For my first review, i have chosen Quake 4. Yes, the not-so-new (considering ETQW)title in Id's cyborg-blasting adrenaline-filling FPS series Quake is by all means recommended by reviewers and gamers everywhere. Heres why.
As in Doom 3 (which engine is used to power Q4) you take control of yet another short-haired heavily armored mute marine, this time known as Matthew Kane on a mission to defeat the infamous Strogg Empire and save the Ninth Dime- i mean, Earth. After the events of Q2, where the heroic marine before you (identified in Q3 as "Bitterman") killed the Strogg leader and shut off their main defenses, opening the door to a huge invasion by Human marines. Although its hardly feasible that one marine was able to defeat the entire Strogg defence force single handedly, it happened, and your on Stroggos, and your fighting a ton of crazy half-naked laser gun toting cyborgs who, given a fraction of a chance, will kick your military arse all the way from here to Neptune.
Is the story over with? Well then, lets talk gameplay. One thing i like about Q4 is its variety. Variety in guns, enemies and levels. One minute your up against a massive four legged behemoth in an alien construction yard while piloting a ripoff of the loader mech from Aliens, the next your wading through swarms of acid spitting zombies with a clip-fed shotgun. Theres also a degree of atmosphere which i really enjoy; altough it wasnt the "oh-shit-an-imp-just-came-out-of-the-pipes" atmosphere which Doom 3 so happily delivered, it was still enough to keep me entertained, and that was all i needed to complete the game (despite the occasional God mode cheat after i got my ass handed to me in the final bossfight.
Its also worth mentioning a few plot twists (spoilers ahead) - halfway through the game you get caught by The Makron (who apparently STILL wasnt dead) and turned into a Strogg. Luckily for you, just before your Neurocyte (mind control chip) gets activated, your faithful and frustratingly mission-critical squadmates bust you out. From there on in, you have an ounce more health and armor as well as the ability to use Strogg health stations and understand their language.
Now its time to talk shittyness. The aforementioned plot holes make the game more confusing- i.e where did this new Makron come from? Why does everyone refer to Kane as a myth? etc.This frustrates you as do other parts of the game. For example, your squadmates. While the medics and technicians can bring your health and armor back to 100% respectively, in combat they and all other marine types are just a bunch of annoying twats. Oh sure, in the first firefight or two they can take a load off, but if one dyes, just one, the whole mission ends in failiure. Since when did soldiers become this important? I dont recall. Another thing that frustrates me is the one-hit-kills. If a Bezerker knocks you off a cliff, a Gladiator gets a headshot on you with his railgun, or a Harvester gets one or two lucky shots on your tank, your pretty much fucked and that forces you to start all over again from one of the spaced-out checkpoints.
But still, why should you let that bother you? I mean this is Quake, right? THE genre-defining Quake, who took the first tentative 3D steps in a 2.5D world? Thats pretty much what its always been, from the explosive first edition to the fast-paced multiplayer action of the third, and the latest installment doesnt fail to impress. If you like FPSes with atmosphere with gritty enemies and environments, still hooked on Id's developing style and want a new challenge, or your just plain itching for a proper FPS single player experience, then I strongly recommend Quake 4.
- Commander Cool
As in Doom 3 (which engine is used to power Q4) you take control of yet another short-haired heavily armored mute marine, this time known as Matthew Kane on a mission to defeat the infamous Strogg Empire and save the Ninth Dime- i mean, Earth. After the events of Q2, where the heroic marine before you (identified in Q3 as "Bitterman") killed the Strogg leader and shut off their main defenses, opening the door to a huge invasion by Human marines. Although its hardly feasible that one marine was able to defeat the entire Strogg defence force single handedly, it happened, and your on Stroggos, and your fighting a ton of crazy half-naked laser gun toting cyborgs who, given a fraction of a chance, will kick your military arse all the way from here to Neptune.
Is the story over with? Well then, lets talk gameplay. One thing i like about Q4 is its variety. Variety in guns, enemies and levels. One minute your up against a massive four legged behemoth in an alien construction yard while piloting a ripoff of the loader mech from Aliens, the next your wading through swarms of acid spitting zombies with a clip-fed shotgun. Theres also a degree of atmosphere which i really enjoy; altough it wasnt the "oh-shit-an-imp-just-came-out-of-the-pipes" atmosphere which Doom 3 so happily delivered, it was still enough to keep me entertained, and that was all i needed to complete the game (despite the occasional God mode cheat after i got my ass handed to me in the final bossfight.
Its also worth mentioning a few plot twists (spoilers ahead) - halfway through the game you get caught by The Makron (who apparently STILL wasnt dead) and turned into a Strogg. Luckily for you, just before your Neurocyte (mind control chip) gets activated, your faithful and frustratingly mission-critical squadmates bust you out. From there on in, you have an ounce more health and armor as well as the ability to use Strogg health stations and understand their language.
Now its time to talk shittyness. The aforementioned plot holes make the game more confusing- i.e where did this new Makron come from? Why does everyone refer to Kane as a myth? etc.This frustrates you as do other parts of the game. For example, your squadmates. While the medics and technicians can bring your health and armor back to 100% respectively, in combat they and all other marine types are just a bunch of annoying twats. Oh sure, in the first firefight or two they can take a load off, but if one dyes, just one, the whole mission ends in failiure. Since when did soldiers become this important? I dont recall. Another thing that frustrates me is the one-hit-kills. If a Bezerker knocks you off a cliff, a Gladiator gets a headshot on you with his railgun, or a Harvester gets one or two lucky shots on your tank, your pretty much fucked and that forces you to start all over again from one of the spaced-out checkpoints.
But still, why should you let that bother you? I mean this is Quake, right? THE genre-defining Quake, who took the first tentative 3D steps in a 2.5D world? Thats pretty much what its always been, from the explosive first edition to the fast-paced multiplayer action of the third, and the latest installment doesnt fail to impress. If you like FPSes with atmosphere with gritty enemies and environments, still hooked on Id's developing style and want a new challenge, or your just plain itching for a proper FPS single player experience, then I strongly recommend Quake 4.
- Commander Cool
