Episode 106: Unreal

Explicit content warning

06/05/23 • 68 min

Unreal was the Crysis of its time. It pushed PCs to their absolute limits, with its advanced shader effects and enormous levels. It featured AI that was far beyond the stilted and simplistic enemies that people were used to. It built an alien world that managed to straddle the line between the more abstract early era shooter and what the build engine games were doing. And it was all wrapped up in a succinct 10 hour campaign, that eschewed genre staples like door keys and fodder enemies. Unreal seemed to represent a true evolution of the FPS genre.

But unfortunately for Unreal, there was another FPS that was released in 1998. And that was Half Life. Half Life went on to become the dominant FPS in a way not seen since Doom, and Unreal’s legacy would lie more in its ongoing arena multiplayer than its initial single player efforts.

But does Unreal actually deserve to be forgotten? Was there something magical and unique about its design that elevated it above its boomer shooter peers? Or was it instead ultimately just a shallow tech showcase, with no real substance beneath all of its glitter?

On this episode, we discuss:

Aesthetics.

On the surface, from a modern perspective, Unreal looks kind of ugly, with its low-res stretched textures. But it combines this with a haunting OST, varied level design and a color palette that brings its scenes to life. Is the famed atmosphere of Unreal as alien and immersive as it is claimed to be?

Level Design.

Unreal has a curious blend of massive open ended architecture fused with ultimately linear level design. Does getting rid of key doors in favour of switches lead to the player getting lost in the maze, or is there something deeper and more clever at work here?

Combat.

Unreal boasts some very advanced AI for its primary enemy combatant: The Skaarj. They dodge roll your rocket blasts, maintain distance against close range weapons, and are generally a massive nuisance to deal with. But the number of enemies you actually fight at once is low, and the game is even lower on enemy variety. Just how fun is the combat gameplay of Unreal?

We answer these questions and many more on the 106th episode of the Retro Spectives Podcast!

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Intro Music: KieLoBot - Tanzen K

Outro Music: Rockit Maxx - One point to another

Unreal OST: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8hkDjVYXQY&t

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Is there more to the combat of Unreal than we’re giving it credit for? Are there any mods which improve the fundamental Unreal experience? What is it about the level design that’s so special, and are there any other games that have built upon it? Come let us know what you think on our community discord server!

If you’re enjoying the show, you can support us on our Buy me a Coffee Page!

On this episode, we discuss:

Aesthetics.

On the surface, from a modern perspective, Unreal looks kind of ugly, with its low-res stretched textures. But it combines this with a haunting OST, varied level design and a color palette that brings its scenes to life. Is the famed atmosphere of Unreal as alien and immersive as it is claimed to be?

Level Design.

Unreal has a curious blend of massive open ended architecture fused with ultimately linear level design. Does getting rid of key doors in favour of switches lead to the player getting lost in the maze, or is there something deeper and more clever at work here?

Combat.

Unreal boasts some very advanced AI for its primary enemy combatant: The Skaarj. They dodge roll your rocket blasts, maintain distance against close range weapons, and are generally a massive nuisance to deal with. But the number of enemies you actually fight at once is low, and the game is even lower on enemy variety. Just how fun is the combat gameplay of Unreal?

We answer these questions and many more on the 106th episode of the Retro Spectives Podcast!

—

Intro Music: KieLoBot - Tanzen K

Outro Music: Rockit Maxx - One point to another

Unreal OST: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8hkDjVYXQY&t

—

If you’re enjoying the show, you can support us on our Buy me a Coffee Page!

Previous Episode

Episode 105: Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers

When Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers first released in 1993, it was not a crack commercial hit. It did however instantly earn itself widespread critical acclaim, with reviewers praising its dark and disturbing story, foreboding atmosphere, and incredible voice acting. The game brought the setting of 90’s Louisiana to life, with all the colonial baggage and real life voodoo history integrated into every little crevice of its world.

But can Gabriel Knight truly get over the ultimate sin of being a point and click adventure game? Can voodoo be taken seriously after Monkey Island spent so much time satirising the concept? Is this game as scary or intense all these years later? Or has the passage of time left the narrative of Gabriel Knight without any bite?

On this episode, we discuss:

Aesthetics.

We played two different versions of Gabriel Knight - the original, and the 2014 remake. Is one of these clearly better than the other, or do they each have their strengths and weaknesses?

Story.

How does the narrative unravel in Gabriel Knight? Is having a slow burn story a good way to keep the player invested? How does structuring the game into days affect how the story is told?

Gameplay.

How logical are Gabriel Knight’s puzzles? Does having the game split into days affect the clarity of what you’re meant to accomplish each day? Does the game avoid the fundamental issues that Pat and James have with the genre?

We answer these questions and many more on the 105th episode of the Retro Spectives Podcast!

Intro Music: KieLoBot - Tanzen K

Outro Music: Rockit Maxx - One point to another

GK 1993 OST: Robert Holmes

GK 2014 OST: Robert Holmes

Are our critiques of the point and click adventure game puzzles valid? What do the sequels change or improve from the original? Is there a different adventure game out there that we should try? Come let us know what you think on our community discord server!

You can support the show on our Buy me a Coffee page!

Next Episode

Episode 107: Luigi's Mansion

Luigi’s Mansion was the cornerstone of the Nintendo Gamecube’s launch in 2001. It sold more copies than any other launch title, received positive critical acclaim, and occupied prime place in every promo gaming machine in gaming and electronic shops everywhere. The game promised a charming take on a haunted mansion, quite unlike Resident Evil that had come before it.

You take control of Luigi, searching for Mario after he goes missing when he supposedly wins a free mansion. You don’t have much to help you in your quest to find Mario in this haunted mansion - a flashlight and a vacuum cleaner and what little wits you can gather are all Luigi has to arm himself against the many ghosts that occupy its walls. It's a tried and true blend of action, adventure, and puzzle solving, but wrapped up in a very unique way.

But is Luigi’s Mansion still a compelling title to play all these years later? Does the simplicity of the formulae grow stale even with its short run time? And can we really do a G-rated take on ghosts and still find it interesting?

On this episode, we discuss:

Controls.

Luigi’s mansion has a fixed camera in the tradition of survival horror games, but gives us a weird blend of regular and tank controls. Does this control scheme work in a game where the action can be far more frantic than slowly shooting zombies in the head?

Puzzles.

Luigi’s Mansion’s ghosts are not willing to be compressed into paintings without putting up a bit of resistance first. How enjoyable is it to solve the puzzle of what these gallery ghosts require?

Atmosphere.

Is Luigi’s Mansion, by its refusal to engage with the more horrifying elements of ghosts, shooting itself in the foot? Was there a lack of narrative punch to the identities and personalities of the ghosts because of the G rated theme?

We answer these questions and many more on the 107th episode of the Retro Spectives Podcast!

Intro Music: KieLoBot - Tanzen K

Outro Music: Rockit Maxx - One point to another

Luigi’s Mansion OST: Kazumi Totaka

Do the later Luigi’s Mansion games build on the gameplay of the first to produce a deeper and more compelling experience? Did you enjoy catching the 50 Boos more than we did? Is there an R rated take on this genre, and if so, where can we play it?
Come let us know what you think on our community discord server!

If you’d like to support the show, please check out our Buy me a Coffee page!