Quake 3 Arena Review

Game:  Quake 3 Arena
Year (s):  1999 (original), 2000 (expansion)
Company:  dev.  id Software
            pub.  Activision
Engine:  id Tech 3
Type:  First-Person Shooter, multi-player emphasis

Price (as of April 13, 2012)

Regular price on Steam:  $19.99 (includes expansion)
Lowest Buy-It-Now on eBay (used, with shipping):  ~$20 for original + expansion


Obligatory Trailer:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmdNTj2rTOs


Plot... or not, that's ok too.

There is no plot, and the single-player campaign is purely a death-match tournament.  The only continuity to other games are Space Marine characters from Doom, Stogg from Quake 2, and some familiar weapons and scenery.   


Graphics

id Tech 3 looks a whole lot like id Tech 2 (the Quake and Quake 2 engine) that had been new only a couple years previous.  It's definitely dated, with hard edges and polygonal-based everything.  id released the source code for id Tech 3 in 2005. 


Combat/Gameplay

Every map is a death match, and the winner is the first to reach X frags.  Guns are standard out of the Doom/Quake universe; none with secondary fire modes.  Jumping around is a great way to dodge, but otherwise the game is reflex and aim.  Knowing the level is also paramount, as certain weapons, armor, and temporary power-ups (like quad damage, or speed, etc.) can give a player a huge edge. 


Team Arena

Team Arena added a few team-based game types, the most notable being Team Deathmatch and Capture the Flag.  New power-ups last until you die, and differentiate the team members.  Some of these are Scouts, who move faster, or Guardians, who have full health and armor.  Though the general interface is clumsy, Team Arena allows full bot support, letting a single-player like me kick ass alone.  Note: all bots are not created equal; some seem to be completely superior to others.


Other Neat Stuff

Sonic Mayhem did the music for Quake 3, and Front Line Assembly did the music for Team Arena. 

Quake 3 has been featured in professional gaming tournaments including QuakeCon, Cyberathlete Professional League, Electronic Sports World Cup, and others.

Fantasy author R.A. Salvatore wrote many of the bot chat lines, triggered usually by killing, or being killed by, a bot. 


Final Thoughts

This game was good when it came out, and the multiplayer emphasis was popular.  Everything since Doom has death match, so that component isn't a huge sell nowadays.  Unreal Tournament had more game types (without an expansion), balanced bots, and (via secondary-fire) more weapon diversity.  So, good game, but dated, and Unreal Tournament has more bang for the buck.  No need to rush to buy this one.