

The best part? Both of these are completely optional. No fumbling for keys when you need a Super Shotgun to counter a close-range enemy, and somewhat less panicking when facing a powerful enemy and needing that powerful weapon stat. You also have a weapon wheel, which slows down the action and lets you choose an appropriate weapon. They don’t persist constantly and feel like a nice in-between for pinging and waypoints. There’s a compass which indicates the path to your next objective via some helpful green arrows. Of course, some new quality-of-life features improve the experience without dumbing down the challenge. While not the most practical in the middle of a firefight, it’s still pretty cool and adds to the mood. It’s also worth noting that the enhanced visuals help denote enemy positions, such as when their shadows are peeking around corners.

The improved AI feeds more into the aggressive combat without making it feel repetitive. However, this is still an old-school shooter, and they will take you down if you don’t strafe, jump or take advantage of your environment for cover. I noticed fewer AI gaffs than with the original, but the enemies never felt unfair. Flying units are also more relentless in their pursuit. You may not view the Berserker as much of a threat…until it leaps at you out of nowhere. They now attempt to dodge your shots, sometimes ducking out of nowhere. There’s a compass which indicates the path to your next objective via some helpful green arrows."Įnemies have also seen some changes. "Some new quality-of-life features improve the experience without dumbing down the challenge. It can be a bit slippery at times but feels very good to control overall – like your character is more agile without unduly increasing the game speed. While the original Quake 2 felt weighty, the remaster seemingly adds momentum (which could be the improved tick rate at work). The movement also feels so much more responsive. In terms of overall flow, it does make some changes to areas, even the architecture in specific places, but doesn’t dull the pacing. It keeps true to the classic, enhancing and improving its visuals in drastic or subtle ways without sacrificing the original’s atmosphere. If you enjoyed Nightdive’s work on the original Quake, then Quake 2’s remaster will satisfy you. Even better, it’s all in a 16:9 aspect ratio – no annoying black bars on the sides. Explosions look more detailed and sharp, while enemy character models are more defined. Additional details like muzzle flash, indicators when hitting enemies, and more have also been added. Not only do they blend in naturally, but the environment is more realistically lit. Previously, shots from some weapons would act like their own light sources, which could feel a bit unnatural at times. Players are quickly dropped into action on the Strogg homeworld, and almost immediately, you’ll notice the difference in texture quality on the starting pistol to the environments and lighting. It all starts with the intro cinematic, faithfully translated and looking extremely crisp, almost like a showcase of what the remaster is capable of. This is the best version of the game to exist and simply essential for anyone who enjoys classic first-person shooters – the boomer shooters before boomer shooters were even a term. I played the remaster, went back to the original to test the waters, and it just doesn’t feel the same. "If you enjoyed Nightdive’s work on the original Quake, then Quake 2’s remaster will satisfy you. Local split-screen, online multiplayer, and AI bots in Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch have also been added. You get Quake 2 64 and a new expansion, Call of the Machine, by MachineGames. Quake 2 is the latest, with its remaster covering the base game and its two mission packs – The Reckoning and Ground Zero.
#CLASSIC QUAKE MARVEL SOFTWARE#
However, id Software and Nightdive Studios have been doing excellent work reviving the older titles. Quake Champions is more of a side title with its free-to-play multiplayer and is kind of just…there.
#CLASSIC QUAKE MARVEL SERIES#
To be fair, the last mainline title in the series was Quake 4, which was released in 2005. It’s easy to forget how significant Quake has been to the industry.
