Software vs Direct3D

Included with 2004 are two rendering modes: Software and Direct3D. According to the features list you can play 2004 on a laptop,

"Pixomatic software renderer allowing incredible performance with no 3D card required. Play UT2004 on your laptop!"

Skeptical, I took a screenshot of both Software and Direct3D with the exact same settings in the same map scene (AS-Junkyard).

Extreme quality loss here! But then again, IT IS software mode; the ground looks like a Half-life texture (lol).



Comparatively speaking Direct3D mode looks much better for obvious reasons. If you're going to run it in software mode just know it'll look really bad, but at least you can kind of play it. Another thing, software mode is very cpu dependent.

Gameplay

First Impression
Upon playing the game for the first time and tweaking the settings to my liking, I had a good overall impression of the game: good graphics, bots, sound, and not to mention addicting/fun gameplay; especially with onslaught and assault mode. There's a total of ten modes you can play (some not so good): Assault, Onslaught, Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, Team Deathmatch, Double Domination, Bombing Run, Mutant, Invasion, and Last Man Standing.

Single Player
Single player is pretty much the same thing as 2003, but with this new "credit" system where you have to pay entry fee's to matches, your teammates, and every match you win you get more credits which go towards better players/future entry fee's. The entry fee's progressivly increase the further you get into the tournament. I haven't lost all my credits yet, but I'm assuming that you either loose your profile, restart the tournament, or something like that.

Multiplayer
How is the online play? Very fun; espeically with people who know what they're doing! Lag isn't a problem if you find the right server, the Official Atari ones aren't bad, but there are better ones there. Usually with a ping of around 50 you shouldn't "feel" and lag or delay. Probally the funnest mode to play online is onslaught, it's like BF1942 with good first person physics. I always hated how BF1942 felt while you were walking around in first person, it didn't "feel" right, the jumping was weird, and aiming felt horrible. There are also vehicles that range from a small/fast Manta to a huge/slow Leviathan which converts to a stationary cannon like the seige tanks in StarCraft.

Here's the Leviathan in normal tank mode, notice the 5000 health! That's a huge amount compared to the Goliath tank which has only 800 health.



Press secondary fire to convert it to stationary cannon mode. The thing has a huge blast radius and can destroy a power node in one hit! Insanely powerful if you can provide enough cover for it.

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