20. Doom [PLATINUM] (PS4)
21. Quake (PC)
22. Quake 2* (PC)
23. Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 (PS3)
24. Quake Mission Pack 1: Scourge of Armagon (PC)
25. Quake 2 Mission Pack 1: The Reckoning (PC)
26. Quake Mission Pack 2: Dissolution of Eternity (PC)
27. Quake 2 Mission Pack 2: Ground Zero (PC)BGM:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jY6yBTYxLkoThe Quake-a-thon is complete! And it was a blast, the ultimate combo after Doom 4 (could easily argue the original Quake's are a better comparison to Doom 4 than Doom itself in ways). People can say what they want about id, but I love them and love how they take their time... because here I am playing Quake in 2016 and they still play like a dream. Used source ports, but they still get all the credit for the base work and omega optimization. I used Dark Places for Quake and KMQuake2 for Quake 2.
Quake - Despite the initial praise, it took me several attempts to get into Quake! Because of my crazy love for Doom. Quake is a weird transitional spot between the classic 2D/3D FPS's, and then the bigger and more open stuff via Unreal, Half-Life, etc, some that used later idtech. So whenever I tried playing Quake before, it just made me want to play more Doom or something newer. So this time I really gave Quake a fair shot and more time and it finally clicked. I've always loved the aesthetics to Quake, the low resolution style of this, Thief, and Jedi Knight, is so awesome and eerie in a strange way. Just has a really cool look.
Despite being a Doom veteran, Quake was pretty damn brutal. It's closer to DN3D or Build Engine games in design to me, less about enemy mobs like Doom, and more about intricate battles with tough monsters for the whole roster. Every encounter is highly dangerous. This is also true 3D and the level design is painfully yet awesomely claustrophobic, which can be your enemy as well. So it definitely takes some adjusting, and mastering for all the weapons (grenade launcher), and figuring out what works best for all the monsters.
I loved the sci-fi stages, but I think looking at a mission list there is literally only 4-5 of them in the entire original game. Kind of like Doom which quickly goes into Hell mode, Quake quickly goes into its weird neo gothic medieval world. Which is cool itself, I just wanted more sci-fi! I wasn't a huge fan of the last Episode, there were a few levels that were very samey and maze-like in an annoying way, and I ended up missing the really tough Ogre enemies that were perhaps the most frequently used enemy up to that Episode, but instead this final portion of the game started throwing out these jumping explosive blob enemies at you that were not fun in the least.
Trent Reznor of NIN fame works his magic with the soundtrack for this one, giving it a very unique sound and atmosphere. Dark droning ambiance. The two expansions change things up a bit and go for the more rockin' metal style that Q2 flew with. Awesome in their own ways, but Trent's music for Quake definitely gives it a different flavor than the rest.
Quake Mission Pack 1: Scourge of Armagon - I feel there's really not a whole lot to say about this one. Do you want more Quake? Here it is! And that's not a bad thing, but it doesn't stand out too much on its own compared to the original base game and the second expansion. Expect a few new weapons and enemies. The one thing I can say, is that it was kind of cool how this mission pack felt a bit more like Q2 in design, the levels were a lot more spacey and "open", even had some mission-like moments to progress through levels, etc. No complaints, the quality is high enough to feel like a natural extension of the game and in a cool way feels a bit like a merger of Q1 and Q2.
Quake Mission Pack 2: Dissolution of Eternity - An awesome and intense expansion that really stands out on its own entirely. Tons of new weapons, which aren't exactly unique but you basically have secondary ammo for almost every original gun. This made the first Episode very easy for me because you have about double the normal amount of ammo when it all adds up. These levels were pretty good and back to being more claustrophobic like the original game. But then Episode 2 hits, and it's like a completely new game. Time travel! Every level had its own theme and gimmicks, the levels were super detailed and intricately designed, never an annoying way either (aside from the earthquake shaky cam/controls moments here and there). The difficulty skyrocketed and the maps seemed to average about 100 some monsters per. But, well this is the end of the official Quake journey, so it felt appropriate. It was a tough journey but totally awesome and worth it. The final dragon boss was hilariously easy, but I guess that happens a lot with tough journeys having an anticlimactic ending.
