DOOM III may have just become a movie on the big screen, but the actual game is still making waves in the market -- this time by virtue of providing the engine for other games with the same stunning visuals. Quake 4 is one of those recipient and highly anticipated games for 2005. After spending a few days in F.E.A.R., it was time for me to join the war against the Strogg.
[This review was previously posted on 10/24/2005, but inaccessible from both epinions.com and shopping.com and I decided to move it after requesting Epinions to do so did not result into action.]
You start out as a Marine which tends to get separated from it's group just to rejoin frequently and perform scouting tasks to achieve certain objectives (i.e. escort technician to disable a door lock). In the end, however, you're simply overwhelmed by the powerful Strogg. Only by becoming one of them you gain the power required to defeat them. This is about as deep as the story goes and most of the time you spend immersed in intense fire fights on foot and by vehicles. Oddly, the transformation to a Strogg doesn't impact you abilities much other than your looks, a slight health and armor boost and the ability to use Strogg terminals to replenish health.
QUAKE 4 in DETAIL
Installation: [OKAY] The four discs translate into 2.8 GByte of hard drive space that's required. Installation is standard procedure and once complete, disk 1 is needed as a hardware dongle to play the game.
Rating: ****-
Manual: [GOOD] The included manual covers mostly multiplayer aspects and basic controls of the game. Graphics and layout are good. However, it feels a little strange to have almost half of the 30 pages occupied by credits etc..
Rating: ****-
Graphics: [AMAZING] Since Quake 4 is using the DOOM III engine, overall effects and hardware requirements are very similar. In fact, so similar that Quake 4 feels like you're still in DOOM 3 but the reinforcement finally arrived and you get to go outside more. Of course you now also get to ride vehicles and engage in some squad action (without leading it). Textures feel a little low-res but that may be due to my "limited" graphics memory of just 256 MByte.
Rating: *****
Story Line: [GOOD] There isn't much of a story to be told, and you don't need to know much about it either to play the game. It's all about the action and you may choose to listen to the clues given via cut scenes and radio chatter or simply go for it. The support story is good enough to make you feel good about the game, though there isn't much else to speak of. (Just think of DOOM III to get an idea.) There is a lot of radio chatter going on that seems to provide clues and vital information at first, but eventually you will realize that you get just as far by not paying attention.
Rating: ***--
Violence: [GOOD] Quake 4 toned down the blood fest from DOOM III and killing aliens doesn't result in a remodeling job with excessive red "paint" anymore. In fact, the corpses disappear with a cool beaming effect and don't feel as gruesome. Whether that's good or bad is up to you, since you're still on a killing spree. However, it should be noted that the reduced gore may not be a bad thing -- at least for the first half. That changes as you turn into a Strogg (in a lengthy cinematic scene with horrendeous scenes of your own mutilation). From that point on blood seem more free to splish and splash. Sensitive gamers be aware that gore cannot be disabled.
Rating: ***--
Controls: [EXCELLENT] Following the WASD scheme most controls follow natural assignments. If you played a shooter with standard PC controls scheme before, Quake 4 won't take more than 5 minutes to get used to. Aiming on RMB is rather useful. Vehicle controls (i.e. tank) are reduced in complexity and work very well, since they still allow you to focus on your task and that's to eliminate enemies. You drive where you look (mouse), but you also can slide over by using "A" and "D", while "W" and "S" control your speed. The user interface is basic but well designed. It may not give much information, but it's all the essential stuff (health, shield, ammunition, etc.) and doesn't overload with too much extra info either.
Rating: *****
Physics: [OKAY] Unlike DOOM III, there is more objects to push around, but overall no significant use of physical properties like weight, gravity and buoyancy to overcome obstacles as seen in Half-Life 2, or even to take out enemies as shown in Pariah. There is also little impact feedback on where and how severely an enemy has been hit -- well make that none. I guess Quake 4 didn't pay much attention in physics class, but to call it a "dumb shooter" would be somewhat unfair.
Rating: **---
Interaction: [OKAY] Quake 4 is a straight laced shooter and not much into solving physics puzzles or finding hidden option (by destroying wall etc.). While there are two vehicles, they cannot be freely chosen and are thightly woven into the game flow (story). Within the scope of Quake 4 that works well, but should you demand more it may not satisfy your cravings. The squad portion of the game, however, bumps interaction up a little by providing medics and mechanics which both are vital to your survival. Make sure to provide the proper support to keep them "alive" or it becomes increasingly harder to survive waves of attacking Strogg until you reach that next check point.
Rating: ****-
Sound: [EXCELLENT] Gun sounds are potent and overall mood is well supported by the FX. Radio chatter and score are absolutely top notch and drive your game very well. In fact, I have a hard time to remember a recent game that had such a perfect timing of action and sound. Quake 4 truly impresses in this category and makes other games almost appear "lame". However, the score sounds a lot like a version of the theme music for Far Cry and reacts in a similar way to the action. Nevertheless, there is nothing wrong with the sound in Quake 4 and it simply fits perfectly with the situation.
Rating: *****
Animation: [VERY GOOD] Characters are well animated. Motion of both your team mates and enemies is real enough to emerge into the game and eventually forget they're computerized. (This thought is supported by the excellent graphics and sound.) The main reason Quake 4 doesn't break any new ground here, is the fact that it's as good as Doom III and that was already setting standards some time ago.
