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Quake 4
By: Activision
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Quake 4
On: 2008-11-23With what im about to say keep in mind that im a hardcore gamer. i play games not for the graphics or story. but for entertainment, and personally i found Quake 4 to be extreamly fun. on the harder difficulties i found it to be quite challengeing i love the weapons and the weapon upgrades. which is what makes the game so fun to me. the baddies are pretty cool, and also upgrade as the game progresses. like others have said, its just mindless monster blasting action. and i still play it to this day. (dont mind the horrible spelling)
Pretty much DOOM 2.5
On: 2008-09-02Take this with a grain of salt because Im only a few hours into the game, and Im always tough on games.
I paid about $12 for this game used and I feel a bit taken. The graphics and mood are almost exactly like DOOM 3, but all of the fun has been bled from the game. The Strogg are not creepy, so the dark moodiness of the game becomes more annoying than anything. The story simply doesnt exist. The cut scenes are horrendous (think N64 style in-game graphic cut scenes). Everyone has the same face and Forrest Gump haircut. The weapons are so generic it hurts. The sound and music seem like an afterthought. Finally, the frame rate drops during almost every action scene.
All that said... wait, no. I have nothing positive.
Great game, especially for the price!
On: 2008-08-30Im just going to insert a few pros and cons to consider in your purchasing decision for QUAKE 4.
PROS-
+Awesome single player campaign
+Cheap, can find used for less than 15 dollars
+High Replay Value
+Good graphics for what you pay for
CONS-
-Multiplayer is lacking
-Achievements are very difficult
I would give this game a solid 8/10 just because of its single player campaign. Honestly, who doesnt love a quake game? Lots of blood, guts, and gore in general. The only downsides to the game are the XBOX LIVE multiplayer and the achievements. But I would highly recommend this game if you can pick it up for less than 15 bucks.
Quake 4 Review
On: 2008-06-15Quake 4 was the best shooting game that I have ever played, the campaign is the best storyline that I have ever seen. The main thing that I love about it is that your teammates are always by your side unless Halo 3 where when you need them the most they are never around.
The campaign best offer is that you can have a tech heal your body armor to its highest level, and you can also have a medic bring your health to its highest level. Usually in other games you would have to find the medic, not in this game the medic comes with you into battle, yes you heard me right he stays with you and will heal you on his own if you really need help, just make sure you protect him.
The game really reminds you of Doom, it has the same feel to it when you are playing it and that makes it very interesting, the online multiplayer mode is almost exactly like Doom. You run very fast, pick up health, armor, and weapons.
BEST 1st PERSON SHOOTER EVER MADE
On: 2008-05-11this is the best game i have ever played its not to short the story mode and the many weapons are very fun to play with
A bad frame rate ruins this game.
On: 2008-04-18Ive only played a few levels of this game, so Im not entirely qualified to write a review, but felt an obligation to warn away potential buyers who think they can get away with an inexpensive, old Xbox 360 shooter for an enjoyable experience. Maybe youll be able to look past its many problems. Hell, maybe someday Ill be able to. But for now the game is, for me, at best, slightly nauseating. Jeff Gerstmann said it best in his Gamespot review: "Theres a good game in Quake 4, but its buried under several layers of highly disappointing graphical performance issues."
You may have read other reviews of this game and found that a common criticism of the game is its poor frame rate. You may have heard, it gets bad about halfway through, or in some spots it gets a bit dodgy, seemingly for no apparent reason. These reviews dont do justice to how bad the frame rate is on the Xbox 360. For the most part, there is not a moment in the game when the frame rate is stable. Starting from the opening cut-scene (yes, the movie that opens the game is jacked, too) the frame rate chugs and almost never stops chugging. If you stare at a wall thats a few feet in front of you, the frame rate stabilizes, but the moment you turn around, even the indoor draw distances are too much for the game to handle smoothly. Its a real shame, because even though its an old fashioned and out-dated shooter, it does a number of things pretty well. It controls well, the weapons are, for the most part, satisfying, but you cant enjoy it. The frame rate is really that bad.
The game has a number of other faults that are hardly worth getting into. In some ways the graphics look great. Even today, Quake 4s computer screens, with their brightly colored interfaces, are impressive to behold. On the other hand the outdoor areas on the Xbox 360 are said to be even uglier than they were on the pc.
The bottom line is, if you have a tolerance for a poor frame rate and this game is very cheap, you may want to pick it up. However, If youre like me and feel that a stable frame rate is one of the most important aspects of a game, no price is low enough to justify buying this game. It was a shoddy port from pc to Xbox 360, and the people responsible for it should be embarrassed. Its a real shame that 360 owners cant experience the aspects of this game that are good, through the morass of technical performance issues that make it so bad.
Outstanding ...
On: 2008-03-01Ive played this game on a Mac and now the 360.
Both experiences are absolutely great. Even having played the game three of four times now ... each experience is just a good as the first. This experience is not to be missed
WC Hulse
Woulda been AWESOME on the ps1
On: 2008-01-16I rented this game because I am a fan of fast paced, hard hitting FPS games that are easy to control and require realistic cover tactics and some strategy. I also like artistic graphics, and a balanced online platform with a variety of creative environments.
Unfortunately, it fails on all of these counts. I will not waste any more words on this lame piece of trash as others have done it for me. Suffice it to say, I regret even renting this for a paltry four bucks. If you are thinking of picking it up in the used bin, I encourage you to Think Twice before wasting your money.
NOTHING NEW, YOU JUST SHOOT ALIENS 7 OUT OF 10
On: 2008-01-14Quake 4 is ultimately a very unspecial game when you look at by creativity in weapons and its storyline. All its about is aliens taking over the world and youre a soldier sent out to stop them... See? Not very creative. So, you basically shoot your way through the alien hell that you must stop. This game is gory, as any shooter is so not much is new there. You have the standard rifle and shotgun along with a small amount of grenades at your disposal. The graphics look okay for a 360 game, but are ultimately not very impressive, and look more like something I can already get from Doom 3 for my old Xbox. Overall, the game offers enough mindless stupid fun times to at least keep you going while you wait for the next big shooter, but youre much better off buying Bioshock, Call of Duty 4, or Halo 3 instead.
NOTHING NEW, YOU JUST SHOOT ALIENS 7 OUT OF 10
On: 2008-01-13Quake 4 is ultimately a very unspecial game when you look at by creativity in weapons and its storyline. All its about is aliens taking over the world and youre a soldier sent out to stop them... See? Not very creative. So, you basically shoot your way through the alien hell that you must stop. This game is gory, as any shooter is so not much is new there. You have the standard rifle and shotgun along with a small amount of grenades at your disposal. The graphics look okay for a 360 game, but are ultimately not very impressive, and look more like something I can already get from Doom 3 for my old Xbox. Overall, the game offers enough mindless stupid fun times to at least keep you going while you wait for the next big shooter, but youre much better off buying Bioshock, Call of Duty 4, or Halo 3 instead.
Another great fps from ID!
On: 2007-11-23This is another great fps from the masters of sci-fi and horror shooters, ID. It is based on the DOOM 3 engine, so the graphics are exellent.The only thing i find frustrating is your squad always sends you to do the work. You never get a break OR A HEALTH PACK. But still a great game. In the top 10 of the 360.
Great
On: 2007-07-03Great graphics, cutscenes, and single player campaign. Mulitplayer absolutly blows but single player is exceptional.
Very pleased
On: 2007-03-11I bought this game for my boyfriend. i was very pleased w/ the price and the time on shipping. he is very happy w/ the game.
Very pleased
On: 2007-03-10I bought this game for my boyfriend. i was very pleased w/ the price and the time on shipping. he is very happy w/ the game.
Unfairly maligned game
On: 2007-03-07Much maligned game. Unfairly. For those not in-the-know, the Quake franchise is basically what the ID guys did after they got bored with Doom. Quake4 is what they did after they got bored with Doom3. Doom 3 PC-to-xbox was well received, Quake4 wasnt well received in general, but the PC-to-360 translation seems to have gone fairly well though some complain of frame rate issues. They never bothered me. The other games you will have seen in the Doom3 engine / xbox universe would be Prey and the upcoming QuakeWars. Wolfenstein (very ugly looking port on the xbox) was Quake3 engine so not related.
CONS:
- early desert levels look uninspired, boring. If you left the game early, I can see why it got such bad press.
- goofy arcade shoot-`em-up game elements in which you shoot stuff and it flies up into the air. Reminds me of a boorish arcade game.
PROS:
- fantastic looking Doom3 engine.
- once you get beyond the external desert levels, much better maps and environments begin to kick in.
- variety of enemies with their own characteristics.
- slight twist on the health/armor pack. You also have techs that occasionally travel with you and can fix your health and armor. the also use the health station concept that Half-Life2 uses.
