Sound and Graphics

UT Strikes Again!

Undying is based on the Unreal Tournament engine. Now before you wet yourself with joy like Brandon "84" Bell, the UT engine does have it's limitations, but we'll get to those later. EA has stepped in and made some significant custom modifications to that venerable FPS platform. They've added real-time shadows, complex map shadows (buildings automatically cast shadows from light sources), footprints, scripted background music, and more. Also included is support for more sophisticated scripted events, footprints, and other atmosphere-engaging features.

Back off

Isn't he from the Simpsons?

Graphically, Undying is excellent. The character models are complex and detailed, right up there with Paul Steed's model work for Quake 3. Of particular note are the monster designs - there are no clichéd ghosts and goblins to be found here! Creatures are original and ghastly, spawned from the ravaged brain of a truly twisted individual, and not in the "scary slanted doorway" style, either Each and every one makes you stop and think, "ugh, that's not right" for the half a second it takes to rip your heart out. Sharp, bloody teeth, mangled limbs, and sickly bodies are the norm in Undying.

Where's Slimer?

Look behind you...

I'm big on good textures - it doesn't matter how nice a model is if it doesn't have a realistic skin on top of it. Fortunately, Undying excels in this department too. They really pull off the authentic Victorian style of the Covenant mansion with excellent, detailed textures. Paintings look like they're straight out of a museum, and the furniture could easily be displayed for presentation on the Antique Road Show. Dungeons and the Mausoleum are decorated with crypts in the walls and bones scattered on the floor. Undying also has the best sky textures I've ever seen. Most of the outdoor action takes place on the islands of Northern Ireland - a whole lot or rocks and water. The sky textures help this setting with islands off in the distance when you look off a cliff. All of the maps in Undying have a lot of little things that make this game one of the best uses of the UT engine to date.

The visuals aren't without their glitches though. Using an "industry-standard" GeForce2, I saw monsters clipping through walls every now and then - an all-to-common effect that jerks you right out of that suspension of disbelief that designers strive to prolong. Sometimes while the Scrye spell is on you can see purple lines where two planes (i.e. in between stair steps) intersect, which in this game is unsettling because monsters glow in the same hue.

Small sample of text

These guys want your blood

Everyone can hear you screan

The sound in Undying is what makes this game truly great. That's a big statement since I can't name a recent game that can boast the same. The quality of the sound effects is first-rate, from the chilling cries of the undead to the maniacal laughter of Covenant family members. The voice acting is just as good as any Hollywood movie. The game uses music sparsely, but for good reason. If you had a techno track constantly playing in the background it would take away from the freaky atmosphere. Music only kicks in a few times, but when it does it raises your blood pressure even more than a horror movie.

The placement and timing of sound events are bigger effects on the experience than just the quality. As you're walking through the Covenant mansion you may hear someone whisper, "You don't belong here…" behind you, but when you turn around nothing is there. You'll hear a scream in the next room, only to find a dead maid and a trail of blood. The lights shut off and the wind picks up as several howls echo closer and closer. Some of the best scenes in Undying don't have monsters in them - nothing but sound effects playing games with your head. I loved it.

No, it's not an Illithid

A friendly undead doorman