsYou" screen and doing it many times unlock Malcolm, Brock and Lauren.
* AscendedExtra: Malcolm, Brock and Lauren, who were given a bit of backstory in the first Tournament game, were given even bigger roles.
* BadassCrew: Take your pick. You can even create your own.
%% (ZCE) * BaldOfEvil: Frostbite.
%% (ZCE) * BareYourMidriff: Asp, Cleopatra, and two male examples in Mr. Crow and Harlequin.
* BeautyIsNeverTarnished: Aside from the fact all the women can be reduced to giblets/burnt skeletons/piles of goo, nearly all of the Female Nightmares ''averts this horribly''. Take a look at their heads, and even worse, read the bios to know how they got like that - tortured to near death, shot in the face and nearly dying, etc.
* BioAugmentation: The Juggernauts are all geneboosted humans. They're also (with the exception of Arclite) all career criminals who were forced into it.
* CloningBlues: Romulus and Remus are stated to be clones.
* CondemnedContestant: Around half of the competitors. Everyone else just likes murder (and taking advantage of the fact that "consensual murder" is legal in these games).
* CoolMask: Romulus and Remus wear matching half-face masks, Remus combining his with some kickin' shades.
%% (ZCE) * CoolShades: Roc, Hyena and Remus.
%% (ZCE) * CyberCyclops: Widowmaker.
* DeathSeeker: Faraleth, a Gen Mo'Kai healer who went mad over her inability to help her tribe against an ailment called the "crimson scourge".
%% (ZCE) * DelinquentHair: The Hellions.
%% (ZCE) * FacelessGoons: Technically, it can be gone with some of the masked players.
* FantasyCounterpartCulture: The Anubans, to [[AncientEgypt the Egyptians]]. According to the story, they actually ''were'' taken from ancient Egypt and [[TransplantedHumans stranded on far-off worlds]] as part of an alien experiment.
* FateWorseThanDeath: For some characters. Some of them are leftovers from ''Championship'' or the betas:
--> (Corrosion's description) ''"Beneath an exterior of cold metal burns a soul as bright as a dying star, the essence of a being who sought to rule the galaxy at the Emperor's side. With his dreams stripped away from him as easily as his dying flesh, Corrosion now exists only to seek his revenge."''
--> (Lilith's description) ''"Having lost her legs during an attack on an Imperial medical supply transport, Lilith was captured and sentenced to deletion of personality at the Purgatory penal facility. With her mind and body rebuilt from the ground up she now serves as a bounty hunter for the Empire."''
%% (ZCE) * FieryRedhead: Rylisa, Ambrosia and Torch.
* HiddenDepths: Damarus is described as a hedonist who enjoys many physical pleasures. This being ''Unreal Tournament'', he's also a fierce combatant with a penchant for using the Bio Rifle.
%% (ZCE) * MechaMooks: The Automatons.
* MonsterClown: Mr. Crow and Harlequin are clown zombie-like combatants who belong to the "Nightmare" category. Harlequin even looks the part of a clown by way of his face paint.
--> (Harlequin's description) ''"Ever wonder why children are afraid of clowns? Now you know."''
%% (ZCE) * ProudWarriorRaceGuy: The Gen Mo'Kai.
* RagdollPhysics: Introduced to the series here. A mutator allows you to make this more apparent by slowing corpses down, floating through the air to be pushed around by weapons fire as their killer pleases.
%% (ZCE) * SpikesOfVillainy: Every Nightmare member.
%% (ZCE) * {{Stripperiffic}}: Asp, Cleopatra, Domina, Subversa, Kaela and Rae.
%% (ZCE) --> (Cleopatra's description) ''"If you think Cleopatra and Asp have something going on, then you may be right. But it's not something you want to show up for unarmed."''
* TransplantedHumans: How the Anuban race was formed. Some ancients transplanted humans from Egypt as part of an experiment. While the Egyptian empire on Earth vanished, the Anuban empire went the other way and grew to be powerful, lasting long enough to reintegrate with humanity on Earth by the 23rd century.
* YouGottaHaveBlueHair: Prism has light yellow/green hair.
[[/folder]]

* NoOSHACompliance: Lampshaded in a lot of the stages: it's stated Liandri [[RealityEnsues confiscated or shut down the facilities involved due to unsafe working conditions]], and then repurposed the facilities into arenas for the tournament, with all the horrifically-unsafe parts left as an extra challenge.