- good array of weapons. The weapons get upgrades which is nice. The lightning gun can hit multiple targets. I especially like the Dark Matter Gun which shoots a slow beautiful purplish-black inky deathlike projectile.
- no need to consult the internet due to glitches or non-intuitive gameplay.
Again, I dont know where to place the story. Its like criticizing a bad low-budget horror movie, its almost unfair. But anyway I do like the story-twist where they make you the enemy, giving you access to enemy health packs, enemy language, etc (Prey also works this way) although the process by which this happens is too reminiscent of a cut-scene toward the end of Half-Life2. Doom3 Resurrection of Evil also ripped-off the Half-Life Gravity Gun so apparently the ID guys like Half-Life a lot. Consider it an homage.
And why is this guy still only a corporal after saving the planet?
It isnt Halo, it isnt trying to be. Its trying to be a good Doom3 derivative and thats exactly what its good at.
solo play encouraged
On: 2007-01-18Quake 4 is of course an excellent engine and the port to 360 isnt a bad one.
However, if youre new to the world of X-Box 360, beware of some differences between X-Box 360 and PC. In the PC World, games like Quake achieve both a massive enduring audience and a sort of "classic" status that keeps online gamers coming for years. It doesnt take much effort to find even Quake 1 players on the internet when it comes to the PC version. However, depending on the time of day and day of the week, it can be hard to even find someone to play against on X-Box Live.
Console gamers, and X-Box 360 gamers in particular, do revisit classic games but a great number of console enthusiasts are more drawn to see whatever the latest hit game is. This may be due to the difference in the demographic or the way in which console games are marketed--namely, console games have huge marketing pushes near the release date of new titles. Sales for a given title may get a bump from time to time based on releases of expansion packs or price drops but the huge surge of interest is at the beginning. By contrast, PC games develop a reputation and word-of-mouth causes a groundswell of interest such that over time some PC games even achieve larger growth spurts than during the release/launch phase of a game. This trend with PC games seems particularly frequent with online games.
The point here is that if you want to play Quake 4 and have plenty of people to play with online, youre better off doing whatever you need to make your PC more comfortable for gaming. If you just want a good first person shooter to play online with other people over X-Box Live because you prefer gaming on the 360 platform, your time and money is better spent on newer and more popular releases. Prey and Gears of War had large audiences when they initially went on sale. Upcoming (as of Jan 2007) games like Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 (GRAW2), Bioshock, Army of Two and Halo are good bets too depending on how well they deliver on the online portions of their games.
Another major advantage the PC version of Quake 4 (and all id games) has is that there are lots of individuals who make character skins, maps and customizations. So far, this hasnt been happening on X-Box Live (though we can only hope the XNA dev kit could eventually provide something like that). As of the time of this writing, there isnt much to download for Quake 4 from X-Box live, commercial or fan created. Youre better off viewing the X-Box 360 version of Quake 4 as a "stand alone" non-expandable game.
Finally for those who just want to play Quake 4 single player on an HDTV in your living room without much hassle, the X-Box 360 version is just fine. Of course, most of the people I know would still rather play with a keyboard and a mouse at a desk and thats certainly less trouble to accomplish on a gaming PC and if you are the rare individual who prefers the controller, the wired X-Box 360 controller can actually be used on Windows XP by downloading a driver from Microsoft. This is all just a matter of preferences.
If youre not looking for Quake 4 particularly, Id take a look at some of the other first person shooters available. This system has such an abundance of quality games in that genre that Id suggest that even if youre only interested because of the budget pricing.
It's Quake!
On: 2007-01-02Hey, its Quake. Its a sci-fi war. This is the grandson of all first-person shooters (with father "Doom" and grandfather "Wolfenstein").
You wander winding corridors full of pipes, circuitry, and flickering lights, and you shoot anything that moves (except your own squad, of course). The X360 graphics are great, the sound works (although the guns sound a bit tinny at times), and the plot is pretty much irrelevant. Straightforward point-and-shoot fun. Sure, "Half Life 2" has a better plot and "F.E.A.R." has better AI, but for mindless shooting, this is the best way to go.
It's Quake!
On: 2007-01-01Hey, its Quake. Its a sci-fi war. This is the grandson of all first-person shooters (with father "Doom" and grandfather "Wolfenstein").
You wander winding corridors full of pipes, circuitry, and flickering lights, and you shoot anything that moves (except your own squad, of course). The X360 graphics are great, the sound works (although the guns sound a bit tinny at times), and the plot is pretty much irrelevant. Straightforward point-and-shoot fun. Sure, "Half Life 2" has a better plot and "F.E.A.R." has better AI, but for mindless shooting, this is the best way to go.
Great graphics, but the action is repetitive and predictable
On: 2006-11-17If youve got an HDTV and the right hookup, the graphics are incredible. With a 5.1 system that has a decent subwoofer, the sound effects are great too. Dialog is, as others have said, rather muffled at times.
The biggest problem I have with this game is that the designers seem to rely on many of the same cheap gameplay tricks that made Doom 3 such a letdown. Theres no strategy or stealth in this game - its just run and gun, and run some more. Two standard rules apply:
1. If you find a useful object or press a button, you will be attacked within seconds.
2. Every fifteen minutes you will be locked in a room, and multiple monsters will be thrown at you. The door will magically unlock when they are all defeated.
Repeat these gameplay devices endlessly, with only minor variations.
Unlike Halo you cant sneak up on anything, you cant find much cover, and theres never any need to conserve ammo because youve got a dozen guns and there are piles of fresh supplies everywhere. Just run in circles, blasting away.
I like FPS games, but this one (and others from this same company) are just too mindless. Its a play-once-and-forget-it game, which is a shame given the price and the impressive graphics.
No problems, solid fun.
On: 2006-10-18First, Ive read reviews on a number of prominent Internet game review sites complaining about how poorly Quake 4 was adapted to the 360 but its not true. The loading times are slightly longer than other games but there is no in-game action delay at all.
Second, this game is awesome. Its the best FPS Ive played on a console since Doom 3. The storyline picks up after Quake 2 and the action keeps going. This is a must for fans of the genre.
One caution, there is an extreme amount of gore in some parts so this is definately not for younger players.
No problems, solid fun.
On: 2006-10-17First, Ive read reviews on a number of prominent Internet game review sites complaining about how poorly Quake 4 was adapted to the 360 but its not true. The loading times are slightly longer than other games but there is no in-game action delay at all.
Second, this game is awesome. Its the best FPS Ive played on a console since Doom 3. The storyline picks up after Quake 2 and the action keeps going. This is a must for fans of the genre.
One caution, there is an extreme amount of gore in some parts so this is definately not for younger players.
Totally dissapointed
On: 2006-10-11I orded it and never worked. Thi is the second time i have problem with a product and so you dont sowit in the review.
Whwn i open it....................NEVER WORKED
Pretty long & tideous, but fun none the less
On: 2006-08-05In Quake 4, you control Mathew Kane - a Marine who is recruited to the feared "Rhino Squad". As Kane, you and your squad are tasked with taking down the central communications hub of the enemy known as the Stroggs. Sounds easy right? Think again. Eventually the Strogg get a hold of Kane and basically make him one of their own. But before they get to engage a neural link that will make Kane fully Strogg, the Rhino Squad saves him. Now half human-half Strogg, and filled with an unyeilding rage, Kane takes his mission personally.
This game doesnt really bring anything new to the FPS table, but it still retains the never ending fast paced & heavy action seen in the other Quake games. You see the world through Kanes eyes as he and his teammates engage in brutal and bloody firefights using a huge array of weapons which include, but are not limited to, an assault rifle, a shotgun, grenade launcher, a "lightning gun", and a rocket launcher, against thick hordes of enemy Strogg. The Strogg come in all shapes & sizes, some with sheilds, others in robotic walkers, some massivley huge & intimadating, others with just pulse rifles.. you get the idea. If you have a medic or a technician following you, they can heal your health or fix your armor which is pretty cool. Also, the technician every once in a while will upgrade some of your weapons.
On the bonus disc you can play Quake 2, which is a really good game though outdated. However, this review isnt for Quake 2, so Im not going to bother with that. Also, there is a multiplayer both off and online -- but I havent played either, so once again Im skipping this.
The graphics of this game are almost identical to Doom 3 for the X-Box, so if you played D3 you know how realistic it looks. Both the enviroments and character models (both Strogg and Humans) look extremley real and move with fluid motions, such as their mouths match what they are saying or their eyes follow you when they speak to you. The lighting was absolutley great, and unlike Doom 3, you can use a flashlight and a gun at the same time!!
There wasnt much music, but there sure was a lot of talking. The voice acting was alright, nothing too spectacular, and like Gamespot said - it sounded muffled & really low a lot of the time. A few of the guns sounded really weak which was a downer, but the explosions sounded great.
