Editing Unreal (1998 video game)

{{Short description|1998 first-person shooter video game}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2022}}
{{Infobox video game
| title = Unreal
| image = Unreal Coverart.png
| developer = [[Epic Games|Epic MegaGames]] <br> [[Digital Extremes]]{{efn|[[Legend Entertainment]] developed a mission pack titled ''Unreal Mission Pack I: Return to Na Pali''.}}
| publisher = [[GT Interactive]]
| director = 
| producer = Jason Schreiber <br> Greg Williams
| designer = James Schmalz <br> [[Cliff Bleszinski]]
| programmer = [[Tim Sweeney (game developer)|Tim Sweeney]] <br> [[Steve Polge]] <br> Erik de Neve
| artist = Artur Bialas <br> Mike Leatham <br> James Schmalz
| writer = 
| composer = [[Alexander Brandon]] <br> [[Michiel van den Bos]] <br> [[Andrew G. Sega]] <br> [[Dan Gardopée]]
| engine = [[Unreal Engine]]
| series = ''[[Unreal (video game series)|Unreal]]''
| platforms = [[Microsoft Windows]], [[Mac OS]]
| released = '''Microsoft Windows'''<br>{{vgrelease|NA|May 22, 1998<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://headline.gamespot.com/news/98_05/22_unrealp/index.html|title=Unreal's Special Delivery|last=Mullen|first=Micheal|website=[[GameSpot]]|date=May 22, 1998|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20001008035502/http://headline.gamespot.com/news/98_05/22_unrealp/index.html|archive-date=October 8, 2000|access-date=January 10, 2024}}</ref>|UK|June 12, 1998<ref>{{Cite news |date=June 11, 1998 |title=Key Dates |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/884769154 |access-date=January 24, 2023 |work=[[Recorder of Nottingham|Nottingham Recorder]] |pages=15 |quote=June 12th//''Unreal''//PC CD ROM - £9}}</ref>}}'''Mac OS'''<br>{{vgrelease|NA|September 1, 1998<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pc.ign.com/news/4661.html|title=News Briefs|date=September 1, 1998|website=[[IGN]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000411020741/http://pc.ign.com/news/4661.html|archive-date=April 11, 2000|url-status=dead|access-date=December 6, 2019}}<br>"Epic MegaGames' blockbuster Unreal is now shipping for the Macintosh...</ref>}}
| genre = [[First-person shooter]]
| modes = [[Single-player video game|Single-player]], [[Multiplayer video game|multiplayer]]
}}

'''''Unreal''''' is a [[first-person shooter]] [[video game]] developed by [[Epic Games|Epic MegaGames]] and [[Digital Extremes]] and published by [[GT Interactive]] for [[Microsoft Windows]] in May 1998. It was powered by [[Unreal Engine]], an original game engine. The game reached sales of 1.5 million units by 2002.

Since the release of ''Unreal'', the franchise has had one [[Unreal II: The Awakening|sequel]] and two different series based on the ''[[Unreal (video game series)|Unreal]]'' universe. One official bonus pack, the Epic-released Fusion Map Pack, can be downloaded free of charge. ''Unreal Mission Pack I: Return to Na Pali'', developed by [[Legend Entertainment]], was released in June 1999, and added 17 new missions to the single-player campaign of ''Unreal''. ''Unreal'' and ''Return to Na Pali'' would later be bundled together as ''Unreal Gold''. Additionally, the games were updated to run on the ''[[Unreal Tournament]]'' version of the game engine.

''Unreal'' became free to download in November 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-11-14 |title=These Two Classic Shooters Just Became Completely Free, Forever |url=https://kotaku.com/unreal-engine-epic-free-internet-archive-fortnite-1851698320 |access-date=2024-11-29 |website=Kotaku |language=en}}</ref>

==Plot==
The player takes on the role of Prisoner 849, aboard the prison spacecraft ''Vortex Rikers''. During transport to a moon-based prison, the ship is pulled to an uncharted planet, before reaching its destination. The ship crash-lands on the lip of a [[canyon]] on the planet Na Pali, home of the Nali, a primitive tribal race of four-armed humanoids. The Nali and their planet have been subjugated by the Skaarj, a race of savage yet technologically advanced reptilian humanoids, who also have an army of genetically engineered Brutes and an enslaved race of warriors, known as the Krall. Skaarj troops board the downed ''Vortex Rikers'' and kill the remaining survivors, except for Prisoner 849, who manages to find a weapon and escape from the ship.

The planet Na Pali is rich in "Tarydium", a mineral that is found as light blue [[crystal]]s, possessing a high energy yield and are the reason the Skaarj have invaded. The Vortex Rikers had crashed near one of the many mines and processing facilities that the Skaarj have built. Prisoner 849 travels through the mines, meeting Nali slaves along the way and eventually reaching the ruins of Nali temples, villages and cities, where the extent of the Nali's suffering and exploitation become clear. The player passes through a water temple and a massive arena, where the player must kill a giant beast called a Titan.

Throughout the game, the player stumbles upon the remains of other humans, often with electronic [[diary|journal]]s that detail their last days and hint toward the cause of their demise. Usually, these tales are of desperate struggles to hide from the Skaarj, or other bloodthirsty inhabitants of the planet. The player never meets another live human, aside from a wounded crew member on the bridge of the prison ship, who gasps and dies immediately. Prisoner 849 is likely the only human alive on the planet Na Pali throughout the duration of the game.

Prisoner 849 continues to make their way through a series of alien installations, a second crashed human spaceship and ancient Nali temples infested with Skaarj troops and their minions, before eventually arriving at the Nali Castle. Inside the castle, the prisoner locates a teleporter that leads to the Skaarj Mothership. The mothership proves to be a vast [[labyrinth]], but Prisoner 849 manages to find and destroy the ship's reactor, whilst fighting their way through hordes of Skaarj. The reactor's destruction plunges the vessel into darkness and after navigating the ship's corridors in the dark, the player finally arrives at the Skaarj Queen's chamber, where they fight and ultimately, kill the Queen. Prisoner 849 jumps into the Queen's personal escape pod as the mothership disintegrates. Although the prisoner survives the horrors of Na Pali, their escape pod is left to drift in space, with only a slim hope of being found.

