We all love to play older games, and if you say you don’t then you’re lying. When it comes to these older games, they don’t get more iconic than the titles Epic Games was throwing our way. Unfortunately, Epic Games server closures mean curtains for some of those classic titles, including a series that just so happens to be in the top 100 highest-rated games ever made.
On January 24, 2023, Epic Games server closures will commence, and 17 games that fall under the umbrella of Epic Games will have their online services shut down. Some of the games being affected by this are the original Dance Central trilogy, the original Rock Band trilogy (what a series by the way), and all of the spin-offs, but the most shocking series facing the online chopping board is the Unreal franchise.
The Unreal series is one of the most well-known titles associated with Epic Games, and before the likes of Fortnite came crashing in and made a name for themselves, the Unreal games were the crème de la crème for the studio. These first-person shooters were one of the first games to use the studio’s Unreal Engine technology as well and look how that’s turned out.
What began as a single-player experience soon turned into a huge multiplayer attraction as the game’s churned out over the years, with the Unreal Tournament games showcasing this aspect the best. Four Unreal Tournament games have been released since 1999s Unreal Tournament, which was followed by Unreal Tournament 2003 and then Unreal Tournament 2004 before Unreal Tournament 3 wrapped things up in 2007. However, the series was set to welcome a new entry in 2014 called Unreal Tournament, but the game was never moved on from its alpha form because the studio chose to focus on the up-and-coming Fortnite instead.
The pinnacle of the series was Unreal Tournament 2004 though, which currently sits on the Metacritic charts with a hugely impressive score of 93, which easily puts it in the top 100 games of all time. This entry saw significant changes compared to the previous game, with the gameplay seeing a vast improvement, the visuals also becoming more epic, and the inclusion of vehicles and new game modes being a welcomed treat.
There will be a fair few people out there that are still playing Unreal Tournament 2004, so the news of server closures will be like a dagger to the heart for these gamers, and the end of an era too. You will still be able to play multiplayer through LAN, but who does that any more?
