Not all modern players know what an important milestone for the industry the series was Earthquake. In 1996, id Software showed the world how to make 3D shooters and what an ideal multiplayer should be like. He wouldn’t have been born without Quake half-life, hello or duty. Quake is a great game, no exaggeration.
A remaster of the first Quake was released two years ago, which was an excellent port to modern consoles. And recently a remaster of the second part was released. Studios id Software and Nightdive not only rolled out an improved graphics version, but also gave us a real-time capsule, which includes all DLC, a port of the unique version for Nintendo 64, cross-platform multiplayer and a new addition from the authors Wolfenstein: The New Order. We have thoroughly enjoyed viewing all of the content and strongly recommend that you take a break from it Baldur’s Gate 3 to play the timeless classic.
Travel to 1997
Of course, we didn’t gather here to tell you how great Quake 2 was in its day, but we still couldn’t do without a few interesting facts. If you’ve gone through the remaster of the first Quake and are expecting a continuation of the sequel’s plot, then we’re in a hurry to disappoint. The second part was not planned from the very beginning as a continuation of the original and was supposed to be an independent series. It’s just that id Software studio couldn’t come up with a name for the game and so attributed the already popular title to their project.
As a result, Quake 2 had a huge impact on the entertainment industry. It was released a year before Half-Life, which most critics say marked the beginning of the modern concept of a narrative shooter. At the same time, Quake 2 was much more technologically advanced and modern than Valve’s creation. Half-Life ran on a modified engine from the first Quake and failed to feature revolutionary graphics.
To be honest, old shooters are really hard to play these days. Time spares no one, especially the games of the late 90s. But Quake 2, like fine wine, only gets better with age. Now there are hundreds of “boomer shooters” on the market that focus on nostalgia and basic gameplay. Doom and Quake. Only all these projects immediately disappear from your head when you take on a remaster of the second part of Quake. After 27 years, we suddenly realized that the project was not only a breakthrough in graphics, but also in game design in general.
The level design of Quake 2 is very different from the first part. Locations are more linear and with optional settlements that always have a fun secret or bonus for curiosity. Granted, in 1997 it was easy to get lost in the gut-like labyrinths and spend hours wandering the metallic landscape of Stroggos (an exoplanet orbiting a distant star; homeworld of the hostile cybernetic race of the Stroggs). A compass has been added in the remaster, which will indicate the shortest way to the story goal with green arrows. Yes, they did it, but this feature allows you to noticeably save time by not wasting it on idle wandering through the corridors.
The spirit of the opponents in the remaster has not increased, but they are noticeably more beautiful. Nightdive Studios didn’t redraw all the graphics and change the usual design, but the studio added polygons to old models and added textures with details. Yes, square pixels are visible without anti-aliasing, but they even give a 27-year-old game a special charm.
Even in the remaster they added more weapons that were removed from the original all at once. In addition, all original weapons have been redrawn. There are more details, polygons and sharper textures. Shooting is generally more responsive and enjoyable. Still, it’s hard to believe that in 1997 we already had a game where the action works as well as modern blockbusters.
Many players who have seen the original Quake 2 are unaware that the game had bomb music. The author of these lines once heard the soundtrack in the PS1 version, but could not even imagine that this music was also on the PC. The point is that in order to play the soundtrack, a licensed disc was required on which the necessary files were stored! But it’s clear that licensing wasn’t easy in 1997… In the remaster, all music has been added in its original form, making the gameplay more aggressive and driving.
Have you played the original Quake 2?
New and rare content
A particular surprise was the Nintendo 64 version of Quake 2. This game was completely different in execution, significantly different from the original. Doom had a similar situation. She was also shoveled for N64, and for a long time this version remained the property of the Nintendo console. So now the Nightdive team has not only ported Quake 2 64 to all available platforms, but also redrawn the cutscenes and tweaked the controls.
The innovations don’t stop there. The developers have completely revamped the in-game videos and translated all content into many languages, including Russian. In addition to the main story game and the N64 version, the authors have added all official add-ons that are as long as the original campaign.
Another unexpected gift was a brand new addition from the creators of modern Wolfenstein. The developers collected 28 levels from scratch and connected them with a plot. Game designers have rebuilt the basic gameplay of Quake 2 and created a modern shooter based on old technologies – many opponents, amazing location geometry and extremely overrated complexity. The levels are large and confusing. Save the newly introduced compass navigator, which saves you hours of wandering through the industrial landscape.
Finally, the climax is the cross-platform multiplayer with all previously available modes. In most cases, network features have been removed from remasters (The last of us, Red Dead Redemption), but Quake 2 without deathmatch is like Nintendo without Mario. The developers understood this very well and optimized the multiplayer for all known platforms. Beat Quake 2 with a gamepad? Simple! The programmers added a wheel for selecting weapons and equipment, and turned on gyroscopic steering. The network code has been greatly improved, making the multiplayer feel fresher. And no microtransactions, battle passes and unnecessary tinsel. Pure gameplay and fun that the Quake series was famous for before its release champions.
But the real gift of Quake 2 Enhanced will be for collectors and fans. The developers have collected all the available game material that has been gathering dust in the office of id Software for years. The remaster added a catalog of concept art, swappable 3D models, promotional materials, promo videos, a chewed-up plot, and the inner workings of 90s development. Nightdive also added all the known early prototypes so you can build them yourself can try. No cranks or extra manipulations: you just take the presentation version of Quake 2 and launch it from the menu. There’s even a version from E3 1997. Not many studios are willing to share such goodness.
The best thing is that this treasure for fans and collectors is being given away for $ 15 (1400 rubles). While notorious studios port old games to new consoles without significant changes and charge $50 for them, id Software is giving away immortal classics for a penny. And in six months the remaster of Quake 2 will be available for $ 1.5 (140 rubles) on sale. At least that’s what happened with the first part.
Quake 2 Enhanced is worth the money and deserves attention. The publication has a lot of content that will last for a long time. The graphics have noticeably been brought up to the standards of modern retro shooters, the multiplayer now works on official servers and is available to everyone, a completely new addition to the load – isn’t this an example of a good remaster of an important project for the industry ?
Are you going to play Quake 2 Enhanced?
Quake 2 Enhanced is a beautiful remaster of one of the most important games in history. This isn’t the first time Nightdive Studios has been content with good ports of the immortal classic. So much content for such a low price – a real gift for fans and collectors. If you’re new to Quake 2, now’s the perfect time to jump into the shooter that made the genre great. We expected a game waiting for us that was tired in every way, but in fact it is still a very strong shooter that gives no less pleasure than a quarter of a century ago.
Source: VG Times