===Expansion plot===
The expansion, '''''Return to Na Pali''''', developed by [[Legend Entertainment]], picks up not long after ''Unreal''{{'}}s ending; Prisoner 849 is found by a human warship, the UMS ''Bodega Bay''. The Unified Military Services (UMS) conscript the prisoner into service, upon learning their identity, forcing Prisoner 849 to return to Na Pali in order to locate the downed ship UMS ''Prometheus''. There, the prisoner is ordered to retrieve some weapons research. In return, the prisoner will receive a full pardon and transportation back to [[Earth]], though the real plan is revealed to be maintaining the secrecy of the mission, by killing the prisoner immediately after the information is secured.

Upon arriving at the ''Prometheus'', Prisoner 849 finds the secret weapons log, but soon after, they find a working radio communicator nearby. The prisoner listens to a recently recorded and archived conversation between the ''Bodega Bay'' and a nearby space station, the UMS ''Starlight'', exposing the military's treachery. As Prisoner 849 transmits the research log, a squad of marines beam on board ''Prometheus'', intending to eliminate the prisoner who manages to escape into a nearby mine system.

Once again, Prisoner 849 is forced to traverse a series of alien facilities and Nali temples, in an attempt to locate another way off the planet. Eventually, the prisoner ends up at another Nali Castle, where a small space shuttle is stored. After fighting through Skaarj, Krall and other monsters, the prisoner battles the final opponent, a Skaarj Warlord, before killing it and managing to take off in the spacecraft. ''Bodega Bay'', however, is waiting in orbit and launches a missile at the prisoner's ship. The prisoner outmanoeuvres the missile, and leads it back to ''Bodega Bay'' on a collision course. The large ship is disabled by the ensuing blast, and Prisoner 849 escapes into space.

==Development==
''Unreal'' was jointly developed by [[Epic MegaGames]] and [[Digital Extremes]] and mostly funded with the proceeds from ''[[Epic Pinball]]'', Epic's best selling shareware game.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.gamezone.com:80/news/03_13_02_08_44AM.htm |title=Digital Extremes moves from the days of shareware programs to set the mark in mainstream gaming |last=Lafferty |first=Michael |website=GameZone |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020613103656/http://www.gamezone.com/news/03_13_02_08_44AM.htm |archive-date=June 13, 2002 |url-status=dead |access-date=January 15, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.gamesdomain.com:80/gdreview/depart/dec99/de.html |title=Digital Extremes: James Schmalz Interview |last=Kang |first=Jeff |date=December 16, 1999 |website=[[Games Domain]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20001006000731/http://www.gamesdomain.com/gdreview/depart/dec99/de.html |archive-date=October 6, 2000 |url-status=dead |access-date=January 15, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/132426/from_the_past_to_the_future_tim_.php?print=1 |title=From The Past To The Future: Tim Sweeney Talks |last=Edwards |first=Benj |website=[[Gamasutra]] |date=May 25, 2009 |access-date=January 15, 2018}}</ref> In the February 1997 issue of ''[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]'', lead designer James Schmalz recalled how it started:

{{blockquote|I made the terrain first. A ''[[Magic Carpet (video game)|Magic Carpet]]''-type terrain ... I was experimenting with a cavern-set, robot-type game, and I progressed to the continuous mesh technique that we have now, so I changed it from caverns to outdoors. By then I had these polygon creatures, like this dragon flying around - that was the first good polygon creature we made up. From there we added buildings, and [lead programmer] [[Tim Sweeney (game developer)|Tim [Sweeney]]] got into making this editor for doing the buildings - after that, it took off ... So I started focusing on the creatures and the artwork, and Tim took over the engine. [Co-designer] [[Cliff Bleszinski|Cliff [Bleszinski]]] came on ... Because the editor was making it so easy to put together the structures, we had the tool to make the indoor areas, so there was less focus on the outdoor stuff.<ref name="NGenInt">{{cite magazine|url=https://retrocdn.net/images/1/14/NextGeneration_US_26.pdf#page=77|title=An Interview with Epic MegaGames|magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]] |issue=26|publisher=[[Imagine Media]]|date=February 1997|pages=75–76}}</ref>}}

While the team still had only the outdoor terrain and the dragon in place, [[Intel]] invited Epic MegaGames to demonstrate ''Unreal'' to them. Following the demonstration, Intel told them about their upcoming [[MMX (instruction set)|MMX]] instruction set. Sweeney was immediately excited by the possibilities MMX presented, and put together a working MMX version of the rendering code before Epic had even received a chip with MMX.<ref name="NGenInt"/>

Originally, ''Unreal'' was going to feature a large status bar and centered weapons, similar to ''[[Doom (1993 video game)|Doom]]'' and ''[[Quake (video game)|Quake]]''.<ref name="NGenAlp">{{cite magazine|title=NG Alphas: Unreal|magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]] |issue=26|publisher=[[Imagine Media]]|date=February 1997|pages=68–73}}</ref> As development progressed, various levels were cut from development. A few of these levels reappeared in the ''Return to Na Pali'' expansion pack. A number of enemies from early versions are present in the released software, but with variations and improvements to their look. One monster that didn't make the cut was a dragon. One of the weapons shown in early screenshots was the "Quadshot" - a four-barreled shotgun; the model remains in-game, while there is no code for the weapon to function (several user-made modifications bring the weapon back in the game). Another weapon shown was a different pistol, but this may have just been an early version of the Automag. At one point, the rifle could fire three shots at once, which is wrongly stated as the alternate fire in the ''Unreal'' manual that comes with ''Unreal Anthology''.

