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CrimsonFox · 02-24-2016, 04:24 AM

The Second Game: Unreal

Background: Origin Story

The Year Was 1997.

I know that because I still have nightmares about that year. I was on my second job, a job that allowed me to bop around the country on a not that great salary finding myself in totally trendsetter places like...SAINT LOUIS....and ... THE QUAD CITIES...home of THE MALL!

The Quad cities is not cool. The Twin Cities are Minneapolis and St Paul. That place is cool. The QUAD cities are 4 TOWNS stuck together on the border of IOWA and ILLINOIS.

Seriously this place was so amazingly bad, staying at my hotel playing video games was a lot better than actually going out to find something to do.
I called a radio station to answer a contest. I said I was from out of town...the DJ said "WELL WELCOME TO THE QUAD CITIES". I laughed uncontrollably into the phone. I could not help it. I at least did not say "THIS PLACE SUCKS ARE YOU JOKING?" I listened to myself winning the contest. Obviously they edited out my little chuckle. In my head I was busting a gut.
I'm often less funny than I think.

There was one godsend to being there...it had the saviour of the 90's...BEST BUY!

NOW with a Discount Bin!

It was at that very best buy that I purchased a game. Not just any game....a lifestyle choice...a love affair...an intense way of life. That game was UNREAL.

(No seriously that's the title.)

I know what you're thinking and you're right. YOu HAVE heard of it. But you probably know it as the UNREAL ENGINE, which powers many OTHER things you've played before...oh do I mean Unreal TOurnament? The Quake Competitor where you arena fight other bots and people? No I don't mean that. There was a game that was touted as a "Game made by gamers for gamers". A srrawling experience that kicked in the pants any and all graphics of the day. Want a vast beautiful panoramic scene?

Yeah it's got that...want a close up texture shot? Yeah it's got that too. Want intelligent enemies that point to their shield taunting you? Yeah you'd swear they were 14 year olds controlling those things. It had events, intrigue, music, ....music events...yes things triggers just to play music that accompanied you throughout the room affecting the mood.

The plot....You are aboard a prison ship. In a cell...injured...yes a prison in space...

Unreal_(PC)_06.jpg

This looks like my hotel in the quad cities.

Apparently your ship has just crashed into something as you are flung out of bed and your health starts just there...at 11...almost dead...and by the sounds of the screams you hear and the chaos of the electronic warden, things are not very good outside your cell. But at least the forcefield is down. YOu wander around seeing ...um...blood and body parts of your comrades, electrocute some schmuck on accident... climb through the ventelation shaft and shimmy your way around explosions to find the bridge...and there you learn the truth...that the ship was pulled onto some planet by a tractor beam.

Tractor Beam...Oh Please! That's First Year stuff!

02-24-2016, 04:24 AM	#12
CrimsonFox Head Coach Join Date: Dec 2009	The Second Game: Unreal Background: Origin Story The Year Was 1997. I know that because I still have nightmares about that year. I was on my second job, a job that allowed me to bop around the country on a not that great salary finding myself in totally trendsetter places like...SAINT LOUIS....and ... THE QUAD CITIES...home of THE MALL! The Quad cities is not cool. The Twin Cities are Minneapolis and St Paul. That place is cool. The QUAD cities are 4 TOWNS stuck together on the border of IOWA and ILLINOIS. Seriously this place was so amazingly bad, staying at my hotel playing video games was a lot better than actually going out to find something to do. I called a radio station to answer a contest. I said I was from out of town...the DJ said "WELL WELCOME TO THE QUAD CITIES". I laughed uncontrollably into the phone. I could not help it. I at least did not say "THIS PLACE SUCKS ARE YOU JOKING?" I listened to myself winning the contest. Obviously they edited out my little chuckle. In my head I was busting a gut. I'm often less funny than I think. There was one godsend to being there...it had the saviour of the 90's...BEST BUY! NOW with a Discount Bin! It was at that very best buy that I purchased a game. Not just any game....a lifestyle choice...a love affair...an intense way of life. That game was UNREAL. (No seriously that's the title.) I know what you're thinking and you're right. YOu HAVE heard of it. But you probably know it as the UNREAL ENGINE, which powers many OTHER things you've played before...oh do I mean Unreal TOurnament? The Quake Competitor where you arena fight other bots and people? No I don't mean that. There was a game that was touted as a "Game made by gamers for gamers". A srrawling experience that kicked in the pants any and all graphics of the day. Want a vast beautiful panoramic scene? Yeah it's got that...want a close up texture shot? Yeah it's got that too. Want intelligent enemies that point to their shield taunting you? Yeah you'd swear they were 14 year olds controlling those things. It had events, intrigue, music, ....music events...yes things triggers just to play music that accompanied you throughout the room affecting the mood. The plot....You are aboard a prison ship. In a cell...injured...yes a prison in space... Unreal_(PC)_06.jpg This looks like my hotel in the quad cities. Apparently your ship has just crashed into something as you are flung out of bed and your health starts just there...at 11...almost dead...and by the sounds of the screams you hear and the chaos of the electronic warden, things are not very good outside your cell. But at least the forcefield is down. YOu wander around seeing ...um...blood and body parts of your comrades, electrocute some schmuck on accident... climb through the ventelation shaft and shimmy your way around explosions to find the bridge...and there you learn the truth...that the ship was pulled onto some planet by a tractor beam. Tractor Beam...Oh Please! That's First Year stuff! Last edited by CrimsonFox : 02-24-2016 at 04:55 AM.