Quake II (PC)

GameSpot editors' review

• CNET editors' rating: 4.5 stars Outstanding
  Detailed editors' rating
  Overall score: 9.0 (4.5 stars)

• Reviewed by:
  Vince Broady
• Reviewed on: 12/19/1997
• Updated on: 11/09/2000
• Released on: 11/30/1997
• Originally published on GameSpot: Quake II (PC) Review

Whatever else may be said about Quake II, one thing is certain: It is the only first-person shooter to render the original Quake entirely obsolete. Within moments of starting the game, it is safe to say that all but the most irrationally loyal players will acknowledge that Quake II is better than the original in every respect, and that no one who can afford to upgrade will have any reason to ever load Quake again. Considering the countless hours invested by countless players in the game, that's a remarkable achievement.

It's also significant because since Quake shipped 18 months ago, we have seen a steady stream of challengers, games that have been trumpeted by press and players alike as the successors to the first-person throne. But none of these games has actually come through on that count - not Hexen II, not Jedi Knight, and certainly not any of the half-dozen "Quake Killers" that have yet to make it out of alphaland and onto store shelves. But Quake II does come through, delivering at least incremental and occasionally monumental improvements over its predecessor.

Many gamers describe playing Quake II in semireligious terms, and when immersed in the 3Dfx version of the game, it's easy to understand why. The visual effects are awesome, as in awe-inspiring. The masterful weaving of subtle graphic effects - colored hues that blend seamlessly into one another, intricate textures cast over complex and beautiful architectural features, and realistic transitions between light and shadow - creates a graphic environment that is without peer on the PC. Of course, Quake II supports many graphics modes and 3D cards (it utilizes OpenGL), and players will surely find a combination that works well on their system (even if it's a now-ancient Pentium 150). But none approaches the 3Dfx version, and it is the only way through which one can fully appreciate the technological achievement of the game.

There are gameplay achievements, as well. Most notable, of course, is the inclusion of a well-crafted, mission-driven single-player game. As players of its previous titles know, id has never been much for storylines, and while Quake II won't win any interactive fiction awards, it does make a credible effort to pull you into the game emotionally as well as viscerally. As you advance through Quake II's multisection levels, an increasingly ominous sense of purpose takes hold. And by the time the prison doors are opened and the factory is breached, it is difficult not to experience a certain tinge of horror, and perhaps even fear - both of which spur you on in a way altogether different from the deathmatch adrenaline rush that made the original Quake so famous.

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