[[File:Unreal screenshot.jpg|thumb|A screenshot of ''Unreal'' released by Epic MegaGames, circa 1995<ref name="lightbown">{{Cite web |url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/classic-tools-retrospective-tim-sweeney-on-the-first-version-of-the-unreal-editor |title=Classic Tools Retrospective: Tim Sweeney on the first version of the Unreal Editor |last=Lightbown |first=David |date=January 9, 2018 |website=Game Developer |access-date=February 22, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180823012812/https://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/DavidLightbown/20180109/309414/Classic_Tools_Retrospective_Tim_Sweeney_on_the_first_version_of_the_Unreal_Editor.php |archive-date=August 23, 2018 |url-status=dead}}</ref>]]
Initially the game's player character was to be female, but as the number of games with female playable characters increased, the team decided to allow the player to select from a male character and a female character.<ref name="NGenAlp"/>

In late 1996 [[GT Interactive]] secured exclusive global publishing rights to ''Unreal''.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Inside Scoop|magazine=[[GamePro]]|issue=99 |publisher=[[International Data Group|IDG]]|date=December 1996|page=32}}</ref>

With the game still in development, Epic MegaGames started work on a port for the [[Nintendo 64DD]]. [[Mark Rein (software executive)|Mark Rein]] revealed that while a port for the standalone [[Nintendo 64]] was possible, the limited storage space of the cartridge format would have necessitated heavy compromises to the details on the monsters and the number of unique textures.<ref name="NGenInt"/> A [[Dreamcast]] port was also planned, and was in fact demoed for the system's capabilities early on its lifecycle, but was canceled when GT Interactive entered financial struggles (one of the reasons they would be purchased by [[Atari, Inc. (1993–present)|Infogrames]] in 1999), and a port of ''[[Unreal Tournament]]'' would take its place in 2001.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/06/03/did-somebody-say-unreal-tournament-on-dc |title=Did Somebody Say Unreal Tournament on DC? |author=Staff |date=June 2, 2000 |website=IGN |access-date=January 9, 2020}}</ref>

Since ''Unreal'' came packaged with its own scripting language called [[UnrealScript]], it soon developed a large community on the [[Internet]] which was able to add new modifications, or [[mod (video games)|mod]]s, in order to change or enhance gameplay. This feature greatly added to the overall longevity of the product and provided an incentive for new development. A map editor and overall complete modification program called [[UnrealEd]] also came with the package.

''Unreal''{{'}}s method of creating maps differs in major ways from that of ''Quake''. The bundled UnrealEd map editor uses the ''Unreal'' engine to render scenes exactly as they appear in-game, as opposed to external editors like [[Worldcraft]] attempting to recreate it with different methods. Whereas ''Quake'' maps are compiled from a variety of different components, ''Unreal'' maps are inherently editable on the fly. This allows anybody to edit any map that is created, including the maps included with the game.

===Graphics===
The ''Unreal'' engine brought a host of graphical improvements rarely seen at that time. ''Unreal''{{'}}s [[software rendering|software renderer]] allowed software features as rich as the hardware renderers of the time, including colored lighting and even a limited form of [[texture filtering]] referred to by Sweeney as an ordered "texture coordinate space" [[dither]].<ref>Yong, Li Sheng. [http://www.flipcode.com/archives/Texturing_As_In_Unreal.shtml Texturing As In Unreal], flipcode.com, July 10, 2000.</ref> Early pre-release versions of ''Unreal'' were based entirely on software rendering.

''Unreal'' was one of the first games to utilize [[texture mapping|detail texturing]]. This type of multiple texturing enhances the surfaces of objects with a second texture that shows material detail. When the player stands within a small distance from most surfaces, the detail texture will fade in and make the surface appear much more complex ([[high-resolution]]) instead of becoming increasingly blurry.<ref>[http://www.opengl.org/resources/code/samples/sig99/advanced99/notes/node88.html 6.20 Detail Textures], OpenGL.org, August 6, 1999.</ref> Notable surfaces with these special detail textures included computer monitors, pitted metal surfaces aboard the prison ship, golden metal doors, and stone surfaces within Nali temples. This extra texture layer was not applied to character models. The resulting simulation of material detail on game objects was intended to aid the player's suspension of disbelief. For many years after ''Unreal''{{'}}s release (and ''Unreal Tournament''{{'}}s release), detail texturing only worked well with the S3 MeTaL and [[Glide (API)|Glide]] renderer. It was, in fact, disabled in the Direct3D renderer by default (but could be re-enabled in the ''Unreal.ini'' file) due to performance and quality issues caused by the driver, while it was present even on hardware many times more powerful than the original [[S3 Savage|S3 Savage3D]] and [[3dfx Interactive|3Dfx Voodoo Graphics]].

Because of ''Unreal''{{'}}s long development time, the course of development occurred during the emergence and rapid progression of hardware 3D accelerators. Along with the advanced software 3D renderer, ''Unreal'' was built to take advantage of the 3Dfx Glide [[application programming interface|API]], which emerged as the dominant interface towards the end of the game's development. When ''Unreal'' was finally released, Microsoft's [[Direct3D]] API was growing rapidly in popularity and Epic was fairly quick to develop a renderer for their game engine. Direct3D renderer, however, released initially to support the new [[Matrox G200]], was less capable and slower than the Glide support, especially in the beginning when it was unstable, slow, and had many graphics quality issues.<ref>[http://unreal.com/press/matrox_pr.html MATROX OFFERS SNEAK-PEAK AT UNREAL DIRECT3DPATCH] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061113204050/http://unreal.com/press/matrox_pr.html |date=November 13, 2006}}, [[Epic MegaGames]], September 24, 1998.</ref> ''Unreal'' also had official [[OpenGL]] support.

===Audio===
{{listen|filename=Unreal music sample.ogg|title=''Unreal'' Introduction theme (Flight Castle)|description=31-second sample from the intro theme of ''Unreal'', written by Alexander Brandon.|format=[[Ogg]]}}
While many game companies went from [[FM synthesis]] or [[General MIDI]] in the early 1990s to enhanced CD audio and pre-rendered audio, many of the Epic Games used the less common system of [[Module file|module music]], composed with a [[Music tracker|tracker]], which used stored [[Pulse-code modulation|PCM]] [[Sampling (signal processing)|sound samples]] of musical instruments sequenced together to produce music. Epic had been using this technology for other games such as ''[[Jazz Jackrabbit (video game)|Jazz Jackrabbit]]'' and ''[[One Must Fall: 2097]]'', which allowed relatively rich music to be stored in files usually smaller than one megabyte.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=m5exIODbtqkC&dq=%22epic+games%22+tracker+music+mod+unreal&pg=PA341 Game Development and Production] by Erik Bethke, page 341</ref> This technology allowed easy implementation of dynamic music for mood changes in ''Unreal''. The ''Unreal'' soundtrack was written by MOD music authors [[Alexander Brandon]] and [[Michiel van den Bos]] with a few selected tracks by [[Dan Gardopée]] and [[Andrew Sega]] ([[Straylight Productions]]). ''Unreal''{{'}}s music engine also supports CD audio tracks. The game also made use of the [[A3D|Aureal 3D]] technology.<ref>{{cite book |title=1394 Monthly Newsletter |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=N40wrMDs1GUC&pg=PA4 |last=Polishuk |first=Paul |date=December 1998 |page=4}}</ref>

