“One thing we’ve always found is that science-fiction kicks ass,” claims Unreal Tournament III’s characteristically exuberant producer Jeff Morris. “It’s so liberating to be able to go in and say stuff like, ‘Wouldn’t it be cool if the giant robot fought the giant lizard thing?’ We don’t have to worry that the thing never actually existed - we’re not trying to do the Wehrmacht in 1944.” No, they’re most certainly not. Despite the occasional nod to reality, the vibrant, fast-paced world of UT has always had both feet in the somewhat surreal, with more of a focus on fun, instant gratification than its more humorless rivals.
“UT is a very ‘short time to spectacle’ game,” agrees Morris. “When you spawn there should be a cartwheeling, exploding vehicle and two guys dogfighting in front of you. Forget walking anywhere!”