Quake 4 is a pretty long game, and after a while, feels a bit dragged on. It starts off with a bang, and its fun for a bit, but after awhile you may feel as though the game never ends. I believe the campaign was 10-15 hours long (faaaar to long for a FPS in my opinion), and ontop of that, the game wasnt really easy at all. A lot of the time you get so overwhelmed with Strogg that it appears impossible.... in otherwords, at some points it may feel like a chore (and very frustrating) to play Quake 4.
Additionally, the ending was miserable. Kane destroys the hub and goes to rejoice with the remaining members of Rhino Squad. Just as he lands and begins celebrating, he is given new orders..... then the credits roll and you never know what happens. After 15 hours, I expected to see a lot more..such as medics and doctors reversing the effects of the Stroggs experiments and making Kane a human again, but no you dont see that.
Shockingly the AI was really, really good and was (in my opinion) better than that of Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter. Your Marines actually shot and killed enemies a lot, and were actually fun to fight side by side with.
Also, like GSpot said, the game does slow down at some points. But it only happens when there are a lot of enemies coming towards you, youre firing wildly, and things are blowing up all at once. Sure it could be bad, but with all the action I guess you can look over it.
To end this review, even with its $35 price tag (thats pretty low for an X-Box 360 game), Quake 4 is only real good as a rental. Sure the action is thick, but there is only so much of shooting Strogg one person can take, and 15 hours of it is unbelievable. Not to mention the ending isnt really worth all the hassle. So like I said, if you own an X360 then rent this game.
Pretty long & tideous, but fun none the less
On: 2006-08-04In Quake 4, you control Mathew Kane - a Marine who is recruited to the feared "Rhino Squad". As Kane, you and your squad are tasked with taking down the central communications hub of the enemy known as the Stroggs. Sounds easy right? Think again. Eventually the Strogg get a hold of Kane and basically make him one of their own. But before they get to engage a neural link that will make Kane fully Strogg, the Rhino Squad saves him. Now half human-half Strogg, and filled with an unyeilding rage, Kane takes his mission personally.
This game doesnt really bring anything new to the FPS table, but it still retains the never ending fast paced & heavy action seen in the other Quake games. You see the world through Kanes eyes as he and his teammates engage in brutal and bloody firefights using a huge array of weapons which include, but are not limited to, an assault rifle, a shotgun, grenade launcher, a "lightning gun", and a rocket launcher, against thick hordes of enemy Strogg. The Strogg come in all shapes & sizes, some with sheilds, others in robotic walkers, some massivley huge & intimadating, others with just pulse rifles.. you get the idea. If you have a medic or a technician following you, they can heal your health or fix your armor which is pretty cool. Also, the technician every once in a while will upgrade some of your weapons.
On the bonus disc you can play Quake 2, which is a really good game though outdated. However, this review isnt for Quake 2, so Im not going to bother with that. Also, there is a multiplayer both off and online -- but I havent played either, so once again Im skipping this.
The graphics of this game are almost identical to Doom 3 for the X-Box, so if you played D3 you know how realistic it looks. Both the enviroments and character models (both Strogg and Humans) look extremley real and move with fluid motions, such as their mouths match what they are saying or their eyes follow you when they speak to you. The lighting was absolutley great, and unlike Doom 3, you can use a flashlight and a gun at the same time!!
There wasnt much music, but there sure was a lot of talking. The voice acting was alright, nothing too spectacular, and like Gamespot said - it sounded muffled & really low a lot of the time. A few of the guns sounded really weak which was a downer, but the explosions sounded great.
Quake 4 is a pretty long game, and after a while, feels a bit dragged on. It starts off with a bang, and its fun for a bit, but after awhile you may feel as though the game never ends. I believe the campaign was 10-15 hours long (faaaar to long for a FPS in my opinion), and ontop of that, the game wasnt really easy at all. A lot of the time you get so overwhelmed with Strogg that it appears impossible.... in otherwords, at some points it may feel like a chore (and very frustrating) to play Quake 4.
Additionally, the ending was miserable. Kane destroys the hub and goes to rejoice with the remaining members of Rhino Squad. Just as he lands and begins celebrating, he is given new orders..... then the credits roll and you never know what happens. After 15 hours, I expected to see a lot more..such as medics and doctors reversing the effects of the Stroggs experiments and making Kane a human again, but no you dont see that.
Shockingly the AI was really, really good and was (in my opinion) better than that of Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter. Your Marines actually shot and killed enemies a lot, and were actually fun to fight side by side with.
Also, like GSpot said, the game does slow down at some points. But it only happens when there are a lot of enemies coming towards you, youre firing wildly, and things are blowing up all at once. Sure it could be bad, but with all the action I guess you can look over it.
To end this review, even with its $35 price tag (thats pretty low for an X-Box 360 game), Quake 4 is only real good as a rental. Sure the action is thick, but there is only so much of shooting Strogg one person can take, and 15 hours of it is unbelievable. Not to mention the ending isnt really worth all the hassle. So like I said, if you own an X360 then rent this game.
amazing but...
On: 2006-08-01the graphics and game play are amazing, but i had one problem with it, when i wanted to play with my girlfriend it turns out i couldnt, only one player unless theirs a system link or Xbox live, but a great game for any die hard Quake fan, and plus you get Quake 2 which i thought was a great bonus, wish they could have done that with other games
Rushed.
On: 2006-07-14While the graphics are on par with Doom and the game play is entertaining, what could have been a solid FPS has been ruined by buggy code. The frame rates are a major problem in this game. When people compare it to a slideshow, it is not an over exaggeration as it does get that bad if you are near a couple of enemies. The game also suffers from freezing problems, mostly when loading a new map. This makes me feel like the game was rushed out the door without the needed time for testing and debugging. For $60, this is unacceptable. The bonus disc, which contains Quake II and features about the making of Quake IV, was a nice touch.
If you are not a Quake addict and in dire need of a solid FPS, I would recommend Prey. Its graphics are on par with Doom and Quake, there are no freezing problems, and it is evolving FPS game play.
Some fun, but no spark
On: 2006-07-13This is a straight shoot-em-up game, with some interesting graphics and other elements, but the excitement never reaches terribly high. The levels are pretty much repetitive and not too creative. Not much of a Halo-like game, but still enough trigger-finger action to keep you from being too bored on a rainy-day.
Graphically Surpasses The Console At The Launch
On: 2006-07-08I dont play first person shooters often. So when Im in the mood to play one Im not a hard person to please. Quake 4 is a typical Sci-Fi FPS in every sense, from the outlandish guns, ugly, hostile monsters, to the dark, eerie corridors and desert Mars like outside locations. It is this where Quake 4 reaches its limits very quickly.
The graphics are gorgeous. Excellent lighting effects, heavily inspired, no, copied from Doom 3 (which is not such a bad thing) and the computer AI marines you meet along the way prevent such a tedious, claustrophobic feel you may associate with other games of the genre.
There were a few problems I encountered. The first was its linearity. Often a Marine will tell you to go from point A, to pick up another Marine, then rendezvous in point B to then go to C and repeat the same actions. And despite some attempts to make things a little more varied with rail shooting moments (standing at the back of a moving truck and blasting with a heavy power gatling gun) as well as one level aboard the marine mother ship, which holds a rare RPG style exploration moment, that ends up being the most entertaining moment in the game, the game doesnt reach anything as far as a classic. But then, I dont think that was the intention.
However, the real problem that prevented this from being a game that pushes all the right buttons to make it an above average game is the ridiculous slowdown not sometimes, but often experienced throughout the game when it gets too frantic.
Sure, this game is incredibly detailed. But Id imagine the game wouldnt have been that less enjoyable if the pixel rating/ resolution was lowered a little to prevent this. And this is a launch title for the most powerful console on the market. Its not good tactics to release a launch thats too much for the hardware to handle.
That being said, if you dont play FPS games often, and you feel a sudden urge to do some massive destruction, and not expect the next revolution in the genre, this can be highly entertaining the majority of the way through.
Graphically Surpasses The Console At The Launch
On: 2006-07-07I dont play first person shooters often. So when Im in the mood to play one Im not a hard person to please. Quake 4 is a typical Sci-Fi FPS in every sense, from the outlandish guns, ugly, hostile monsters, to the dark, eerie corridors and desert Mars like outside locations. It is this where Quake 4 reaches its limits very quickly.
The graphics are gorgeous. Excellent lighting effects, heavily inspired, no, copied from Doom 3 (which is not such a bad thing) and the computer AI marines you meet along the way prevent such a tedious, claustrophobic feel you may associate with other games of the genre.
There were a few problems I encountered. The first was its linearity. Often a Marine will tell you to go from point A, to pick up another Marine, then rendezvous in point B to then go to C and repeat the same actions. And despite some attempts to make things a little more varied with rail shooting moments (standing at the back of a moving truck and blasting with a heavy power gatling gun) as well as one level aboard the marine mother ship, which holds a rare RPG style exploration moment, that ends up being the most entertaining moment in the game, the game doesnt reach anything as far as a classic. But then, I dont think that was the intention.