===Community patch support===
In July 2000 the [[End-of-life (product)|official support ended]] with [[patch (computing)|patch]] 2.26f by Epic MegaGames. Therefore, with the awareness and permission of Epic, the [[fan community]] started the ''OldUnreal'' [[Community patch]] project based on the original [[source code]] in 2008.<ref name="rps2012">{{cite news|url=http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/11/12/patchy-like-its-1998-unreal-1-updated/|quote=''The list of fixes upon fixes are too long to mention here, but the essential purpose of v227 is to add DirectX9 and OpenAL support as well as mending everything that needs mending. Epic are aware of and permit the patch ...'' |first=Alec |last=Meer |newspaper=[[Rock, Paper, Shotgun]] |date=October 12, 2012 |access-date=December 21, 2012 |title=Patchy Like It's 1998: Unreal 1 Updated}}</ref> The latest patch iteration, 2.27j, released on June 23, 2022, includes new graphics rendering like [[DirectX 9]], updated OpenGL, new sound rendering based on [[OpenAL]] and fixes many incompatibilities with modern [[operating system]]s and hardware.

===Mac OS===
The [[Mac (computer)|Mac]] version was released in parallel with the PC version. It supported [[QuickDraw 3D|RAVE]] hardware acceleration as well as 3DFX's Voodoo, built-in software rendering and, later on, OpenGL rendering. RAVE acceleration support allowed the game to support hardware 3D acceleration with just about every Mac that included it. It also supported [[Apple Inc.|Apple]]'s [[Game Sprockets]].

The last update for the [[Mac OS]] port was version 224b, which breaks network compatibility between it and the PC version, as well as lacking support for some user-created content made for 225 and 226f. Westlake Interactive, the company responsible for the port, claimed that previous patches were produced voluntarily in their free time, beyond their contractual obligations.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://westlakeinteractive.com/unrealstatus.html|title=Westlake Interactive|date=October 13, 1999|url-status=bot: unknown|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19991013124911/http://westlakeinteractive.com/unrealstatus.html|archive-date=October 13, 1999}}</ref> They also stated that they did not receive the code for the 225 patch and that it had become unavailable due to Epic moving on to develop version 226.

===Linux===
An unofficial content port of the single-player maps to [[Linux]] was created by several users of [[icculus.org]], which allowed the ''Unreal'' single-player game content to be run as a modification for ''Unreal Tournament''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://icculus.org/~ravage/unreal/unrealgold/|title=Unreal Gold for Linux}}</ref><ref>[http://cheats.gamespy.com/linux/unreal-gold/ Unreal Gold (Linux)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091220224059/http://cheats.gamespy.com/linux/unreal-gold/ |date=December 20, 2009}} - [[Gamespy]]</ref><ref>[http://www.linuxhardware.org/article.php?story=03/04/18/169209 Gaming and Linux in 2003 - LinuxHardware.org]</ref> The online retailer Tux Games at one point sold a box set including the Linux version.<ref>[http://www.tuxgames.com/details.cgi?&gameref=87 Unreal] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716081424/http://www.tuxgames.com/details.cgi?&gameref=87|date=July 16, 2011}} - Tux Games</ref><ref>[http://www.linuxgames.com/archives/5805 Unreal Available at Tux Games] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110614052359/http://www.linuxgames.com/archives/5805|date=June 14, 2011}} - [[LinuxGames]]</ref> The 227 community patch contains a full Linux [[Source port|port]] for Unreal.

===Sega Saturn===
In 2023, one fan has ported the entire first two levels of the game to the [[Sega Saturn]] as a tech demo, with plans to port more portions of the game down the line.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://youtube.com/watch?v=vWv0YsI2ric|title= IRRÉEL - tech demo of Unreal on Sega Saturn|website= [[YouTube]]}}</ref>

==Books==
Two [[novel]]s titled ''Hard Crash'' and ''Prophet's Power'' were published, expanding on the premise and story first introduced in ''Unreal''. ''Prophet's Power'', numbered as the second book in the series, is actually a prequel to the first, ''Hard Crash'', thus it is harder for readers to understand what happened in the story. A book called ''Escape to Na Pali: A Journey to the Unreal'' was published on June 23, 2014,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://fiveoutoftenmagazine.com/2014/06/escape-to-new-pali-new-editor/|title=Introducing Escape to Na Pali, and our new editor!|date=June 13, 2014|publisher=Five out of Ten|access-date=August 16, 2014}}</ref> written by Kaitlin Tremblay and Alan Williamson.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://fiveoutoftenmagazine.com/downloads/escape-to-na-pali/|title=Escape to Na Pali |publisher=Five out of Ten|date=June 2014 |access-date=August 16, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://kotaku.com/how-the-original-unreal-got-aliens-right-1609240119/all|title=The Original Unreal Got Aliens Right |publisher=[[Kotaku]]|date=July 22, 2014|access-date=August 16, 2014|author=Kaitlin Tremblay and Alan Williamson}}</ref>

