Quake 4

Quake 4 won't start a revolution in FPS conventions, but it's still a must-play for FPS dilettantes.

When a franchise garners enough popularity to have its own dedicated convention, hype rides along the launch of every new installment. And Quake number 4 carries fevered anticipation, being the first Doom 3-engine-based game featuring outdoor environments. Though it mostly delivers on the next-gen visual embellishments, the game nevertheless plays like a late-nineties shooter--albeit a well-polished one.

Find the Auxiliary Whatchamacallit
You touch down on the foreboding and sand-blasted Strogg planet, continuing where your predecessor in Quake II left off. Your purpose is as straight forward as the run-and-gun gameplay itself: assault the desolate rock. Fellow soldiers, armor-repairing techs, and medics deftly fight alongside your marine alter ego Matthew Kane; the game deliberately fades them in and out to give you a break from the simple squad-based combat. Plot twists are scarce in this conventional FPS. Aside from getting partially turning into a Strogg yourself--which only seems to grant health and armor bonuses--the biggest surprises thrown at you do little more than turn yourself into a high-tech Mr. Fix-it. The "twist" gets old after the tenth time you're told the primary switch for some mega-gizmo broke, and that you need to go to a dank sub-level to flip some auxiliary switch.

Following Tradition
Thankfully, Quake 4 shows restraint with the monster-hiding-in-dark-corridor mentality of Doom 3. The B-movie theatrics, however, still linger in this linear experience--bionic monstrosities burst through walls, and bald Borg-like bots rush out from windowless steel doors. It's intense, challenging and griping, no doubt, but at the core the FPS fundamentals haven't changed. The Strogg thugs could use better brains, too, as the supposedly smarter Tactical Transfers frequently take "cover" behind boxes with half of their body sticking out. Multiplayer, which shows equally high polish as the single-player, also remains mostly status quo. Levels are tight, balanced, and fun in a simplistic, almost carnal, way, and Quake veterans will feel a gush of nostalgia as they revisit space platforms and jumping pads.

The Great Indoors
Raven Software pushed the envelope with the amazing shadow effects in Doom 3, but unfortunately Quake 4 lacks that same degree of pixel-shader pizzazz outdoors. From the blocky sky box to the drab terrain and buildings, the exterior details pale in comparison to the atmospherically cramped interior spaces. Ultimately, Quake 4 is more a refinement than an overhaul of the franchise--but it's still worthy enough for more QuakeCons.

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