I find the engine astonishing. Really beautiful what it can produce.
I have one point of concern though, which steers me toward another game concept to really enjoy the engine.
I have played Unreal from the very start in 1996/1997. All UT releases, except UT 2004.
The thing with death match and related game modes is, that you simply cannot fully enjoy all the pretty things the engine is capable of,
because you are too busy running around, reacting, shooting, and completing your objectives.
I.m.o. is the reason early arcade games were so successful - just basic graphics and flashy colours were enough for a good game.
Of course advanced graphics make the game even better, but only up to a point.
After that it becomes like killing a fly with a shotgun so to speak; too much fine detail that is not even perceived during all the action.
All those beautiful the engine is able to produce can only be fully appreciated when you have the time to watch it.
The game concept which comes to my mind is what we have seen in “The Nomad Soul”: A big story line with fighting arenas only as part of the game.
And you could choose to stay in the arena and try to win the international competition like in the movie “Salute of the jugger”. Only with UT rules of course.
I would vote for an adventure/mystery game, in which you can choose your own path of play.
Whether you go for detective worker, adventurer, or the life of a hardcore gladiator in death matches.
way you can fully enjoy the capacities the engine can offer, and in the way you like it.
Hope my comment makes sense.