== Reception ==
===Sales===
In the United States, ''Unreal'' debuted in third place on [[PC Data]]'s computer game sales chart for the week ending May 23, 1998, at an average retail price (ARP) of $50.<ref name=week1>{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050406185544/http://www.cdmag.com:80/articles/012/061/pcdata_weekly_numbers_may13.html | url=http://www.cdmag.com:80/articles/012/061/pcdata_weekly_numbers_may13.html | title=The top 10 titles for the week of May 17 | date=June 3, 1998 | author=Ocampo, Jason | work=[[Computer Games Magazine|Computer Games Strategy Plus]] | archive-date=April 6, 2005 | url-status=dead}}</ref> It climbed to first place the following week, while its ARP dropped to $40.<ref name=week2>{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050406150910/http://www.cdmag.com:80/articles/012/130/pcdata_weekly.html | url=http://www.cdmag.com:80/articles/012/130/pcdata_weekly.html | title=The top 10 titles for the week of May 24 | author=Ocampo, Jason | date=June 12, 1998 | work=[[Computer Games Magazine|Computer Games Strategy Plus]] | archive-date=April 6, 2005 | url-status=dead}}</ref> Finishing May as the country's second-highest computer game seller of the month, behind ''[[StarCraft (video game)|StarCraft]]'',<ref name=may1998>{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050502204635/http://www.cdmag.com:80/articles/012/145/pc_data_may.html | url=http://www.cdmag.com:80/articles/012/145/pc_data_may.html | title=''StarCraft'' tops monthly PC game chart ... again | author=Ocampo, Jason | date=June 18, 1998 | work=[[Computer Games Magazine|Computer Games Strategy Plus]] | archive-date=May 2, 2005 | url-status=dead}}</ref> ''Unreal'' proceeded to alternate with ''StarCraft'' between positions 1 and 2 on the weekly charts through the May 31 – June 27 period.<ref name=week3>{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050406152844/http://www.cdmag.com:80/articles/012/142/pcdata_numbers.html |url=http://www.cdmag.com:80/articles/012/142/pcdata_numbers.html | title=The top 10 titles for the week of May 31 | author=Ocampo, Jason | date=June 17, 1998 | work=[[Computer Games Magazine|Computer Games Strategy Plus]] | archive-date=April 6, 2005 | url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=week4>{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050515014130/http://www.cdmag.com:80/articles/012/157/pcdata_for_june7.html | url=http://www.cdmag.com:80/articles/012/157/pcdata_for_june7.html | title=The top 10 titles for the week of June 7 | author=Ocampo, Jason | date=June 23, 1998 | work=[[Computer Games Magazine|Computer Games Strategy Plus]] | archive-date=May 15, 2005 | url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=week5>{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050406150922/http://www.cdmag.com:80/articles/013/037/pcdata_june21.html | url=http://www.cdmag.com:80/articles/013/037/pcdata_june21.html | title=The battle between ''StarCraft'' and ''Unreal'' for No. 1 continues | author=Ocampo, Jason | date=July 9, 1998 | archive-date=April 6, 2005 | url-status=dead}}</ref> Jason Ocampo of ''[[Computer Games Magazine|Computer Games Strategy Plus]]'' characterized the games' competition for first place as a "tug-of-war".<ref name=week5 /> ''Unreal'' ultimately held at #2 behind ''StarCraft'' on the monthly chart for June as a whole,<ref name=cdmag5>{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050502205001/http://www.cdmag.com/articles/013/083/pc_data_june.html | url=http://www.cdmag.com:80/articles/013/083/pc_data_june.html | title=''StarCraft'' scores a hat trick with its third month at No. 1 | author=Ocampo, Jason | date=July 21, 1998 | archive-date=May 2, 2005 | work=[[Computer Games Magazine|Computer Games Strategy Plus]] | url-status=dead | df=dmy-all}}</ref> and became the United States' 15th-best-selling computer game of 1998's first half.<ref name=second6>{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050406165646/http://www.cdmag.com/articles/013/172/pc_data_first_half_1998.html | url=http://www.cdmag.com:80/articles/013/172/pc_data_first_half_1998.html | title=Sales rankings for the first six months of 1998 | author=Ocampo, Jason | date=August 17, 1998 | archive-date=April 6, 2005 | work=[[Computer Games Magazine|Computer Games Strategy Plus]] | url-status=dead | df=dmy-all}}</ref>

