Quake 4 review

Over the past few years, id Software has given us fresh updates of some of its most popular franchises (Wolfenstein, Doom), so it was only a matter of time before the legendary Quake series received the same courtesy. However, this time around Raven has admirably handled development duties under the supervision of id Software.The previous instalment, Quake III Arena, was (and still remains to many) the ultimate test of first-person skill against other human opponents. Dreamcast users will recall the wonderful version that graced Sega's console and the great fun to be had online. Since then, the first-person shooter genre has expanded greatly, and mere online combat is frankly not enough. Thankfully, Quake 4 offers everything you could possibly expect from a modern day FPS, and represents the pinnacle of the series to date.Those who have experienced Quake will know of the continuing battle against the Strogg race, as first depicted in Quake II. This time Earth has put together a final assault on the Strogg homeworld, and you take the role of Matthew Kane, a member of the elite Rhino Squad. Q4 kick-starts from the moment you land and continues until the final dramatic outcome of battle. Raven has pieced together a rollicking ride - placing you in the hot seat of this science-fiction epic.The game ticks all the correct boxes by offering squad-based combat, a variety of vehicles and a decent storyline (complemented by some robust voice-acting). It effectively apes Halo, albeit four years too late - but is still fabulously entertaining and good value for money. Deviating for a moment: most Xbox 360 releases are expensive, but with Q4 you are not only receiving the game itself, but an additional bonus disc which features a full version of Quake II and various documentaries about the development of Q4. A downside is that, even with the addition of vehicles, sometimes there isn't enough variety in the gameplay on offer.Whilst the game is totally linear, the set-pieces and constant updates from colleagues camouflage this restriction. You really want your teammates to survive and, unlike Halo, their personalities shine through during the opening third of the game; some have special skills (such as medic or tech) and you can call upon these guys to repair any damage you've received to your health or armour. The game itself has been brought bang up to date, but many of the old Quake elements remain - such as scavenging for health and armour, and running around identikit corridors and chambers. The 'kill zone' remains suitably amped, on both sides, with bloodshed to spare.Unlike Perfect Dark Zero, Q4 features strong opponent AI regardless of what difficulty setting you select. The Strogg will seek cover and attack in a believable fashion, as opposed to Rare's turkey-shoot automatons. Despite its 18 rating, the game has difficulty options for every calibre of player, and the satisfaction of dispatching a boss remains extremely strong. Checkpoints are scattered about each level, but at times these are unfairly spaced; fortunately, Q4 does allow you to save anywhere - because gunning your way through the more heavily-armoured Strogg troops is tantamount to suicide.Online the game offers all the classic Quake modes, including deathmatch, capture the flag and tournament. Gamestyle's skills were extremely rusty after all these years, but the frenetic appeal of the online matches remained very strong. Gamestyle initially experienced some problems with online play - including the need to reboot and unavoidable bouts of lag during matches - however it's still sternly addictive and a true test of endurance. If the going does become too tough, you can always engage in Spectator Mode and watch the best do their thing (a minor downside is that online play is limited to eight players, and there is no provision for co-operative play).Quake 4 runs on a tweaked version of the Doom 3 engine, and while it looks great, you can't shake the feeling that this version isn't taking full advantage of the Xbox 360. After the astounding visuals of Perfect Dark Zero, Q4 looks a little rough around the edges, and its PC roots are all too visible. That's not to say Q4 isn't visually accomplished: there are some wonderful lighting effects, outstanding textures and design (that the series is renowned for) and some excellent character models - it's just that, as Xbox 360 owners, we've come to expect more (and the occasional slowdown is downright depressing).Quake 4 is a solid early release for the Xbox 360 and offers a story-driven package that is backed up by the usual online attractions. It may lack the epic scope of Halo but, in a similar vein to Pariah, is nonetheless entertaining and varied throughout. This is a measured step forward for the Quake series and - assuming the option of downloadable content is fully supported in future - one that Gamestyle will continue to retake.