Unreal

Unreal began in 1998 as Epic Games' showcase, a single-player shooter whose alien world doubled as a demo reel for the Unreal Engine that would go on to power much of the industry. The original and its sequel, Unreal II: The Awakening, lean into atmosphere and isolation across hostile planets.

The franchise's real cultural footprint, though, is competitive. The Unreal Tournament line stripped away the story and built arena deathmatch around speed, movement and mod-friendly design, making it a defining LAN-era multiplayer shooter alongside its chief rival.

So this is really two series under one name: a moody sci-fi campaign and a lightning-fast arena shooter. Both exist partly to prove what Epic's technology could render, which is fitting for the brand that gave the engine its name.

The Unreal franchise spans 9 games in the CrossBinge catalog.