''Unreal'' maintained a position in PC Data's weekly top 10 from June 28 through August 1.<ref name=jul5-11>{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050406150934/http://www.cdmag.com:80/articles/013/095/pc_data_july5.html | url=http://www.cdmag.com:80/articles/013/095/pc_data_july5.html | title=''Myst'' drops off the weekly chart | author=Ocampo, Jason | date=July 22, 1998 | work=[[Computer Games Magazine|Computer Games Strategy Plus]] | archive-date=April 6, 2005 | url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=jul19-25>{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050406152859/http://www.cdmag.com:80/articles/013/137/pc_data_july19.html | url=http://www.cdmag.com:80/articles/013/137/pc_data_july19.html | title=The return of ''Myst'' | author=Ocampo, Jason | date=August 4, 1998 | work=[[Computer Games Magazine|Computer Games Strategy Plus]] | archive-date=April 6, 2005 | url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=aug1>{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050502205005/http://www.cdmag.com:80/articles/013/163/pc_data_aug1.html | url=http://www.cdmag.com:80/articles/013/163/pc_data_aug1.html | title=The return of ''Riven'' | date=August 13, 1998 | author=Mayer, Robert | work=[[Computer Games Magazine|Computer Games Strategy Plus]] | archive-date=May 2, 2005 | url-status=dead}}</ref> It continued its streak at second place for July overall,<ref name=jul1998>{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050406150058/http://www.cdmag.com:80/articles/013/172/pc_data_july.html | url=http://www.cdmag.com:80/articles/013/172/pc_data_july.html | title=''SWAT 2'' debuts at No. 5 | date=August 18, 1998 | author=Ocampo, Jason | archive-date=April 6, 2005 | work=[[Computer Games Magazine|Computer Games Strategy Plus]] | url-status=dead}}</ref> and totaled sales in excess of 120,000 copies in the United States by the end of that month, according to PC Data. ''[[IGN]]'' described this performance as "a huge hit".<ref name=120k>{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000411175344/http://pc.ign.com:80/news/4686.html | url=http://pc.ign.com:80/news/4686.html | title=''Unreal'' to Get TV Push | date=September 3, 1998 | work=[[IGN]] | author=IGN Staff | archive-date=April 11, 2000 | url-status=dead | access-date=May 24, 2018 | df=mdy-all}}</ref> In early August, [[GT Interactive]] reported that global sales of ''Unreal'' had topped 500,000 copies, which contributed to growth at the publisher.<ref name=500k>{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000305152346/http://headline.gamespot.com/news/98_08/05_gtvg/index.html | url=http://headline.gamespot.com/news/98_08/05_gtvg/index.html | title=GT Numbers Strong | author=Staff | date=August 5, 1998 | work=[[GameSpot]] | archive-date=March 5, 2000 | url-status=dead}}</ref> The game went on to appear in PC Data's weekly top 10 from August 2 through the week ending September 12, when it fell to #10,<ref name=aug9>{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050208051231/http://www.cdmag.com:80/articles/014/009/pc_data_august9.html | url=http://www.cdmag.com:80/articles/014/009/pc_data_august9.html | title=Deer Hunter knocks ''StarCraft'' out of No. 1 | author=Ocampo, Jason | date=August 27, 1998 | archive-date=February 8, 2005 | url-status=dead | work=[[Computer Games Magazine|Computer Games Strategy Plus]]}}</ref><ref name=aug23>{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050515014134/http://www.cdmag.com:80/articles/014/065/pc_data_august23.html | url=http://www.cdmag.com:80/articles/014/065/pc_data_august23.html | title=''Diablo'' takes the No. 1 position | author=Ocampo, Jason | work=[[Computer Games Magazine|Computer Game Strategy Plus]] | date=September 10, 1998 | archive-date=May 15, 2005 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=aug30>{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050407232421/http://www.cdmag.com:80/articles/014/095/pc_data_sept18.html | url=http://www.cdmag.com:80/articles/014/095/pc_data_sept18.html | title=PC Data for August 30 - September 5 | author=Hulsey, Joel | work=[[Computer Games Magazine|Computer Games Strategy Plus]] | date=September 18, 1998 | archive-date=April 7, 2005 | url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=sep6>{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000622090418/http://pc.ign.com:80/news/5010.html | url=http://pc.ign.com:80/news/5010.html | title=Best Selling PC Games | date=September 25, 1998 | author=Staff | work=[[IGN]] | archive-date=June 22, 2000 | url-status=dead}}</ref> and in the monthly top 10 for both August and September.<ref name=aug1998>{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000817182653/http://www.gamecenter.com/News/Item/0,3,0-2128,00.html | url=http://www.gamecenter.com:80/News/Item/0,3,0-2128,00.html | title=August's PC Best-Sellers | author=GamerX | work=[[CNET|CNET Gamecenter]] | date=September 25, 1998 | archive-date=August 17, 2000 | url-status=dead | df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref name=gamespotsales4>{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000309200418/http://headline.gamespot.com/news/98_10/27_pcdata/index.html | url=http://headline.gamespot.com:80/news/98_10/27_pcdata/index.html | title=PC Data Hit List for September | date=October 27, 1998 | author=Staff | work=[[GameSpot]] | archive-date=March 9, 2000 | url-status=dead | df=dmy-all}}</ref> After falling to 19th place for October in total, it exited the monthly top 20.<ref name=gamespotsales5>{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000411063347/http://headline.gamespot.com/news/98_11/13_pc_deer/index.html | url=http://headline.gamespot.com:80/news/98_11/13_pc_deer/index.html | title=Top-Selling PC Games for October | date=November 13, 1998 | archive-date=April 11, 2000 | author=Feldman, Curt | work=[[GameSpot]] | url-status=dead | df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref name=nov1998>{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050406162520/http://www.cdmag.com/articles/016/025/pc_data_november.html | url=http://www.cdmag.com:80/articles/016/025/pc_data_november.html | title=November Belongs to ''Deer Hunter 2 3D'' | date=December 13, 1998 | author=Mayer, Robert | work=[[Computer Games Magazine|Computer Games Strategy Plus]] | archive-date=April 6, 2005 | url-status=dead | df=dmy-all}}</ref> Ultimately, PC Data declared ''Unreal'' the United States' 11th-best-selling computer game during the January–November 1998 period.<ref name=jannov>{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000901031920/http://pc.ign.com/news/6269.html | url=http://pc.ign.com:80/news/6269.html | title=Best Selling Games of 1998 | date=January 4, 1999 | work=[[IGN]] | author=IGN Staff | archive-date=September 1, 2000 | url-status=dead | access-date=May 31, 2018 | df=mdy-all}}</ref>

In the United States, ''Unreal'' finished 1998 as the year's 13th-biggest computer game seller, with sales of 291,300 units and revenues of $10.96 million.<ref name=pcgsales2>{{cite journal | author=Staff | date=April 1999 | volume=6 | issue=4 | title=The Numbers Game | journal=[[PC Gamer US]] | page=50}}</ref> Its ARP for the year was $38.<ref name=ign1998>{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000613095857/http://pc.ign.com/news/6602.html | url=http://pc.ign.com:80/news/6602.html | title=The Year's Best-Selling Games | date=January 27, 1999 | author=IGN Staff | archive-date=June 13, 2000 | work=[[IGN]] | url-status=dead | access-date=July 2, 2018 | df=mdy-all}}</ref> According to ''[[GameDaily]]'', the game's sales in the United States reached 350,000 units by January 1999.<ref name=550k>{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010425030744/http://www.gamedaily.com/features/ionstorm/index.html | url=http://www.gamedaily.com:80/features/ionstorm/index.html | title=GameDAILY Interviews ION Storm's John Romero | date=January 1999 | author=Staff | work=[[GameDaily]] | archive-date=April 25, 2001 | url-status=dead | access-date=July 18, 2018 | df=mdy-all}}</ref> Worldwide sales surpassed one million units by September 1999,<ref name=sep1999>{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000529220953/http://meristation.com/noticias/1999/septiembre/19990922-2.htm | url=http://meristation.com/noticias/1999/septiembre/19990922-2.htm | title=Epic espera vender más de un millón de ''Unreal Tournament'' | author=Staff | date=September 22, 1999 | work=[[:es:MeriStation|MeriStation]] | language=es | archive-date=May 29, 2000 | url-status=dead}}</ref> and reached 1.5 million copies by November 2002.<ref name=globe>{{cite news | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180806215358/https://www.theglobeandmail.com/technology/made-in-canada-game-is-unreal-hit/article25697227/ | url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/technology/made-in-canada-game-is-unreal-hit/article25697227/ | title=Made-in-Canada game is ''Unreal'' hit | date=November 12, 2002 |author=Staff | work=[[The Globe and Mail]] | archive-date=August 6, 2018 | url-status=live}}</ref>