* DummiedOut: There's a playable vehicle in a map, the [[http://unreal.fandom.com/wiki/Bulldog Bulldog]], but it can only be accessed via console.

* FrickinLaserBeams:
** The Lightning Gun averts this due to being the games' primary Sniper Rifle.
** There's also the [[OneHitKill Instagib]] mode where everyone spawns with a OHKO Super Shock Rifle.

* BreakingOldTrends: This game, alongside ''VideoGame/UnrealChampionship'', extended the player's moveset by adding WallJump, dodge-jump, DoubleJump, combo-jumps (i.e. Wall-Dodge-Jump) and polishing the Lift Jump (with certain maps having shortcuts or rewards for those who managed to pull them at the right spot). ''VideoGame/UnrealChampionship2TheLiandriConflict'' would extend even more these movesets with chimney jumps and the third-person exclusive Jump Attack.

* AnnouncerChatter: The game has four announcer voices: the default [[LargeHam hamtastic sports commentator]]; a new, more subdued male voice; a female voice (the default one this time); and a [[OrgasmicCombat sexy]] female voice.

* AbortedArc: The original plot for ''2003'' was an AlienInvasion which took control of the Earth and made dissidents fight each other for the Overseers' amusement. This arc wasn't further explored, being replaced instead for the actual sequel to VideoGame/UnrealTournament's story.

* AscendedFanfic: Many official mutators and some gametypes are [[AscendedFanon inspired]] from several user-made content, thanks to the easyness of [[GameMod modding]] of ''VideoGame/UnrealTournament''. For example:

* DiscontinuityNod: There are still mentions of [[VideoGame/UnrealChampionship the Overseer invasion]] in ''2003''. For the record, ''Championship'' was the first game deemed non canonical by Creator/EpicGames.

* NinjaPirateZombieRobot: The Nightmare "species", consisting of revived corpses, insane psychopaths, and goths who've been blown apart and remade into Gigeresque psychopathic zombie goths.

''Unreal Tournament 2003'' is a multiplayer-based FirstPersonShooter videogame developed by Creator/EpicGames with help from Creator/DigitalExtremes and released in September 30, 2002 for the [[UsefulNotes/IBMPersonalComputer PC]], Linux and Mac. It's the fifth entry in the ''VideoGame/{{Unreal}}'' series, preceding ''VideoGame/UnrealChampionship'' in the series as well as ''VideoGame/UnrealIITheAwakening'' on PC.

The game is a sequel to ''VideoGame/UnrealTournament'', and an attempt at updating the classic formula for the [[UsefulNotes/TheSixthGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames next generation]] alongside ''Championship''. You're tasked with building a team and win the Tournament, but it introduces qualifying rounds where you must also take down other hopefuls before your sponsor steps in and gives you the chance of picking other five individuals. As for the rest, Malcolm, one of the many {{player character}}s, broke Xan Kriegor's long tournament streak as champion and dethroned him. Now he formed a team alongside former rivals Brock and Lauren from the team Iron Guard. It's now up to you and your team to dethrone them. In addition, many new races and combatants are searching for the same objective as you and are also paired with other hopefuls and veterans, including gene-boosted Juggernauts, [[AIIsACrapshoot the Automatons]] ({{spiritual successor}}s to the War Machines from ''Tournament''), the Nightmares (a team comprised by experiments and other abominations), the Gen Mo'Kai and the AncientEgypt-themed Anubans.