However, the real problem that prevented this from being a game that pushes all the right buttons to make it an above average game is the ridiculous slowdown not sometimes, but often experienced throughout the game when it gets too frantic.
Sure, this game is incredibly detailed. But Id imagine the game wouldnt have been that less enjoyable if the pixel rating/ resolution was lowered a little to prevent this. And this is a launch title for the most powerful console on the market. Its not good tactics to release a launch thats too much for the hardware to handle.
That being said, if you dont play FPS games often, and you feel a sudden urge to do some massive destruction, and not expect the next revolution in the genre, this can be highly entertaining the majority of the way through.
Alot better than Doom 3
On: 2006-07-03Powered by the DOOM III engine and developed by the Kings of the FPS - id Software, Ravens Quake 4 assails local retailers in time for the Xbox 360 launch. Boasting next-gen lighting effects, robust anti-aliasing, and Dolby Surround sound, Quake 4 provides the audio and visual power for Hi-Def run-and-gun gore galore.
Humanity is in peril as cyborg aliens (known as The Strogg) continue to clean sweep the universe in search of organic body parts to build more Strogg. Putting faith in the best defense is an aggressive offense, Earths military leaders mobilize an intergalactic assault on the Strogg home world to end their menace once and for all. As Matthew Kane, member of the elite Rhino Squad of Space Marines, your objective is to storm the Strogg fortifications, secure a landing site for a second wave, and annihilate the Makron (the Strogg leader). Following a decisive victory, the remaining Strogg captures Kane and begins their slice and splice Stroggification procedures. But before a mind control chip is embedded in Kanes cranium, Rhino Squad raids the facility and retrieves their mutilated comrade. Armed with the enemys weapons but retaining your human mind, you are Earths only hope for survival.
Though a verbatim port of the PC title (released earlier this year), Quake 4 adapts gracefully to its 360 iteration with fluid and intuitive controls. Aiming, reloading, switching weapons, and crouching for cover respond to the speed of your instinct. The enemy AI is by no means brilliant, nor do they possess any strategic thinking, but what they lack in brains they make up for with aggressive brawn and sneak attacks.
Taking the FPS away from horror, Quake 4 puts more emphasis on military style maneuvering. Kane is often flanked by fellow Marines who are autonomous in their actions (breaking the current trend of every game having some level of squad-based controls). Keeping your comrades alive prevents them from being used against you later in the game (every human that falls eventually becomes a Strogg). Life and armor are replenished by standing near your teammates and they will provide cover for you as you angle for a better shot.
The Strogg are hardcore, grotesque machinations of malice. They dont feel pain and will not go down easily. The game offers a versatile array of weapons that will be very familiar to anyone who played the preceding Quake games. Armed with a pistol, assault rifle, shotgun, grenade launcher, rail gun, nail gun, rocket launcher, hyperblaster, and a lightening gun, players can dispatch their foes with whatever firepower that suits their murderous sensibilities.
Lacking the major innovations expected from a next-generation title, Quake 4 is nonetheless a solid first-person shooter, brimming with blood, riddled with bullets, and heavy with atmosphere. Up to 8 players can frag and brag over the Internet, but there is no option for local co-operative or tete a tete play (unless somebody else ponies up for another console and you link systems via LAN).
Very Fun Gameplay & Control!
On: 2006-06-04This game is AWESOME, and a TON of fun! The ability to change the sensitivity on the view controls makes a huge difference to your gaming experience. With very intuitive controls, you will easily become immersed in the GAMEPLAY, rather than fumbling around with the controls as you would with PDZ or HALO 1/2! I havent had this much fun with a FPS since Unreal Tournament first came out for the PC!
Buy this game!!
Great Game
On: 2006-05-25Very fun game with great details and sound,etc. Lots of cool, big weapons that will just shread the(strogg)to pieces.Lots of details, and great lighting and textures.QUAKE 4 has a great storyline and tons of different and unique characters. It has really cool monsters and a great detailed atmosphere that will just draw you into the game. Youll be able to drive different vehicles like a hover tank and a walker.Overall QUAKE 4 is worth a buy for sure.
Great Game
On: 2006-05-24Very fun game with great details and sound,etc. Lots of cool, big weapons that will just shread the(strogg)to pieces.Lots of details, and great lighting and textures.QUAKE 4 has a great storyline and tons of different and unique characters. It has really cool monsters and a great detailed atmosphere that will just draw you into the game. Youll be able to drive different vehicles like a hover tank and a walker.Overall QUAKE 4 is worth a buy for sure.
super !!!!! excellent gameeeeeeeeeeeee !!!!!!!
On: 2006-05-17THIS IS A COMPLETE GAME,,,SOUND IS GOOD ,, THE STORY IS GOOD AND GRAPHICS ARE SIMPLY SUPERB.
I AM VERY PICKY WITH GAMES AND VERY DEMANDING,,BUT THIS GAME HAS EVERYTHING I LOOK FOR..THE MONSTERS,GUNS,ENVIROMENT ARE SO IMPRESSIVE DESIGNED.,, WITHOUTH NO DOUBT I GIVE THIS GAME 50 STARS..........
super !!!!! excellent gameeeeeeeeeeeee !!!!!!!
On: 2006-05-16THIS IS A COMPLETE GAME,,,SOUND IS GOOD ,, THE STORY IS GOOD AND GRAPHICS ARE SIMPLY SUPERB.
I AM VERY PICKY WITH GAMES AND VERY DEMANDING,,BUT THIS GAME HAS EVERYTHING I LOOK FOR..THE MONSTERS,GUNS,ENVIROMENT ARE SO IMPRESSIVE DESIGNED.,, WITHOUTH NO DOUBT I GIVE THIS GAME 50 STARS..........
Doom 3.5
by: Anonymous On: 2006-03-01
In a nutshell, picture a not-so-scary version Doom 3 with an incredibly awful framerate, cheesy story-line and graphics on par with Doom 3 for the XBox 1. After seeing Call Of Duty and even PDZ on the 360 I was incredibly disappointed with the graphics on this one. If there are more than 2 enemies on the screen, the framrate slows to an incredibly choppy rate. The sky looks like a low-res jpeg wallpaper image. Id expect this stuff on PS2 but not on a launch title for a triple-core processor system. It almost seems like this was developed for Xbox 1 and at the last minute shifted to the 360 to have another launch title. The AI is pretty dumb, theyll stand next to exploding barrels and do little to avoid your gunfire. Also, you cant melee attack or throw grenades. That is incredibly stupid. I like the Doom 3 engine so its not a total waste to me, but as a supposedly new Xbox 360 game this is a total waste of time.
AWESOME AND BETTER THAN PERFECT DARK ZERO
On: 2006-02-22I bought this game two days ago from circuitcity and when I put the disc in my 360 I was blown away. As I was playing the game Ive been comparing it to another game that I own when I bought xbox360 6days ago. It was perfect dark zero which I completed 3days ago. I found quake 4 faster, you can carry tons of weapons,the aiming is better,the vehicles are better,and the graphics were impressive. Today I finally finished the game and I gotta say that id and microsoft did an amazing job. Another thing that convinced my in buying this was that I found the game in the best sellers shelf. I even though I said that this game is better than perfect dark zero I still reccommand buying it.
Dont understand.
On: 2006-02-21I see that for some reason a lot of people are finding fault with this game. I dont understand what the problem is. The graphics are great the game play is pretty intense most of the time and all the weapons are here. The main complaint that i see is that it is a "mindless shooter". Well it is a first person shooter just as the others in the Quake series, the Doom series and the ever popular Halo is. I for one find this game better than Halo but then again i like Doom 3 better than Halo. So i would rate this game as i have a 5 out of 5. For those who do not enjoy the FPS games and want something different perhaps they should by something other than a First Person Shooter, after all the shooting is what we love about the Quake games.
AWESOME AND BETTER THAN PERFECT DARK ZERO
On: 2006-02-21I bought this game two days ago from circuitcity and when I put the disc in my 360 I was blown away. As I was playing the game Ive been comparing it to another game that I own when I bought xbox360 6days ago. It was perfect dark zero which I completed 3days ago. I found quake 4 faster, you can carry tons of weapons,the aiming is better,the vehicles are better,and the graphics were impressive. Today I finally finished the game and I gotta say that id and microsoft did an amazing job. Another thing that convinced my in buying this was that I found the game in the best sellers shelf. I even though I said that this game is better than perfect dark zero I still reccommand buying it.