===Critical response===
{{Expand section|date=January 2015}}
{{Video game reviews
| title      = 
| subtitle   = 
<!--Formatting-->
| state      = <!--plain/collapsible-->
| align      = <!--left/right/none/inherit-->
<!-- Aggregators -->
| GR         = 89%<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gamerankings.com/pc/39722-unreal/index.html |title=Unreal for PC |work=[[GameRankings]] |publisher=[[CBS Interactive]] |access-date=October 4, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191209012517/https://www.gamerankings.com/pc/39722-unreal/index.html |archive-date=December 9, 2019 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
| MC         = 
<!-- Reviewers -->
| Allgame    = {{Rating|4.5|5}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=11634&tab=review|title=Unreal Review|work=[[AllGame]]|publisher=[[All Media Network]]|access-date=October 18, 2015|first=Michael|last=L. House|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141114175237/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=11634&tab=review|archive-date=November 14, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| CVG        = 9/10<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=8229|title=Unreal Review. Time to upgrade that P200 already ...|work=[[Computer and Video Games]]|date=August 15, 2001|access-date=September 14, 2015|first=Stephen|last=Fulljames|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070110135246/http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=8229|archive-date=January 10, 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| Edge       = 8/10<ref name="edge review">{{cite magazine|url=http://www.edge-online.com/review/unreal-review/|title=Unreal Review|magazine=[[Edge (magazine)|Edge]]|date=July 1, 1998|access-date=October 4, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130531065456/http://www.edge-online.com/review/unreal-review/|archive-date=May 31, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| GamePro  = {{Rating|4.5|5}}<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.gamepro.com/computer/pc/games/reviews/814.shtml|title=Unreal Review|magazine=[[GamePro]]|publisher=[[International Data Group]]|date=January 1, 2000|access-date=September 14, 2015|first=Steve|last=Klett|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040620111314/http://www.gamepro.com/computer/pc/games/reviews/814.shtml|archive-date=June 20, 2004|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| GameRev    = B+<ref name="game revolution">{{cite web|url=http://www.gamerevolution.com/review/unreal|title=Unreal Review, Right game, wrong time|publisher=[[Game Revolution]]|date=June 5, 2004|access-date=October 4, 2014|first=Tom|last=Anderson}}</ref>
| GSpot      = 8.4/10<ref name="gamespot review">{{cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/unreal-review/1900-2531736/|title=Unreal Review, What gives Unreal an edge is how these differences, while not always positive, distinguish it from the legions of other 3D shooters|work=[[GameSpot]]|publisher=[[CBS Interactive]]|date=June 10, 1998|access-date=October 4, 2014|first=Tahsin|last=Shamma}}</ref>
| IGN        = 9/10<ref name="ign review">{{cite web|url=http://www.ign.com/articles/1998/08/13/unreal|title=Unreal Review, As corny as it sounds, the title says it all|work=[[IGN]]|publisher=[[Ziff Davis]]|date=August 12, 1998|access-date=October 4, 2014|first=Craig|last=Harris}}</ref>
| NGen = {{rating|5|5}}<ref name="NG"/>
| PCGUK      = 94/100<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pcgamer.co.uk/games/gamefile_review_page.asp?item_id=1326|title=Unreal Review|work=[[PC Gamer]]|access-date=September 14, 2015|first=Steve|last=Owen|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20001202175300/http://www.pcgamer.co.uk/games/gamefile_review_page.asp?item_id=1326|archive-date=December 2, 2000|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| PCZone     = 9.3/10<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=3610|title=Unreal Review|work=[[Computer and Video Games]]|date=August 13, 2001|access-date=September 14, 2015|author=PCZone|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070311204830/http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=3610|archive-date=March 11, 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| XPlay      = 
<!-- Custom aggregators limit is set to 10 -->
| agg1      = 
| agg1Score = 
| agg2      = 
| agg2Score = 
<!-- Custom Reviewers limit is set to 10-->
| rev1       = ''[[Macworld]]''
| rev1Score  = {{Rating|4.5|5}}<ref name=macworldreviews />
| rev2       = ''Thunderbolt''
| rev2Score  = 9/10<ref name="thunderbolt review">{{cite web|url=http://www.thunderboltgames.com/review/unreal|title=Unreal PC Review|publisher=Thunderbolt|date=March 19, 2003|access-date=October 4, 2014|first=Matt|last=Wadleigh|archive-date=October 6, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006112926/http://www.thunderboltgames.com/review/unreal|url-status=dead}}</ref>
<!-- Awards No limit -->
| award1Pub  = 
| award1     = 
| award2Pub  = 
| award2     =
}}

''Unreal'' received positive reviews upon release.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |date=May 22, 1998 |title=Unreal is Real; GT Interactive, Epic MegaGames and Digital Extremes Ship the Year's most Eagerly Anticipated PC Game |journal=Business Wire |pages=1 |via=ProQuest}}{{verify source|date=March 2022}}</ref> Critics praised the graphics, gameplay, music, atmosphere, enemy behavior, and bot support in multiplayer mode, but criticized the lag-ridden online multiplayer mode.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite news |title=Banjo-Kazooie', 'Unreal' make Worlds Come Alive |last1=Mowatt |first1=Todd |date=July 2, 1998 |work=USA Today |last2=Snider |first2=Mike |page=09D |last3=Ham |first3=Tom |via=ProQuest}}{{verify source|date=March 2022}}</ref>

''[[Macworld]]''{{'}}s Michael Gowan wrote: "This 3-D shoot-'em-up reinvigorates a tired genre. Plot, atmosphere, and exploration mix with ferocious enemies to make this game stand out from the pack".<ref name=macworldreviews>{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010810062339/http://www.macworld.com/1999/02/games/games.html |url=http://www.macworld.com:80/1999/02/games/games.html |title=Name Your Game; From Goofy to Gory, ''Macworld'' Reviews 48 Ways to Play |author=Gowan, Michael |work=[[Macworld]] |date=February 1999 |archive-date=August 10, 2001 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

