There are very few interests in my life that I feel so compelled to actually write about them. I have just discovered one. It is known to the world as Quake 4.
I have upgraded my machine SPECIFICALLY for this game. I upgrade my hardware to roughly FOUR TIMES the power of the minimum required system specifications, and the game still runs like a sped-up slideshow.
But enough griping.
This...is...a...MAGNIFICENT...game.
The darkness is really dark, things come at you from above and below, there are in-game "cut scenes," and the overall simulated "human interaction" with the rest of the NPCs in the game is truely remarkable. Here's how Quake 4 rates with me.
1) PLOT: This is my main thing for all games. I have been spoiled by the phenomenal plot of Marathon. The plot in Q4 is mediocre, and definitely helped by the in-game "cut scenes" and the "human interaction." ID Software does not waffle on some of the scenes at all. Like the part where you become a Strogg. Ooooooohhhhhh. Overall, I'd rate the plot - 1 to 10 - a 6. Definitely an improvement over Q2 and Q3, but still a very straightforward plot. The only twist being you becoming a Strogg, and that's mentioned on the cover of the game.
2) GRAPHICS: This is quite possibly the least important factor of my rating, but I rate it anyway. The graphics are top-notch. Any better and we'll be in Virtual Reality. So many things are taken into account that it makes my head spin. It also makes my computer work excessively hard to make the game a reality. I'd rate the graphics - 1 to 10 - a 10. Very well done, but graphics alone does not make the game!
3) ACTION: The types of action that one can perform in a game is quite important, because you simply don't want to be doing the same thing over and over again. Considering that one jump, crouch, shoot, and look around corners since Quake 2 (1997), one does not take these features into account (they've already been taken for granted.) However, being able to jump into a hovertank, or a "walker," or a massive gunnery position, that's a little better, and takes more advantage of the scenery, rather than just standing around and admiring it. I'd rate the action - 1 to 10 - a 9. I still feel that there's a few things missing, but I just can't put my finger on it right now.
4) MONSTERS: ID Software asked themselves, "What kind of weird machine -men can we throw at the end user?" Well, DAMN. There must a be a cluster of 3D artists clutching each other and shivering under a bed somewhere. The monsters are nightmares at worst and outright demonic at best. The monsters are versatile, varied, and oh-so-very quick. They are able to dodge, to strategize, roll on the ground, and scream in foreign languages. Wow. Good stuff. ID Software is actually making me work for the end story. I'd rate the monsters - 1 to 10 - a 9. Why not a perfect score? Because they are too quick to appreciate their design. You typically want them dead instantly. And ID has also incorporated a bodily-self-destruct mechanism in the enemy, so that their bodies don't take up precious video card memory. Nice idea, but I like to appreciate all the art of the game.
5) PHYSICS: This one is pretty straightforward. Does it feel real? You betcha. The thing I really enjoyed about this physics engine over other games' physics engines is that you get more opportunity to REALLY blow away monsters. Getting into the hovertank and firing the main cannon at any humanoid monster that gets in your way sends them flying like rag dolls across the screen. That is SO SATISFYING after you've just been handed a beating in the prior levels. I rate the physics engine - 1 to 10 - a 10. Love the blowing up of enemies with huge weapons.
OVERALL SCORE: I'd rate Quake 4 - 1 to 10 - as a 8.5. If they could pour a little more plot and mystery into the game, while allowing more time to explore the maps, I'd say that ID Software would be one of the new contenders along with Valve in terms of perfect overall games.
Also keep in mind that I've been playing this game for the past six hours. That definitely is a superior difference between Q4 and the dozens of games that come out a year.
Whew. Now back for more.
Soil & Eclipse - Purity - Carried Away
7