IF DOOM 3 AND AREA 51 HAD A BABY THIS WOULD BE IT
by: Anonymous On: 2006-02-06
read the title overall its a very good game and its really fun to there are some framerate issues but other then that its verry good and i reccomend it a lot
IF DOOM 3 AND AREA 51 HAD A BABY THIS WOULD BE IT
On: 2006-02-05read the title overall its a very good game and its really fun to there are some framerate issues but other then that its verry good and i reccomend it a lot
Surprisingly Rewarding Single Player FPS!!!
On: 2006-01-27Im shocked, but Quake 4 offers a really nice, long story mode. The story is a mishmash of assorted sci-fi cliches, but does a wonderful job of immersing you in an oppressive environment. The graphics are (despite the haters true claims of some sporadic frame rate issues) beautiful, the weapon selection is fantastic, and the shocking twist half way through will leave your jaw agape. I rented it and am considering picking it up on the cheap. The online multiplayer is standard stuff, but it gets the job done. Really good game.
Surprisingly Rewarding Single Player FPS!!!
On: 2006-01-26Im shocked, but Quake 4 offers a really nice, long story mode. The story is a mishmash of assorted sci-fi cliches, but does a wonderful job of immersing you in an oppressive environment. The graphics are (despite the haters true claims of some sporadic frame rate issues) beautiful, the weapon selection is fantastic, and the shocking twist half way through will leave your jaw agape. I rented it and am considering picking it up on the cheap. The online multiplayer is standard stuff, but it gets the job done. Really good game.
Uninspired Gameplay topped off with a lame Storyline...
On: 2006-01-15Looking for the standard FPS repackaged and recycled to play on your $400 XBOX 360? Look no further than Quake 4. The repetative and boring gameplay is topped off by some truely ridiculous background graphics. If youve never played a FPS, are 12 years old, and are really into gore-for-gores sake then by all means buy Quake 4 immediately. If youre looking for something worthy of your XBOX 360, skip it.
Pros- The Contra Code throw-back was pretty clever. You dont get 30 lives, but you get all the uninspired guns the game has to offer.
Cons- Aside from the game itself... nice job selling out to Microsoft and making the multi-player only available via XBOX LIVE. Thats right, no option to play with your actual buddies on this hunk of crap. Only if youve given in to the evil that is online gaming can you face a human opponent.
For all the reviews that liked this game? Have your head examined.
Uninspired Gameplay topped off with a lame Storyline...
On: 2006-01-14Looking for the standard FPS repackaged and recycled to play on your $400 XBOX 360? Look no further than Quake 4. The repetative and boring gameplay is topped off by some truely ridiculous background graphics. If youve never played a FPS, are 12 years old, and are really into gore-for-gores sake then by all means buy Quake 4 immediately. If youre looking for something worthy of your XBOX 360, skip it.
Pros- The Contra Code throw-back was pretty clever. You dont get 30 lives, but you get all the uninspired guns the game has to offer.
Cons- Aside from the game itself... nice job selling out to Microsoft and making the multi-player only available via XBOX LIVE. Thats right, no option to play with your actual buddies on this hunk of crap. Only if youve given in to the evil that is online gaming can you face a human opponent.
For all the reviews that liked this game? Have your head examined.
One of the best Xbox 360 game so far
On: 2006-01-11This FPS is AWESOME!!!!!!!!! You play as Corporal Matthew Kane who is sent to fight the Strogg the evil alien race, after a while you get to become a half man and half strogg which is very cool. The Doom engine is insanely detailed which I have to give the team a thumbs up for this part because of how much work they litteraly put millions of polygons in the game. The enemy A.I. isnt awesome but it is still a challenge. The game is not short and its hours of fun. The weapons are some of the coolest weapons ever in a game. This game isnt horror based like Doom 3 but it still has some scary moments. This game is defintely worth buying.
Two Thumbs Down
On: 2006-01-05Like Halo 2?
Want to play a game like Halo 2 for the Xbox 360, but with a worse plot, worse gameplay, and worse live options?
Then Quake 4 is for you. There may be Quake fans, but Im sorry, this shooter is simply a regurgation with nothing new nor unique to offer. It is not worth paying for new, rent this game first.
I'm a gamer and I loves It.
On: 2006-01-03Quake 4 yes......it has been done before. Yes it is a first person shooter. Yes it looks great.Yes it plays great. Will you like it yes if you like ecery thing I metioned in the first 4 sentaces. The story mode or campaine is there just to give you a feel for the game, or some thing else to do when your not playing on xbox live. So if you dont like the story line do not play it if you want to just build up your achivements and gamer score play it. (I build up my gamer score to make people think I am just the greatest) So far I like te story mode its visualy pleasing and my wife likes to watch too. On line play is so smooth and fun any one would enjoy it. If you like 1st person shooters,gore,and action paked meihem pick it up great fun. When you read reviews about new games and they say a game is !!next gen!! or not !!next gen!! think about that statment and what it means. The next generation has not been completely explained yet What to look for? we dont even know yet. So I belive that the !!next gen!! revolution is just what it is better graphics and sound and deeper emersion into game play which the xbox 360 dose a great job of doing so check your expetations what do you want from gaming.Think about it.
Not that bad 4.5 stars
by: Anonymous On: 2006-01-02
I got this game for christmas and didnt really want to play it after the reveiws i got but i did anyway and it is pretty fun. Dont listen to Gregory T.schiller im sure he didnt evan play the game. The graphics arnt to bad the A.I. is good but they could of done better. Well i like the game the onlything i didnt like was that it wasnt to excitting. The levels looks the same in a way. I would buy this game though. Fun=4.0 Controls=5.0 Graphics=4.5
Oh yeah and i am not under 13 years of age i am just a lazy gamer that doesnt want to make an acount.
I'm a gamer and I loves It.
On: 2006-01-02Quake 4 yes......it has been done before. Yes it is a first person shooter. Yes it looks great.Yes it plays great. Will you like it yes if you like ecery thing I metioned in the first 4 sentaces. The story mode or campaine is there just to give you a feel for the game, or some thing else to do when your not playing on xbox live. So if you dont like the story line do not play it if you want to just build up your achivements and gamer score play it. (I build up my gamer score to make people think I am just the greatest) So far I like te story mode its visualy pleasing and my wife likes to watch too. On line play is so smooth and fun any one would enjoy it. If you like 1st person shooters,gore,and action paked meihem pick it up great fun. When you read reviews about new games and they say a game is !!next gen!! or not !!next gen!! think about that statment and what it means. The next generation has not been completely explained yet What to look for? we dont even know yet. So I belive that the !!next gen!! revolution is just what it is better graphics and sound and deeper emersion into game play which the xbox 360 dose a great job of doing so check your expetations what do you want from gaming.Think about it.
Quake 4
On: 2005-12-26This game is good. The other week I rented it, took me about 3 days to complete it since I was sick I didnt have much time to play it but I completed it. I think this game has really good graphics, a good storyline to it, and the gameplay is good! Good game engine it has here. The shooting is cool, cool guns and good action. I like going around with other marines shootin the aliens haha. The enemies look tight to, some look scary as F haha. This game is pretty fun. Worth the buy? Eh it could be, I think recommend that you rent it first to try it out. But its pretty much just your typical first person shooter.
Graphics - 5/5
Gameplay - 4.5/5
Longetivity - 3.5/5
Quake 4: Not even worth RENTING, much less buying: 0 Stars
On: 2005-12-24I rented Quake 4 the same day I launched my X-Box 360 (also bought Call of Duty 2 and Condemned: Criminal Origins); wanted to have variety for the holidays ...
Quake 4s graphic are horrendously amateurish. It looks like something for the Original PS (circa 1996). The gameplay is monotonous and boring; the enemeies seem to have ZERO AI, all of the rooms and corridors look the same from level to level.
Someone should be shot for selling this as an X-Box 360 title; it cheapens the 360s image.
It was an eye opener to me. Not all games for X-Box 360 DESERVE to be on 360.
DONT BUY THIS GAME: YOULL BE REALLY SORRY
P.S., after the shock of how bad Quake was, I played Call of Duty 2; now THAT deserves to be on the 360. Light Years better than Quake (IMO)
Quake 4: Not even worth RENTING, much less buying: 0 Stars
On: 2005-12-23I rented Quake 4 the same day I launched my X-Box 360 (also bought Call of Duty 2 and Condemned: Criminal Origins); wanted to have variety for the holidays ...
Quake 4s graphic are horrendously amateurish. It looks like something for the Original PS (circa 1996). The gameplay is monotonous and boring; the enemeies seem to have ZERO AI, all of the rooms and corridors look the same from level to level.
Someone should be shot for selling this as an X-Box 360 title; it cheapens the 360s image.
It was an eye opener to me. Not all games for X-Box 360 DESERVE to be on 360.