''[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]'' gave five stars out of five for the PC version of the game, and called it the best action game for the platform.<ref name="NG">{{cite magazine |title=Finals |magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]] |issue=44 |publisher=[[Future US|Imagine Media]] |date=August 1998 |pages=84–85}}</ref> In 2018 ''[[CNET]]'' praised the game at its 20th anniversary.<ref>{{cite web |title=Free frags: Grab Unreal Gold for free today to celebrate the game's 20th anniversary |website=[[CNET]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230531174518/https://www.cnet.com/tech/gaming/free-frags-grab-unreal-gold-for-free-today-to-celebrate-the-games-20th-anniversary/ |archive-date=2023-05-31 |url-status=live |url=https://www.cnet.com/tech/gaming/free-frags-grab-unreal-gold-for-free-today-to-celebrate-the-games-20th-anniversary/}}</ref>

===Accolades===
In 1998, ''[[PC Gamer|PC Gamer US]]'' declared ''Unreal'' the 13th-best computer game ever released.<ref name=pcgtop50>{{cite journal | author=PC Gamer Staff | title=The 50 Best Games Ever | date=October 1998 | volume=5 | number=10 | journal=[[PC Gamer US]] | pages=86, 87, 89, 90, 92, 98, 101, 102, 109, 110, 113, 114, 117, 118, 125, 126, 129, 130}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" style="width:60%;"
|+ List of awards and nominations
|-
! Year !! Publication !! Category !! Result !! class="unsortable" | Ref.
|-
| rowspan="2" align="center" | 1998
| rowspan="1" | [[Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences]]
| [[D.I.C.E. Award for Action Game of the Year|PC Action Game of the Year]]
| {{nom}}
| style="text-align:center;"| <ref name=aias1998>{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19991104003923/http://www.interactive.org/iaa/finalists_pc.html |url=http://www.interactive.org:80/iaa/finalists_pc.html |title=Second Interactive Achievement Awards; Personal Computer |publisher=[[Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences]] |archive-date=November 4, 1999 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
|-
| rowspan="1" | ''[[Computer Games Magazine|Computer Games Strategy Plus]]''
| Action Game of the Year
| {{nom}}
| style="text-align:center;"| <ref name=cgmawards1998>{{cite web |author=Staff |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050203235412/http://cdmag.com/articles/017/163/best_of_year.html |url=http://cdmag.com:80/articles/017/163/best_of_year.html |title=The Best of 1998 |date=February 11, 1999 |work=[[Computer Games Magazine|Computer Games Strategy Plus]] |archive-date=February 3, 2005 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
|}

== Further reading ==
* {{Cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/98/06/circuits/game-theory/25game.html |title=Holding the Reins of Reality |last=Herz |first=J.C |date=June 25, 1998 |website=[[The New York Times]]}}
* {{Cite web |url=http://www.gamespot.com/features/makeunreal/ |title=Blinded By Reality: The True Story Behind the Creation of Unreal |last=Keighley |first=Geoffrey |website=[[GameSpot]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010519154729/http://www.gamespot.com/features/makeunreal/ |archive-date=May 19, 2001 |url-status=dead}}
* {{cite magazine|url=http://www.pcgamer.com/reinstall-unreal-we-go-native-in-epic-games-forgotten-masterpiece/|title=Reinstall: Unreal - we go native in Epic Games' forgotten masterpiece|magazine=[[PC Gamer]]|date=September 18, 2012|first=Marsh|last=Davies}}
* {{cite web|url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/07/16/antique_code_show_unreal/|title=Unreal: Epic's would-be Doom ... er ... Quake killer|website=[[The Register]]|date=July 13, 2013 |first=Tony |last=Smith}}
* {{cite web|url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-06-22-unreal-retrospective|title=Why Unreal deserves to be remembered alongside Half-Life|website=[[Eurogamer]]|date=June 22, 2014|first=Alan|last=Williamson}}
* {{cite news|url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/06/05/unreal-retrospective-from-the-people-who-made-it/|title=A retrospective of Unreal, from the people who made it|website=[[Rock, Paper, Shotgun]]|date=June 5, 2018|first=Brendan|last=Caldwell}}
* ''[[The Duelist (magazine)|The Duelist]]'' #32<ref>{{cite web | url=https://archive.org/details/the-duelist-32/page/n93/mode/2up | title=The Duelist # 32 | date=December 1998}}</ref>

== Notes ==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20010331080920/http://www.unreal.com/index2.html www.unreal.com] official webpage (archived by [[Archive.org]] on March 31, 2001)
* {{Mobygames|/unreal|name=''Unreal''}}
* {{PCGamingWiki|Unreal}}

{{Unreal series|state=expanded}}
{{Epic}}
{{Cliff Bleszinski}}
{{Digital Extremes}}
{{Legend Entertainment}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1998 video games]]
[[Category:Cancelled 64DD games]]
[[Category:Cancelled Dreamcast games]]
[[Category:Cooperative video games]]
[[Category:Epic Games games]]
[[Category:First-person shooters]]
[[Category:GT Interactive games]]
[[Category:Linux games]]
[[Category:Classic Mac OS games]]
[[Category:Multiplayer and single-player video games]]
[[Category:Science fiction video games]]
[[Category:Unreal (video game series)]]
[[Category:Video games about extraterrestrial life]]
[[Category:Video games developed in Canada]]
[[Category:Video games developed in the United States]]
[[Category:Video games with gender-selectable protagonists]]
[[Category:Video games scored by Andrew Sega]]
[[Category:Video games scored by Dan Gardopée]]
[[Category:Video games scored by Michiel van den Bos]]
[[Category:Video games set in castles]]
[[Category:Video games set on fictional planets]]
[[Category:Video games with user-generated gameplay content]]
[[Category:Unreal Engine 1 games]]
[[Category:Windows games]]
[[Category:Westlake Interactive games]]
[[Category:Digital Extremes games]]