Quake 4 Review

Game:  Quake 4
Year (s):  2005
Company:  dev.  Raven Software, under supervision of id Software
pub.  Activision
Engine:  id Tech 4
Type:  First-Person Shooter
Metacritic Score:  81
My Score:  Average, with a side of graphic violence.

Price (as of  June 28, 2012)

Regular price on Steam:  $19.99
Lowest Buy-It-Now on eBay (unopened, with shipping):  $29.99

Game Time:  the expected 10-14 hours

Obligatory Trailer:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXQFK35CAbU


Lineage

Quake 4 is a direct sequel to Quake II.  Some events of the previous protagonist are mentioned as your squad of space marines jets to the Strogg homeworld.  As before, humanity is in a desperate war to survive against the cybernetic Strogg forces.  Many weapons and enemies return from Quake II, as well as some of the look and sound.

Quake 4 is built using the id Tech 4 engine, and showcases some improvements over Doom 3.  There are outdoor areas, and the flashlight is attached to two of your weapons.  Vehicles have been added, and some degree of cinematic flair.  Stop motion technology was utilized.


Combat/Gameplay

Shoot stuff, don't get shot, and push a button occassionally.  At a few points combat is frustratingly hard, but the pace of the game hits pretty solid.  The only downer: no running.  The player is helped by other marines along the way; some expendable, some invincible.  Partway into the game, the player becomes partially Stroggified, increasing max health and armor by 25% and slightly increasing movement speed.

Quake 4 generally substitutes the jump scares and brooding darkness of Doom 3 for straight-up action.  There are still horror elements, and the engine showcases intense gore, violence, and a more realistic-looking (and therefore more disturbing) vision of the Strogg.

Multiplayer is arena style like Quake 3, but regresses by having no bots.


Expansions / DLC / Sequels

No news on further Quake to date, but id's convention is still titled QuakeCon.  I am going to blindly guess that after Doom 4 and Rage 2 are done, Quake may be revisited.

I have the Special DVD Edition, which includes promotional material, Quake II, and both Quake II expansions.


Final Thoughts

The Good:  Quake 4 gives a serious facelift to the franchise, while also addressing complaints about Doom 3.

The Bad:  Shorter than Doom 3, and didn't age as well.

The Verdict:  When it was released, Quake 4 was good but not stellar.  Nowadays, there isn't any reason to buy it unless you loved Quake II.