It came as no great a surprise to discover that had been working on Unreal 2003 for over a year, as the same developers are also beavering away on a rather similar project; Unreal Championship, an Xbox-based Unreal outing. There appears to be a number of parallels in the gameplay department too, as the second instalment of Unreal Tournament appears to have been influenced heavily by this console-style of gameplay; being very much arcade-orientated. The new, recently confirmed name, also marks a new slant on the brand as a whole, the competitive sporting element being reflected in a title that implies FIFA-style ambitions.

The new game is slated for a late Summer release, and is using the latest Unreal engine developed by to power their foray. The technical advancements that litter the new game are apparently quite staggering; character models of fifteen to twenty thousand polygons are rumoured, whilst the game will include many vast outdoor environments, all of which could make Unreal Tournament 2003 the most rich and interesting in the series so far. Though perhaps not quite as detailed as Unreal “Episode” 2; which appears to represent a slower, more explorative school of gameplay. Regardless, UT2003 will certainly boast some quite delightful new effects including dazzling smoke effects that react and move when weapons fire through them and rippling waters that undulate appropriately as the player moves through it leaving a ‘wake’ which other contenders can follow. Advanced skeletal animation will bring the game to life like never before too, whilst each of the games player-species will be imbued with it’s own unique set of moves and weapon changes, etc.

Indeed, Digital Extremes’ Founder James Schmalz is upbeat on the game’s potential; “"Digital Extremes is planning to blow the doors off the genre when 'Unreal Tournament 2003' ships this summer," says Schmalz, "The original 'UT' has maintained a strong fan-base over the past two years and we believe the all-new 2003 edition will more than satisfy the existing fans as well as attract new players to the game." He added, "The new game types, special effects, weapons, player models, vastly more detailed arenas and improved artificial intelligence in 'UT2003' will redefine the word sequel." Having looked at the stunning detail and original design ideas hinted at in some of the screenshots, I hope I can agree with his final statement of intent.

The new engine and it’s embracement of vast outdoor environments has lead to the inclusion of vehicles in this game too; which should add a new element and diversity to the gameplay (on the maps which include them). This obviously suggests some pretty expansive vistas, which will perhaps result in a longer and more-freeform gaming-style. Focus has also, apparently, been placed on death-animation sequences, and Digital Extremes are boasting that the player won’t die in the same way twice in a game; making for more dramatic finales; especially as if a player falls from a ledge, he will hit and roll from objects below realistically, which should satiate the more disturbed among you.