Quake 2 - Damn, does Q2 feel, look, and play soooooo good. I played Q2 a lot growing up on the PSX. But it's literally been at least 15+ years since I've touched this game. And despite such a huge gap, it was an instant nostalgia bomb with it's rocking soundtrack, awesome and memorable levels, and was a pure blast. It all came back to me instantly.
While Quake is classically map based, Q2 is as well but has them broken up into collections of "units" that often interconnect. Sometimes you do end up backtracking through some levels to unlock new areas or complete missions, and it gives it a different flavor. Very cool, making the Strogg world feel very big and elaborate. And oh yeah, Strogg! So the Masters of Quake or whomever in the original are no more, Q2 basically feels like a complete reboot and ditches the medieval stuff to go full on sci-fi. They do a great job giving off the war vibes with some overhead bombing runs and ships flying by throughout a lot of the levels, sprinkling in little details like that makes the world you're in feel that much bigger. Really cool stuff.
It's funny how similar Q2 felt as well, on a keyboard and mouse compared to the PSX version, because idTech 2 was so popular. Now that I'm older and know stuff a little more like this it's just funny to notice how this feels exactly the same as Half-Life, and any other games that used this engine or its code. Q2 still plays, really, really well in 2016.
Just like Quake, Q2 is still mostly a no BS kind of FPS and gets right to the point. Some levels have brief missions like, get this key to operate this or unlock this door to proceed, drop off this marker for a bombing run, steal the CD disc, etc, but for the most part it's all about shooting monsters and the gunplay is fantastic. All the weapons are freaking awesome and fun to use. Tons of enemy types to deal with. It's not quite as fast paced as Quake, or as claustrophobic with its level design, so for the most part I think Q2 is a lot easier, but it still has some tricky parts.
I think in your face instrumental rock/metal can be distracting, but it fits perfectly with Q2 and gives it such a cool vibe. Never got tired of it throughout the whole ride and its expansions.
Quake 2 Mission Pack 1: The Reckoning - This expansion rocked. Not a huge fan of the first few levels, some weird caves/sewers stuff, but it wasn't that bad and is smooth sailing after. It was just as good as the vanilla game and fits perfectly as the epilogue, raising the bar with the difficulty in a natural and fair way, and throws you some cool new weapons and monsters to deal with. The level design was top notch and had some neat tricks, like some stages in space with lower gravity. I can't praise this expansion enough and it really feels like it was part of the main game. Great finisher.
Quake 2 Mission Pack 2: Ground Zero - Sadly they can't all be winners. If you google around on Ground Zero you'll probably see a lot of mixed results and they are definitely valid to me. Ground Zero starts off really tough and tricky while you barely have much of an inventory at that point. I lost count of how many rooms there were with the enemy having a vertical advantage. The level design itself was out to screw you over in lazy and unfair ways. Then there's the "turrets", a new enemy type that was just purely annoying. As if the chaos of some fights in Q2 wasn't enough, they littered this expansion with turrets thrown over walls and ceilings. Never consistently either, you could never really tell when and where one was going to pop out. They track you perfectly, do a lot of damage for a measly turret, and can take tons of damage (about 3 direct rockets). What can I say... lot of turret talk, because these crappy things were freaking everywhere. Annoying. Overall still pretty solid and a nice finale, but it was shorter than the Reckoning, lazier, and just not on par with the other expansions for both games. I can see myself replaying all the other expansions, but not this one.
Hell yeah.
Which do I like more? I'd say Doom. Hah! Between Q1 and Q2 it would be a tough one, but I can point out one strength to Q1. With Q1 being purely map based, the maps always had themes and a specifically limited set of textures. Sci-fi, castles, outside, etc, so throughout Q1 and its two expansions, the levels and environments were consistently unique and interesting. In some ways it makes Q1 feel like a larger game, but in other ways Q2's interconnected levels give that vibe off in a different way too. Q2 basically has one very distinct, gray futuristic level palette and sticks with it from start to finish. I love the look of the game, but I think there's no denying Q1 has a bit more variety with the looks.
It was a little exhausting in the end and moreso because the difficulty increases as you go with the expansions. But yeah, what a blast. Go play Doom 4 and then play these. It feels amazing and the spirit of these games is exactly the same. I guess the ultimate lesson and point here could further be about how perfect Doom 4 did everything. These games are id incarnate.
Oh and yes, as you can see by the order of my list, I switched it up and it was awesome playing both simultaneously like that. It was so easy to flip the switch and adjust to them both jumping back and forth.