DONT BUY THIS GAME: YOULL BE REALLY SORRY
P.S., after the shock of how bad Quake was, I played Call of Duty 2; now THAT deserves to be on the 360. Light Years better than Quake (IMO)
A dud from id Software's grenade launcher
On: 2005-12-22There are good first-person shooters out there. Those shooters contain a story that captivates the player enough to blast through a dozen or so levels of shooting, dodging, and grenade-lobbing. Those levels generally have multiple objectives that are varied, from bombing a structure to rushing a certain location and killing everything from point A to point B while staying alive. Those shooters are generally accompanied with attractive graphics and pulse-pounding music. The Xbox 360 version of Quake 4 doesnt have many of those qualities. Its not a terrible game, but its one of the least impressive shooters Ive played this year.
In Quake 4s brainless campaign, youll strap on the armor of the space marine Matthew Kane, a member of the Rhino Squad that is attacking the evil Strogg on their home planet. The biomechanical beasts are foul, dirty, and ruthless--and a small twist near the middle of the game will show you and Corporal Kane just how dirty the Strogg can be. I thought that it was nice for Raven to throw in a truly unexpected story twist but I never really found the rest of the game to be very interesting. At least the second half of the campaign is fast, frantic, and intense. Its preferable to the first half. Overall the game is about 10-12 hours long, clocking in at or near the shooter average.
Its the gameplay that had me let down and shaking my head. Quake 4 plays like a good first person shooter...from 2001. The fragging is so ridiculously generic from the start of the game until the very end. Some will say its just Quakes traditional gameplay, I say its boring. Youll pick up progressively stronger and better guns but at the same time your enemies get a little faster, a little bigger, an a little more deadly. Theres a balance established between strong weapons and strong enemies. However, most of the action consists of running forward throughout similar rooms, finding the Strogg, and shooting them until they fall over and their corpses disappear. They dont move around much at all, they often dont even try to evade your fire, and they dont try to outsmart you in the slightest bit. Usually theyll stand in place, move towards you, and shoot you without taking much cover or attempting to get around you for an easier kill. A few of the enemies have different tactics but these tactics are usually just slight variations from the "stand-and-shoot" or "run-and-slash" strategy. Its disappointing when games like Call of Duty 2 have such impressive intelligence.
The guns you get can be pretty cool but I discovered that almost anything can be killed quickly and effortlessly with a few well-placed shotgun blasts or an entire clip of machine gun ammo, even near the end of the game. The enemies dont take much cover, which is an example set for the player--running around and mindlessly shooting doesnt have many repercussions, because it isnt necessary to hide very often. Because of this, even inexperienced gamers can plow through this games action. If you have to play through this game, play it on a hard difficulty setting unless you simply want to cruise right on through it. The only things that break up the action even the slightest bit are a few vehicular distractions, which are admittedly a lot of fun. One of them puts you on the back of an on-rails truck, shooting off the Strogg with your own weapons. The next throws you into the cockpit of a hovering tank, where you can quickly fire off missiles and pound the opposition with machine gun fire. The most exciting and last vehicle is the walker, which can use lock-on missiles and machine gun fire to rapidly take down enemies. These distractions are a lot of fun and its a shame that the rest of the game is so generic.
Multiplayer, on and offline, isnt any more interesting than the single-player. What should have been a robust, fast-paced, frantic set of games turns out to be pretty dull and generally unexciting. Eight people can join up in a single game and of course you can frag each other in deathmatches but there isnt anything here that impressed me in the slightest bit. All these years Ive heard about how much fun Quake can be in terms of multiplayer and Im let down by gameplay that simply isnt interesting. Not to mention, Xbox Live is very inconsistent and the already-low frame rate (which Ill mention momentarily) makes Quake 4 more frustrating to play than it ever should have been.
Visually, it is very difficult to classify Quake 4. There were certain parts during the game that I was admittedly impressed with Ravens choice for art and style. There is a lot of detail throughout the environments, from blood-splattered walls to gears and mechanisms scattered around the various rooms. Even the nicely-lit interior locations, which compose most of the game, are interesting. Corridor shooting isnt nearly as repetitive when the bulk of the graphical factor isnt stale and boring. On the other hand, player models are very generic and almost every marine looks like his partners. One marine might have different hair and another might have a different skin color. The models also look so jagged without a high-resolution screen that it appears they have spikes or fur. Quoting a friend, "Quake 4 has cactus graphics." The effects are extremely dull, whether its the Nintendo 64-calibur muzzle flash or the fire and smoke effects that would look at home in a generic Playstation 2 game. The music isnt very good, either. Where Perfect Dark Zero set a mood with its tunes, Quake 4 does nothing to pump the player up for any battle or confrontation. Its not epic, its not exciting, and it fails to impress me at all. The voice acting is alright, but the dialogue is so cliched and generic that it cancels out any sort of impressing aural quality.
Overall, Quake 4 is a big disappointment. What was supposed to be a visually stunning, fast-paced, pulse-pounding shooter ends up being one of the most dull launch titles on the Xbox 360. The story is interesting enough to pull you through 10 hours of generic and brainless action, and the vehicular distractions are a quick and effortless blast, but thats about the furthest Quake 4 goes. If youre a Quake fan, I wouldnt question you if you rented the game but Id have to frown down on anyone who decides to buy this game. There isnt enough here in terms of depth or new, modern shooter attractions. Pick up Perfect Dark Zero or Call of Duty 2 instead. Believe me, you wont regret it.
A dud from id Software's grenade launcher
On: 2005-12-21There are good first-person shooters out there. Those shooters contain a story that captivates the player enough to blast through a dozen or so levels of shooting, dodging, and grenade-lobbing. Those levels generally have multiple objectives that are varied, from bombing a structure to rushing a certain location and killing everything from point A to point B while staying alive. Those shooters are generally accompanied with attractive graphics and pulse-pounding music. The Xbox 360 version of Quake 4 doesnt have many of those qualities. Its not a terrible game, but its one of the least impressive shooters Ive played this year.
In Quake 4s brainless campaign, youll strap on the armor of the space marine Matthew Kane, a member of the Rhino Squad that is attacking the evil Strogg on their home planet. The biomechanical beasts are foul, dirty, and ruthless--and a small twist near the middle of the game will show you and Corporal Kane just how dirty the Strogg can be. I thought that it was nice for Raven to throw in a truly unexpected story twist but I never really found the rest of the game to be very interesting. At least the second half of the campaign is fast, frantic, and intense. Its preferable to the first half. Overall the game is about 10-12 hours long, clocking in at or near the shooter average.
Its the gameplay that had me let down and shaking my head. Quake 4 plays like a good first person shooter...from 2001. The fragging is so ridiculously generic from the start of the game until the very end. Some will say its just Quakes traditional gameplay, I say its boring. Youll pick up progressively stronger and better guns but at the same time your enemies get a little faster, a little bigger, an a little more deadly. Theres a balance established between strong weapons and strong enemies. However, most of the action consists of running forward throughout similar rooms, finding the Strogg, and shooting them until they fall over and their corpses disappear. They dont move around much at all, they often dont even try to evade your fire, and they dont try to outsmart you in the slightest bit. Usually theyll stand in place, move towards you, and shoot you without taking much cover or attempting to get around you for an easier kill. A few of the enemies have different tactics but these tactics are usually just slight variations from the "stand-and-shoot" or "run-and-slash" strategy. Its disappointing when games like Call of Duty 2 have such impressive intelligence.
The guns you get can be pretty cool but I discovered that almost anything can be killed quickly and effortlessly with a few well-placed shotgun blasts or an entire clip of machine gun ammo, even near the end of the game. The enemies dont take much cover, which is an example set for the player--running around and mindlessly shooting doesnt have many repercussions, because it isnt necessary to hide very often. Because of this, even inexperienced gamers can plow through this games action. If you have to play through this game, play it on a hard difficulty setting unless you simply want to cruise right on through it. The only things that break up the action even the slightest bit are a few vehicular distractions, which are admittedly a lot of fun. One of them puts you on the back of an on-rails truck, shooting off the Strogg with your own weapons. The next throws you into the cockpit of a hovering tank, where you can quickly fire off missiles and pound the opposition with machine gun fire. The most exciting and last vehicle is the walker, which can use lock-on missiles and machine gun fire to rapidly take down enemies. These distractions are a lot of fun and its a shame that the rest of the game is so generic.
Multiplayer, on and offline, isnt any more interesting than the single-player. What should have been a robust, fast-paced, frantic set of games turns out to be pretty dull and generally unexciting. Eight people can join up in a single game and of course you can frag each other in deathmatches but there isnt anything here that impressed me in the slightest bit. All these years Ive heard about how much fun Quake can be in terms of multiplayer and Im let down by gameplay that simply isnt interesting. Not to mention, Xbox Live is very inconsistent and the already-low frame rate (which Ill mention momentarily) makes Quake 4 more frustrating to play than it ever should have been.