Rating: ****-
Weapons: [GOOD] In good "old" DOOM III manner, one can carry as many weapons as you can find, no matter how big they actually are. Accuracy and reload time are excellent and the 3D model looks very nice too. Unrealistic it may be, but plowing your way through hordes of enemies is a lot of fun with the right equipment. The vehicles are basically huge weapons you drive instead of carry. As both armor and shields renew themselves and ammunition is unlimited, these turn out to be some of the easier sections with only a few really tough nuts to crack (i.e. the spider bot).
Rating: ****-
AI: [OKAY] Similar to DOOM III, enemies are often single minded and don't waste much time in tactics or a self-preservative retreat and hide. While no match for Far Cry or F.E.A.R., it's a lot of fun in a Painkiller kind of way. Just remember to take one at the time and that retreat is always an option -- even for heros like yourself. With that you will often get the opportunity to take them out one by one as they either wait on spot or follow you as they get impatient. Listen carefully and most enemies pretty much announce themselves with distinct sounds.
Rating: ***--
Difficulty: Even in the 3rd out of 4 difficulty levels, long sections appear a little bit too easy as enemies simply run into your gun fire and all you have to do is keep a cool head and don't try to be a "hero" (all the time). In contrast to that, some "Bosses" are extremely (!!!) tough which makes the game feel slightly unbalanced. Difficulty cannot be changed once you started your campaign and should it turn out to be too tough or way too easy, you have no other chance than to start over. (Of course you could argue that this change keeps it interesting.)
Rating: ***--
Progress: [EXCELLENT] Similar to DOOM III, Quake 4 provides all save options that are expected from a top PC game. It eve lists consecutive "Quick Saves" to make it possible to jump back to any point in time you hit [F5]. If you pray to the console god, simply let the game save the provided checkpoints and forget that [F5] and [F9] exist.
Rating: *****
Multiplayer: [???] I have to admit, I am not a big fan of many of the multiplayer games, and Quake 4 is no different. With that in mind, I ventured a few times to find a server worth playing. My biggest surprise was that I immediately felt like I was ported into an UT2004 arena with slightly spiffed up graphics. Layout, and overall gameplay is very similar -- an arena with powerups scattered all over and the mere goal to kill more often than the others. Upon death you spawn right back into the game. Generally I can hold my own in Single Player, but the 2 servers I tried had "punk" written all over. I mean enemies moving faster than me and single shots kill me despite full armor -- while I have not figured out how to do the same by unloading a whole clip. Frustating? You bet it is! Possible cheating aside, I have a hard time to recommend it, unless you have a group of friends you can meet in your own arena. However, if you already own UT2004, you may not need Quake 4.
Rating: n/a
HARDWARE OBSERVATIONS
I recently upgraded my system so DOOM III would not strike any fear on my computer anymore. Since Quake 4 relies on the DOOM III engine, it's no surprise that it performs similar and even faster than F.E.A.R.. I am using 256MByte of graphics memory and maximum detail is not available unless you have 512MByte available. (Keep that in mind in case you need arguments for upgrading.) Reviewing the CPU usage chart revealed hints of multithreading in Quake 4 which just means that it apparently can to some degree take advantage multicore processors like AMD's Athlon64 X2 4200+.
The configuration above runs Quake 4 very smoothly with only large rooms to slow it down enough to be noticeable when lots of enemies are trying to wreak havok on you. (It's mostly the associated effects that slow you down.) Outdoor scenes "cheat" by projecting a picture onto the perimeter to "fake" rendering depth. But it's not a disadvantage, as it still looks good and performance is relatively high.
SUMMARY
Quake 4 is a worthy recipient of the DOOM III engine and makes the best out of if. Similar quality graphics with extended game play (squad action, vehicles, etc.) make for a great game that may claim some of the "Game of the Year" awards in the FPS category. Depending on your preferences ,and if you think DOOM is the greatest ever, you might actually agree and spend the $50.
Overall game play brings a lot of "de ja vu" moments, and I am not only referring to the obvious DOOM III (graphics, level design, weapons, linear plot), but also a score sounding a lot like Far Cry, and enemy AI similar to Painkiller (brutal and mindless). Last but not least, multiplayer feels like a (very) close cousin to UT2004 or naturally Quake III. However, in this combination, Quake 4 is its own game and sure worth the money. It's action packed fun, and very engaging, though it may not last too long since it feels a little bit too "easy" and linear.
Quake 4 isn't as scary on your hardware as F.E.A.R., but you might consider upgrading to a new Athlon64 X2 and SLI (or CrossFire) computer system in order to be able to experience this game in all its glory. If DOOM III is running fine on your system, then Quake 4 will most likely do the same. (No surprise here since it's the same underlying engine.)
If all this sounded a lot like DOOM this and DOOM that, then it's also a reflection that there are striking similarities in the looks and feel of this game. However, be aware that Quake 4 offers significantly extended gameplay over and above its heritage. Extended regarding variety that is, while the overall length of the SP missions is relatively short and I finished it in about 18 hours of total play. To put this in perspective, it took me about twice as long to finish DOOM III. While I am a slow player, it also shows how short Quake 4 for more "vicious" players might be. Make sure you try the highest level of difficulty first to prolong your fun. (But you might need the god cheat to succeed against the tough ones.)
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