For some time IMG has known the truth behind the infamous "Unreal" project that appeared on the Westlake Interactive projects page, and our eyebrows shot up when we noticed that said project had vanished from said page early last week. Just when we were writing it up, Applelinks scooped us all by announcing that MacSoft will be publishing Unreal Tournament: Game of the Year for Mac OS. This title includes a full copy of the original Unreal Tournament plus "enhanced" versions of many popular online mods, from Rocket Arena and Chaos UT to the popular Innox and Epic bonus map packs. According to the Applelinks report, MacSoft has confirmed the title has reached Golden Master and it should ship on March 19th.

Why would you buy a game which includes extras which are downloadable off the Internet? Well, UT: GoTY isn't for UT fans, it is for first-time buyers of the title who just haven't discovered this amazing first-person deathmatch title yet. The 200 MB+ of extra gameplay included will save those users plenty of download time, and there is an enhanced interface for installing, choosing and running mods as well. If you have been curious about UT but held off purchasing until now, UT: GoTY will be an ideal way to experience the awesome power of Epic's instant classic. And it will be yours for just $19.99!

Here's the official press release from MacSoft:

One of the biggest Macintosh games ever introduced just got bigger as MacSoft, an Infogrames, Inc. (Nasdaq: IFGM) label, announced today that Unreal Tournament: Game Of The Year has gone gold and is shipping next month. Demonstrably expanded, the new edition features the original game, plus three map pack add-ons, giving UT players an additional 20 maps and three all new modes of play, also known as mods. Created to enhance the Unreal Tournament online experience, mods are episodic content that extend the game play experience of the original product.

"We are excited to bring such an acclaimed version of Unreal Tournament to the Macintosh platform," said Cindy Swanson, marketing manager for MacSoft. "By continuing to expand the property within the Macintosh community, we underscore Infogrames commitment in broadening awareness of the franchise into all areas of the mass-market."

"The Mac community has consistently embraced games in the Unreal series so were proud to offer them a version of Unreal Tournament: Game of the Year," said Mark Rein, vice president of Epic Games. "With this version, Mac gamers will be able to sample a great deal of new maps, mods, skins, and power-ups that continue the great Unreal Tournament game experience."

The three new mods in Unreal Tournament: Game Of The Year include:

--Rocket Arena allows for one-on-one combat in a small arena with no place to hide. Players descend into the arena with full armor, weapons and health. Spectators wait in line to challenge the winner of the match and can watch the one-on-one battles from a variety of views including through the opponents eyes or overhead. Rocket Arena is based on the famous game mods developed by David Wright.

--Chaos UT offers a new unique twist on UT deathmatch play. This mod is a free-for-all frag-fest with four new maps and plenty of unique weaponry such as crossbows or auto-turrets that hunt down enemy players.

The Game Of The Year edition also includes three new map packs: the Epic Bonus Pack, the Innox Map Pack and the Digital Extremes Map Pack, made by the London, Ontario-based co-developer of Unreal and Unreal Tournament. These new map pack additions offer players more than 20 new maps, as well as new character skins and power-ups.

Shipping this month, Unreal Tournament: Game Of The Year edition will be available at retail outlets nationwide for a suggested retail price of $19.99

MacSoft

Review: Unreal Tournament

MacSoft Article at Applelinks

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