Visually, it is very difficult to classify Quake 4. There were certain parts during the game that I was admittedly impressed with Ravens choice for art and style. There is a lot of detail throughout the environments, from blood-splattered walls to gears and mechanisms scattered around the various rooms. Even the nicely-lit interior locations, which compose most of the game, are interesting. Corridor shooting isnt nearly as repetitive when the bulk of the graphical factor isnt stale and boring. On the other hand, player models are very generic and almost every marine looks like his partners. One marine might have different hair and another might have a different skin color. The models also look so jagged without a high-resolution screen that it appears they have spikes or fur. Quoting a friend, "Quake 4 has cactus graphics." The effects are extremely dull, whether its the Nintendo 64-calibur muzzle flash or the fire and smoke effects that would look at home in a generic Playstation 2 game. The music isnt very good, either. Where Perfect Dark Zero set a mood with its tunes, Quake 4 does nothing to pump the player up for any battle or confrontation. Its not epic, its not exciting, and it fails to impress me at all. The voice acting is alright, but the dialogue is so cliched and generic that it cancels out any sort of impressing aural quality.
Overall, Quake 4 is a big disappointment. What was supposed to be a visually stunning, fast-paced, pulse-pounding shooter ends up being one of the most dull launch titles on the Xbox 360. The story is interesting enough to pull you through 10 hours of generic and brainless action, and the vehicular distractions are a quick and effortless blast, but thats about the furthest Quake 4 goes. If youre a Quake fan, I wouldnt question you if you rented the game but Id have to frown down on anyone who decides to buy this game. There isnt enough here in terms of depth or new, modern shooter attractions. Pick up Perfect Dark Zero or Call of Duty 2 instead. Believe me, you wont regret it.
Rezet's Xbox 360 Game Review: Quake 4
On: 2005-12-20Sometimes, very rarely a 3D shooter playes better on a console than it does on a PC. Well, its not one of those times. As a matter of fact for those who have played a PC version of Quake 4, playing it on Xbox 360 will be a huge step down. Surely the HDTV graphics are there and overall the game looks similar to the PC version, but controls are again the weakest link here.
Well, since the opening was about the "bad parts" of the game, lets go ahead and get though them before we get to the "good ones".
Having played Quake 4 on PC, and deciding to be a hot shot by start the Xbox 360s verion right away on the "corporal" difficulty, I quickly realized how bad of an idea that was. Aiming is certainly something that takes a good time to get used to with a controller. But even after about 5 hours I was still no where near good at locking into enemies and strafe dodging shots as I was on a PC after only 10 minutes of play.
Surely by switching to the "private" difficulty I was able to get though the game with a relative ease but the excitement wasnt there. All underminded by the fact that 3D shooters are meant to be played with a keyboard and a mouse.
The graphics in this game while not "Half-Life 2" realism like, are certainly pretty. And if you enjoy watching people get cut in half with saws, you will certainly appreciate all the character, textures, particle effects (yes, blood) and lighting quality of this game. (On the same note, if you enjoy it TOO much, you may want to see a doctor *wink*).
The problem, however, lies in the inconsistent FPS (Frames Per Second). Many times FPS plunge into low teen numbers, making the game a slide show for a few seconds. It wouldnt have been a problem if that happend every now and then but frames dont stay consistent for more than a couple of minutes at a time. Combined with already hard to work with targeting system, it can bring pure hell in certain situations and quickly lead to death. Which then leads to perhaps the last big problem in the game - long "loading" times. Loading times can last in excess of 30 seconds. And although they dont appear often if you progress though the game (about once every 30 minutes), they can become enormously irratating if you keep dieing. In situations where it takes more than simply shooting at the enemy (usually boss fights), it may lead to situations of running into a room, getting nailed with one hit and looking at "loading" screen. It can test a patience of those who are not sure what they are doing and die in seconds only to look at spinning Quake logo for half a minute, over and over.
On the good side, however, the game is a well made 3D shooter from the point of level designs, overall graphics, and a relatively deep storyline for a what most would consider "mindless shooter". The story is easy to get into: Stroggs are continuing the fight against the human race. So as one of the marines you get dropped off on their planet to show them who the boss is. The missions are the ones that tell you story from a "brotherhood" military point perspective. You know that the war is going on, but inside the game its more about surviving together with fellow marines. Assigned to the squad, you constantly on the move to help others, and AI (CPU controlled NPCs) do a surprisingly good job helping you as well. Which certainly takes away the feeling many other shooters give you that you are actually "baby sitting" the NPCs instead of working as a team.
Through out the game you get to know quite a few peronalities and spend most of the game fighting along side of them. Never knowing who will live and who will die. It isnt until you get deeper inside enemy bases that makes you understand why this game deserves a strong "M" rating. The images of graphical torture of captured fellow marines, blood and gore are everywhere. But what can you expect from a complex called "Stroggs Medical Facility"?
The level and environemt designs are good, but at times can get a bit seamless. And the fact that many missions force you going back and forth though same rooms - certainly doesnt help. But it isnt significanly de-valueing the game overall.
There is a good choice of weapons in the game that get modified through out the game for a bigger punch. And there are a number of vehicles available for the use through out the short missions (usually outside). It seems fun but certainly nothing you havent aleady seen before in other 3D shooters.
Multiplayer is pretty good and certainly adds a good amount of fun to the game. However, Xbox 360s version suffers from the same problems mentioned above. Where things like precise controls play bigger role than they do in a campaign mode. Making a PC version truly shine and leaving 360s version in the dust.
Overall, this game is an almost perfect example of what you would expect from "big hitter" companies like Raven Software and Id Software. But I wish they had taken a slight risk and tried to add something new to the game to spice it up and make it stick out from the rest.
PC version of this game strongly deserves 4.5 our of 5 stars. Xbox 360 version, however, is proabably somewhere in between of 3.5 and 4 stars out of 5. Mostly due to problems mentioned in the beginning of this review. One thing can be guaranteed is that you will have a blast playing it if you are into linear Gory, and Bloody 3D "twitch" shooters. The only suggestion here is to get the game for a PC if you have a powerful enough computer. If you dont, you will still have a blast on Xbox 360. Just probably not as a big one.
Rezet's Xbox 360 Game Review: Quake 4
On: 2005-12-19Sometimes, very rarely a 3D shooter playes better on a console than it does on a PC. Well, its not one of those times. As a matter of fact for those who have played a PC version of Quake 4, playing it on Xbox 360 will be a huge step down. Surely the HDTV graphics are there and overall the game looks similar to the PC version, but controls are again the weakest link here.
Well, since the opening was about the "bad parts" of the game, lets go ahead and get though them before we get to the "good ones".
Having played Quake 4 on PC, and deciding to be a hot shot by start the Xbox 360s verion right away on the "corporal" difficulty, I quickly realized how bad of an idea that was. Aiming is certainly something that takes a good time to get used to with a controller. But even after about 5 hours I was still no where near good at locking into enemies and strafe dodging shots as I was on a PC after only 10 minutes of play.
Surely by switching to the "private" difficulty I was able to get though the game with a relative ease but the excitement wasnt there. All underminded by the fact that 3D shooters are meant to be played with a keyboard and a mouse.
The graphics in this game while not "Half-Life 2" realism like, are certainly pretty. And if you enjoy watching people get cut in half with saws, you will certainly appreciate all the character, textures, particle effects (yes, blood) and lighting quality of this game. (On the same note, if you enjoy it TOO much, you may want to see a doctor *wink*).
The problem, however, lies in the inconsistent FPS (Frames Per Second). Many times FPS plunge into low teen numbers, making the game a slide show for a few seconds. It wouldnt have been a problem if that happend every now and then but frames dont stay consistent for more than a couple of minutes at a time. Combined with already hard to work with targeting system, it can bring pure hell in certain situations and quickly lead to death. Which then leads to perhaps the last big problem in the game - long "loading" times. Loading times can last in excess of 30 seconds. And although they dont appear often if you progress though the game (about once every 30 minutes), they can become enormously irratating if you keep dieing. In situations where it takes more than simply shooting at the enemy (usually boss fights), it may lead to situations of running into a room, getting nailed with one hit and looking at "loading" screen. It can test a patience of those who are not sure what they are doing and die in seconds only to look at spinning Quake logo for half a minute, over and over.
On the good side, however, the game is a well made 3D shooter from the point of level designs, overall graphics, and a relatively deep storyline for a what most would consider "mindless shooter". The story is easy to get into: Stroggs are continuing the fight against the human race. So as one of the marines you get dropped off on their planet to show them who the boss is. The missions are the ones that tell you story from a "brotherhood" military point perspective. You know that the war is going on, but inside the game its more about surviving together with fellow marines. Assigned to the squad, you constantly on the move to help others, and AI (CPU controlled NPCs) do a surprisingly good job helping you as well. Which certainly takes away the feeling many other shooters give you that you are actually "baby sitting" the NPCs instead of working as a team.