While in spirit the game retains the gameplay that made ''Tournament'' a huge success, many new features were introduced in this installment and ''Championship'': for starters, every player's moveset has been extended, with players being able to do moves such as {{wall jump}}s, dodge jumps, [[BreadEggsBreadedEggs wall-dodge jumps and dodge-wall jumps]]. Lift jumps, which began in ''Tournament'' and ''VideoGame/{{Unreal|I}}'' as a glitch, now were polished and can give players quite the advantage in the right arenas. As for the weapons, the arsenal was mostly kept intact from ''Tournament'', with a few inclusions (the new starting weapons are the Shield Gun[[note]]A weapon whose alternate fire projects an energy-attack-repellant Shield; replaces the Impact Hammer[[/note]] and the Assault Rifle[[note]]A weapon whose alternate fire lobs small grenades; replaces the Enforcer[[/note]], there's also the Link Gun[[note]]A weapon whose alternate fire allows teammates to boost their power; replaces the Pulse Gun[[/note]], the Lightning Gun[[note]]a long-range SniperRifle weapon which shoots an electrical bolt which deals double damage if it hits the head; replaces the Sniper Rifle[[/note]] and the Ion Painter[[note]]A weapon only present in certain outdoor arenas which act as a coordinate-marker for a satellite which shoots a deadly beam.[[/note]] was added as an extra [[{{BFG}} Superweapon]]) as well as removals (the aforementioned Impact Hammer and Enforcer, and the Ripper) and changes (the Rocket Launcher now launches rockets in succession or [[ChargedAttack charges up to three rockets]]). And last, but not least, the item roster was reduced to [[RuleOfThree three regular health items]], two regular armor items, the [[QuadDamage Double Damage]] and Adrenaline pills, the latter of which allow players to [[LimitBreak unleash a powerful move with a command sequence]] which gives them either a boost on rate of fire and weapon damage (Berserk), a boost on walking speed (Speed), the ability to become invisible (Invisibility), the ability to regenerate health (Booster), the ability to become a piece of the environment (Camouflage, only with the Epic Bonus Pack) or the ability to get shrunk in size (Pint-Sized, only with the Epic Bonus Pack).

** "Epic Bonus Pack", comprised of ten maps: one for Bombing Run, two for Capture the Flag, six for Deathmatch-based modes and one for Double Domination; three new gamemodes: the aforementioned Invasion, Last Man Standing and Mutant; three new announcers: a more subdued male, a subdued female, and a "sexy" female; two new Adrenaline combos: the aforementioned Camouflage and Pint-Sized and an MP3 Player.

* HoldTheLine: The Invasion mode puts all the players in a map in a single team defending themselves against waves of monsters from the first Unreal game. As you may notice, the monsters grow more difficult every time: near the fifth wave there are Skaarjs, and in the wave 11, there are Warlords. The last wave is a [[ThisIsGonnaSuck Warlord-only wave]].

* AncientEgypt: The Anubans are styled after the popular depiction of the egyptians.

* BadassCrew: Take your pick. You can even create your own BadassCrew.

* FantasyCounterpartCulture: The Anubans, to [[AncientEgypt the Egyptians]].

* MonsterClown: Mr. Crow and Harlequin are clown zombie-like combatants who belong to the "Nightmare" category. Harlequin even looks the part of a clow by way of its face paint.

* TransplantedHumans: How the Anuban race was formed. Some ancients transplanted humans from Egypt as part of an experiment. While the Egyptian empire on Earth vanished, the Anuban empire went the other way and grew to be powerful.

* AIBreaker: Many maps have one or two tricks which can do the trick against the bots in Single Player or Instant Action matches.

* BodyArmorAsHitPoints: Armor simply takes over completely for damage dealt to you until you run out of it.

[[redirect:VideoGame/UnrealTournament2004]]