Quake
PlayStation 4
Nostalgia Factor:
I have always been a big fan of the Nintendo 64 version of Quake. I've never been able to play Quake in its "true" form, however. The Nintendo 64 version was missing some stages and all of the expansion packs that have been added to the base game over the years.
When I saw that Quake was being remastered for the PS4, with ALL of the extra content included, I immediately knew I had to play it. I love the N64 version. I even gave it an A when I reviewed it. But Quake in its full glory? Yes please.
Story:
This game has a story? Honestly, you can skip through the slow moving walls of text that explain what is going on and still not miss a single beat of enjoyment this game has to offer. The story is filler that is completely irrelevant to the action taking place onscreen. Just worry about blasting enemies and finding keys and forget this game even takes a stab at giving you a storyline to follow. You aren't missing anything.
Gameplay:
This is all that matters. The gameplay.
This game is incredibly easy to pick up and play. The controls are so smooth. Walking, running, looking up and down, strafing, jumping over gaps: like butta. The combat is fast and furious. I already broke down how the game works in my review of the N64 version of the game, so I won't do it again here. But everything is just as fun as I remember.
What makes this version of Quake special is all the added content. There are four expansion packs included, and each one is a little different from the base game. I was appreciative of this, because the game would have gotten repetitive pretty quickly without those little changes. It did start to eventually get repetitive even with them, I hate to say.
Most of these changes mainly have to do with weapon variety, new enemies, and stage design. I also found that these expansions were much more challenging than the base game. They are still undeniably Quake, however. Having only played the N64 version before, it was a real treat getting to play all this new Quake content.
That said, I still feel as if the game overstayed its welcome a bit. Everything looks the same, it sounds the same, and it plays the same. By the time I was finished with the first or second expansion pack, I was done. And there were still several more to play through!
I'm not going to knock the game for offering too much content. I could have just stopped after the base game and still had a great time. But I didn't. I kept playing. I'm not going to fault the game for that.
Graphics:
Even though this is touted as an HD remaster, you can still see all the pixels and jagged edges that were likely present from the original game. I mean, I never actually played the original Quake on the PC, so I guess I can't say with certainty it looks like the original game. But I imagine it does.
And the game holds up! The fast paced action is very smooth. The levels are creepy in their design and impressive in their depth. This is one of those games you should play in the dark with headphones on. It is very immersive.
Sound:
I have nothing bad to say about this game's sound. Like the graphics, it is very atmospheric. Some stages are quiet and eerie, while other stages have rocking musical scores that really ramp up the intensity level.
I love the audio cues as well, and all the little sound effects that your enemies make as they spot you and come after you. You know just from the sound you hear what kind of enemy you're about to deal with, and I think that's pretty awesome. Shout out to that clanking sound of the grenades that those chainsaw-wielding enemies are constantly lobbing at you. After hours and hours of playing Quake, I'm going to hear that sound in my dreams.
Overall:
My only complaint about this game is that there are too many levels, and things start to get repetitive after a while. Is this a real complaint, though? I could have simply opted not to play all the expansion packs. But I did.
Quake in any way, shape, or form is an awesome game. Definitely one of my top favorite first person shooters of all time (I still think it takes second place to Half-Life). If you are looking for a fun, fast paced shooter that never takes its foot off the gas, this is the game for you. It's wonderful.
I can't recommend this enough. If you missed out on Quake during its 90s heyday, here is your perfect chance to play catch up.
THE GRADE:
A
If you liked this review, check out some of these other reviews of first person shooters:
