Directional Pad

Reviews » Quake 4 [PC]

The original Quake was released in 1996, and in 1997 the sequel became one of the most popular and best-selling FPS games of all time. Quake and Quake 2 both featured solid single player campaigns backed up with some of the best multiplayer gaming of the era. Quake 3, however, marked a departure from the formula of the previous two games in that it mainly focused on multiplayer, with the single-player component being based around botmaches rather than an actual story-driven campaign.

Quake 4 is a return to the formula of Quake and Quake 2 - it has a full single-player campaign along with a multiplayer component. Multiplayer mode needs little explanation; Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, CTF and Tournament gametypes are all available and can be played on a variety of brand new maps and re-makes of classic maps.

There are about 17 single player levels (including a handful of vehicle-based missions) of varying lengths, set in environments ranging from rusty blood-encrusted factories to sleek data processing centres. Vehicle-based levels vary from manning gun emplacements in a rail-shooter style, to piloting hovertanks and a battlemech. The vehicle levels are pretty fun, but they're nothing special. If anything, they provide a change of pace from the normal run-and-gun gameplay and give you an outdoor look at the planet of Stroggos on which the game is set.

There's no shortage of weapons in Quake 4: The Blaster, Machine Gun, Shotgun, Hyperblaster, Grenade Launcher, Rail Gun, Nail Gun, Rocket Launcher, Lightning Gun and Dark Matter gun are all at your disposal. But rather than having the weapons spread out across the game for you to collect, instead you gain access to most of them relatively quickly, and as you progress through the game you will meet technicians who will give you weapon upgrades.

Each upgrade makes a weapon a little more useful. Upgrades include things such as a bigger clip for the shotgun, a homing modification for the Nail gun and an upgrade for the Lightning gun that enables it to hit multiple targets. This is a pretty cool way of doing things because I gained access to a wide array of weapons pretty early in the game. Ammo is plentiful, so you'll rarely run out no matter what weapon you choose to use.

Gameplay is not complex and revolves almost entirely around shooting things and blowing stuff up, as you would expect. Maps are very linear - you won't be getting lost on any of Quake 4's levels. There are no real puzzles to speak of, and the most complex thing you'll be asked to do is to find a button to open a door or something similar. There's a nice atmosphere to most of the levels, with good use of ambient sounds and lighting (or the lack of lighting, as the case may be). Levels are highly detailed and at almost every turn you'll be faced with the eerie and disturbing cybernetic technology of the Strogg.

Things stay lively thanks in part to the use of scripted events. Scripted events are used frequently to alter mission objectives, further the story, or just to add colour to the game world. Some events revolve around aiding or working with computer-controlled teammates - these include medics and technicians who can heal you and repair your armor respectively, along with regular soldiers. Teammates will lend a helping hand as you fight your way through a level, and they will occasionally point you in the direction of mission objectives or give you instructions. Unfortunately they're not very smart, and usually wind up getting themselves killed (Admittedly, often by me).

There is something to be said about the AI in Quake 4. Strogg soldiers occasionally take cover behind pillars, boxes, barrels or whatever else they can find – they will then peek around and take pot-shots at you. Unfortunately they seem to be the smartest of the bunch, since most other enemies will just stand in plain sight and let you shoot them in the face. Your AI teammates are guilty of much the same thing, except for during some scripted sequences in which they tend to act a little more intelligently. Convincing AI is a kind of holy grail in FPS games, and it can make a huge difference if implemented correctly. The world of Quake 4 is very detailed, but the computer-controlled characters that inhabit it do not behave very intelligently unless they're being manipulated as part of a scripted battle.

You'll find a decent selection of monsters to fight in Quake 4, ranging from Strogg soldiers to acid-vomiting zombies to huge epic bosses, with several being re-vamped versions of familiar Quake 2 monsters. Battles are action-packed, despite the AI problems, and you will rarely find yourself lacking something to kill. I felt a little let down by the boss fights, however. The bosses in Quake 4 are impressive but I felt as though they were far too easy to beat. Almost all of them died after a handful of shots from the Dark Matter gun and it just seemed like a shame to be faced with an epic monster, only to have it die almost as quickly as any other monster in the game. I just didn't find the boss fights very satisfying, especially considering how some of them are hyped up for several levels beforehand.

In the end, Quake 4 is not a revolutionary, ground-breaking game. There's not a lot here that you won't have seen before and you won't find any radical departures from the standard FPS formula. The single player campaign is good but very short – about 10 hours worth of gameplay - and the multiplayer options are generic to say the least. With that said, Quake 4 remains an action-packed, enjoyable FPS. The engine is incredible, and I hold out hope that a modding community will eventually grow up around the game and produce some cool new stuff to play with.

Quake 4 - PC

Presentation

Quake 4 looks amazing – graphically it's impeccable and the special effects are great. The game makes good use of ambient sound, and it has a nice orchestral soundtrack that plays at dramatic points. Horrible voice acting, though.

Gameplay

There are virtually no puzzles any more complex than “find the button” but that's not so bad as it means nothing slows down the near non-stop carnage that Quake 4 provides. Shooting things and blowing stuff up, that about covers it.

Replayability

The single player campaign is about 10 hours worth of gameplay and there are four difficulty levels to choose from if you would like a bigger challenge. There is a multiplayer component, but it's not exactly fresh and exciting.

Value

You probably don't want to buy Quake 4 new unless you're physically itching to get your hands on it as soon as possible. It's a fun game, but I don't think 10 hours of gameplay and 1996's multiplayer is really worth full retail price, let alone the higher-than-retail price for the DVD edition.

Overall

It's good for what it is. Quake 4 is by no means a bad game, and I enjoyed playing it, but I feel as though it could have been much better. The single player was enjoyable while it lasted, but I don't see a lot of lasting appeal with (as of yet) no mod community. I don't know whether or not ANY game can live up to the expectations that are set for it by having “Quake” in the title. Quake 4 aims to give it a good shot though.