Through out the game you get to know quite a few peronalities and spend most of the game fighting along side of them. Never knowing who will live and who will die. It isnt until you get deeper inside enemy bases that makes you understand why this game deserves a strong "M" rating. The images of graphical torture of captured fellow marines, blood and gore are everywhere. But what can you expect from a complex called "Stroggs Medical Facility"?
The level and environemt designs are good, but at times can get a bit seamless. And the fact that many missions force you going back and forth though same rooms - certainly doesnt help. But it isnt significanly de-valueing the game overall.
There is a good choice of weapons in the game that get modified through out the game for a bigger punch. And there are a number of vehicles available for the use through out the short missions (usually outside). It seems fun but certainly nothing you havent aleady seen before in other 3D shooters.
Multiplayer is pretty good and certainly adds a good amount of fun to the game. However, Xbox 360s version suffers from the same problems mentioned above. Where things like precise controls play bigger role than they do in a campaign mode. Making a PC version truly shine and leaving 360s version in the dust.
Overall, this game is an almost perfect example of what you would expect from "big hitter" companies like Raven Software and Id Software. But I wish they had taken a slight risk and tried to add something new to the game to spice it up and make it stick out from the rest.
PC version of this game strongly deserves 4.5 our of 5 stars. Xbox 360 version, however, is proabably somewhere in between of 3.5 and 4 stars out of 5. Mostly due to problems mentioned in the beginning of this review. One thing can be guaranteed is that you will have a blast playing it if you are into linear Gory, and Bloody 3D "twitch" shooters. The only suggestion here is to get the game for a PC if you have a powerful enough computer. If you dont, you will still have a blast on Xbox 360. Just probably not as a big one.
I haven't been hooked on a game this much since... well, I can't remember
On: 2005-12-16Okay, to settle one thing, yes, the frame-rate isnt exactly what you would call a blessing from God, nor are the graphics, but if you look past that, the game is a fast moving, the-fat-has-been-cut, entertaining, and large first person shooter game. To tell you the truth, I just rented it, but Ive never found myself re-renting a game this many times. If you complained about Halo, or Halo 2 being too short, well, look no further, this game sould keep you settled for a while. You get vehicles, tons of weapons, with upgrades available as the game progresses, and best of all, unlike Halo, you can save anytime, anywhere, except for during a cut-scene obviously. If you can find yourself looking past the graphics (which really arent that bad, like it matters anyway. Best system ever was the Super Nintendo I think) then you should definitely give this game a chance, plus, it comes with a full version of Quake II, and some other goodies on a bonus disc. For all that this game is (and comes with), I call $60 a bargain, and as soon as I get my Christmas bonus, Im going to buy it.
Actually Played And It's Good
On: 2005-12-02I bought this game at launch and its very good. I havent played it on Xbox Live or any multiplayer and Ive just been playing the single player version. But it is a fantastic FPS. Theres a lot of blood and gore and I always want to rescue the AI friends that cant be rescued. The single player is also long which surprises me because I figured that a launch title would be rushed out and have fewer levels. That isnt so.
The single player mode is immersive and fun.
I cant really compare this game to any Playstation 3 games because those games only exist in ones imagination or in cutscenes.
Actually Played And It's Good
On: 2005-12-01I bought this game at launch and its very good. I havent played it on Xbox Live or any multiplayer and Ive just been playing the single player version. But it is a fantastic FPS. Theres a lot of blood and gore and I always want to rescue the AI friends that cant be rescued. The single player is also long which surprises me because I figured that a launch title would be rushed out and have fewer levels. That isnt so.
The single player mode is immersive and fun.
I cant really compare this game to any Playstation 3 games because those games only exist in ones imagination or in cutscenes.
Reasonably Good FPS for Mindless Fun Shooting
by: lisashea-dot-com On: 2005-11-27
Quake has a long, infamous history as a hard-hitting first person shooter that is not afraid of gore. With the XBox 360, Quake truly steps up its attention to detail.
This classic game has been around for eons. I remember the old days of Doom and Hexen - and wow, have we come far since then! We now see a very cinematic version of the FPS epic series, with cinematic style intro sequences reminiscent of Alien and other great sci-fi series.
Youre in essence a space marine, part of the Rhino group. Your team is shot down from the sky while landing on a hostile planet, taking out the Strogg. From that point forward, all you need to know is that you have to blow up pretty much everything that moves.
Im sure, with the never-ending sequence of sequels that come out, that people will compare this to old versions of Doom and Quake. Theyll also compare it to Halo. Really, unless you want to play with old-system games for years on end, you have to find other things to play. I love Halo and Halo 2. But eventually I want to play new games, if only to try out new maps.
Quake has a whole different look-and-feel than Halo does. Its a different universe, a dark, bloody one full of industrial grunge. Its more "gritty". And, to be honest, as much as I love Halo, I really appreciated the marines in Quake 4. They appeared to actually work as a team. My medic and techie hung out near me, healing me and giving me support. In Halo it seemed like your teammates were the traditional "red uniformed security dudes" from Star Trek - only around to act as cannon fodder during the current episode. In Quake 4, they were much more long lasting, if you played things well.
Is this a killer app? Probably not. The graphics are rather impressive on the HD TV - but for example the sky is static. Pretty, but static. The textures down in the mines are detailed, bloody, grungy and very dark - but it gets repetitive. The gameplay is simply blasting, blasting more, blasting more and some dodging. The sound is a stream of bullet blasts.
But that being said, that is all the Quake series has ever intended to be. Its a fun way to blow off steam. You have a hard day at work or school, and you come home to blast away enemies for a few hours. Its very stress-relieving. You feel like you make some progress, its easy to save and pick up the story later on. No complex puzzles, no intricate stealth sequences. Its all about blasting away with great accuracy.
If youre a FPS shooter fan, it would seem silly to sit stationary and hold your breath until you turn blue, or until Halo 3 finally emerges. Buy Quake 3, have fun blasting away at dark-and-gloomy enemies, and tune your skills. Other games will be coming out eventually for you to get that eye candy you crave.
It's a 3 and a bit sloppy but oh man do I love it!
On: 2005-11-27Ok here is the deal... The online support for this game just plain fumbled. I mean playing in the actual matches is as good as I would want it to be its just a long journey to get there.
No split screen multiplayer support? Thats just plain mean.
As for the single player mode, I absolutely love it. The graphics are artisticly top notch (on my 48" HDTV looks INSANE) but there are technicly really rough. Im not sure why Raven let this get through to the retail build, hell I would have waited 6 more months for this game to be perfect. There has been some ranting about frame rate issues but in the few instances I have noticed it I wasnt too concerned.
I purchased 5 games with my launch day bundle including Perfect Dark Zero and Call of Duty 2. Both games rate way higher across the board on all the major game sites but frankly Quake 4 is so much fun I havent even touched the other 2 save for giving them a quick try.
In the end fun is the name of the game, and this game has me hooked big time!
Enjoy,
-
This Is What They Call A "Hose-Job"...
On: 2005-11-25Weve been hosed.
Id Software, makers of this game and Doom 3 were bragging that they used the Doom 3 engine to make this game.
I can only guess that they also used the maps, the texturing, the suits, the story, etc. etc.
Only with Quake 4, it feels like youre playing a "compare to" brand of Doom 3.
"Compare active ingredients in Quake 4 to Doom 3! Youll find its inferior!"
HOWEVER...the one reason Im giving this 3 stars...maybe even 3.5, is the Xbox Live multiplayer. VERY reminiscent of a little title called Halo. Very fast, very loud, very "creative" in the brutality department.
No Xbox Live? Then I wouldnt even rent this heap.
Again, not perfect but no cause for tears.
by: theshawconnection On: 2005-11-24
This game has some major flaws in it. However, the game is incredible looking and is pretty dang fun to play. There is this really high standard currently called Halo. If you are not Halo or better than you are a disgrace. Quake falls into that category. It is less than Halo, but is it a bad game? Nope. Is it still a fun frag fest shoot em up? Yep. Is it beautiful. Definately.
Bottom Line: Should you buy this? Yes if you can find it used on ebay or in a bargain ben in a few months. Then what should I get now? Perfect dark without a doubt.
Again, not perfect but no cause for tears.
On: 2005-11-23This game has some major flaws in it. However, the game is incredible looking and is pretty dang fun to play. There is this really high standard currently called Halo. If you are not Halo or better than you are a disgrace. Quake falls into that category. It is less than Halo, but is it a bad game? Nope. Is it still a fun frag fest shoot em up? Yep. Is it beautiful. Definately.
Bottom Line: Should you buy this? Yes if you can find it used on ebay or in a bargain ben in a few months. Then what should I get now? Perfect dark without a doubt.