Reviews

Posted by: jkdmedia

“It’s a ground-pounders war …”

A simple phrase thrown out there during the initial cutscene in the Activision/id Software/Raven iteration of Quake 4 for the 360 home console. Well, Ok, but amend that to ‘it’s a ground-pounders war with pop-out monsters, action galore and the chance to fight in some really cool machines’ and you have the beginning of an inkling as to what drives Quake 4 for the 360 home console.

This title is identical to the PC version in terms of content (http://pc.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r19231.htm) sporting the same levels, same linear gameplay and same objectives. Actually, when you get right down to it, aside from a generally brighter graphical quality, and the 360 controller (instead of the mouse-and-keyboard combo), this is a game that is almost identical to the PC version in every regard.

For the uninitiated, Quake 4 picks up the storyline from Quake 2. After the Strogg unsuccessfully tried to invade Earth, Earth strikes back with an invasion of its own. In Quake 2, players took on the role of a lone Marine, fighting through to take out the Strogg leader and destroy the planet’s main defense system.

Fast forward to the story arc of Quake 4. Players take on the role of Matthew Kane, a “bad ass” who is rather standoffish from his combat mates of Rhino Squad. Not to worry though, when the action hits, there won’t be much time for socializing anyway.

Now like any good planetary setting, the home world of the Strogg is riddled with tunnels and caverns, has a sparse landscape that is mostly just plain uninviting (not on a graphical level, mind you, the game looks terrific). Not that the Strogg care for aesthetics. And, of course, they are not about to let these human creatures just waltz in and take over their world. Resistance is plentiful and when the Strogg start running short on combat fodder (otherwise known as soldiers), they just create more – from captured enemy soldiers. The process is known as Stroggification, and is one of the most horrific cutscene sequences in the game. Think assembly line, pieces hacked off and refitted, giant needles into the torso and head, and you begin to understand why the Strogg units look so ugly.

In due course, Kane is captured and Stroggified, but that falls just short of a brain wipe. He ends up an enhanced Strogg unit with the Strogg controls. Think he is unhappy with this? Well, it does propel his motivation for annihilating as much of the Strogg as he can with extreme prejudice.

The first several missions, leading up to the Stroggification, could be viewed as a way to become adjusted to the setting and control scheme. Quake 4 has gone from key-and-mouse controls to the handheld 360 controller seamlessly. This controller is responsive and targeting (controlled by the right thumbstick – which is pretty much in line with all shooter control schemes on consoles) is fast and easy. There is a certain tempo for shooters, one that many games are loathe to break from – you enter a room, monsters pop, you back up and shoot until they are dead. (Now in Doom 3, monsters likely popped behind you as well, so the whole backing up bit sometimes flew out the window.)

If you die, you just jump back to a previous checkpoint and begin anew. However, the game is rather linear and you can expect the same monsters to pop in the same places and attack in the same manner. This may cut down on replayability, but it certainly will not cut down on the number of times you elevate from your seat, frantically target and begin a barrage of gunplay in that direction.

Like any good shooter, the game has powerups along the way in the form of both ammunition and heals. And some of the levels require you to jump into vehicles, with a new selection of weapon types at your disposal, and a different type of enemy to engage.  

The sound of Quake 4 is intact from the PC version, and offers up a great supporting cast for the graphical elements. And speaking of which, the graphics of Quake 4 are bright, and exceptional. The texturing, the lighting and special effects all breathe incredible life into this game. Quake 4 may not be the next generation of console gaming, treading unseen ground, but it does elevate the banner of console gaming on a whole from the previous generation and effectively blurs the line between PC and console gaming even more.

This is a whole lot of fun.

Gameplay: 8.4
The monsters just run at you, for the most part, until you kill them. AI flaw? Not really – these are mindless automatons that obey their Strogg commands. Whether they live or die doesn’t matter, they are there to destroy you. The levels are linear, the control scheme intuitive and there are vehicle levels as well.

Graphics: 9.2
Delectable and visually impressive, this is not like a port to the second-gen systems that seem to be a little darker, but rather a vibrant cross-over that sparkles.

Sound: 9.2
It is chaos realized and it sure does an adequate job of assaulting the ears, laying down just the right tempo and mood.

Difficulty: Medium/Hard
Not overly great at shooters of this type? Pick the private setting for the chance to succeed. Think you are hot stuff? Pick the toughest of the difficulty levels and prepare to get taken down a notch.

Concept: 8.3
The continuation of the Quake 2 story arc is a great idea, and the campaign is tough, varied and fun. The way this game has moved over to the 360 is wonderful.

Multiplayer: N/A
Xbox Live will not be enabled until the launch date on the 22^nd and the game disk was received too late to participate in publisher-set sessions. This game, though, will likely follow the same course as the PC, with classic multiplayer deathmatches and mayhem.

Overall: 8.8
This is the exact same score given the PC game. Why? Because aside from the control scheme, it is the same game, from the levels to the graphics. The controls are well done, the sound is very good, the graphics carry the horror and surprise well … if you have not experienced Quake 4 yet and plan on owning the 360, then this is a game that should be in your library.