Everyone knows the Quake series, but just in case you somehow have managed to avoid news of it despite it’s deputing 15 years ago (1996), I’ll update you. Quake is fondly remembered as one of the games that popularised the FPS genre, often mentioned in the same breath as Doom.
Single player was exactly what you might have expected; make your way to the end of the level whilst battling off the various demonic bastards that stand in your way, collecting keys and pressing buttons. This gameplay has almost certainly not aged particularly well (though arguments could be made that some very popular games have simply expanded that exact mechanic), but then again, it’s not single player that I’m going to be talking about here. In fact, if you’re the type of gamer who prefers to stay away from multiplayer experiences in general you might want to step away from the internet-enabled device and do something else instead of continuing to read.
[drop]Quake 3: Arena’s multiplayer is still every bit as brilliant as it was on its release in in 1999 (that’s 3 games in the series within 4 years, if you’re keeping count). It’s devilishly fast paced and murderously difficult, but unlike more modern FPS’ (I’m looking at you, Call of Duty), it’s still easy to have fun even when you’re, putting it mildly, not at the top of the scoreboards.I’m sure we’ve all experienced the blood-boiling rage you get when you’re playing online and dying more quickly than a Big Brother contestant’s celebrity career, possibly due to an Apache helicopter that’s raining fire into the map or that unexplainable reason that has you say ‘I was doing so well last night’ to your friends who are fighting back laughter as they watch your vital fluids being splattered onto various floors over and over again. Whilst these recurring deaths will happen in Quake 3, in fact you’ll almost certainly die even more often, the game manages to feel fun even whilst your brains are splattering over a wall. Whether it’s something to do with it being a completely even playing field but for basic things, such as knowledge of the maps and actual skill, or perhaps due to it being so fast and so hectic you can’t help but enjoy the immense speed in spite of yourself.
So yes, you will almost certainly spend a lot of time dying in Q3A, but the game somehow manages to transcend its age and feel like it was built in response to the multiplayer of today, despite releasing more than a decade ago. Everything that lights your fuse in today’s FPS experiences is missing, simply because they didn’t exist when it was created. Killstreaks are not here, so you’re never killed soon after spawning with no chance of avoiding it, you’re never murdered by a sniper from the other side of the map with no hope of your SMG reaching them because all the guns are picked up around the map.
It is, ironically, a breath of fresh air in a stagnating genre that both veterans of the game and newcomers alike should go back to if they need something different from the ‘realism’ in the modern FPS. Personally, it’s been 7 years since I last played Q3A and it’s every bit as good as it was back then, but somehow more so due to the great difference between it and every other FPS I’ve played since.
You can get Quake 3 Arena from Steam for £13.99 or in a pack with the rest of the Quake series for £16.99 (which you probably should). It will run on any system you’re likely to own. You can also sink your teeth into the browser-based Quake Live, which is free to play and still Quake, provided you don’t like your games ad-supported and, well, browser-based.
hazelam
i don’t mind ad supported, i get most of my tv that way. ^_^
ricey787
i really do wish theyd release quake 3 arena on psn, like they did with XBL – That game is awesome! Lost so many hours to this on pc multiplayer back in the day…
Dan Lee
I reviewed Quake Arena on XBL and it wasnt that great to be honest. Then again, that’s just my opinion.
ricey787
really? I downloaded it @ 800 points and thought it was reasonably faithful recreation of the PC game. But then, thats just my opinion :)
Gadbury
Dammit! Looks like Steam’s Summer special offers have ended. You could get every Id Software game for £19.99. It’s back to £123 now =( Quake 1 and 2 were originally both £1.50!
Anyway, I thoroughly recommend Quake Live if online play is all you need. No bots (unless it has been updated to include them).
Gadbury
http://store.steampowered.com/sub/440/
jbni
I think I bought the Quake pack when it was on the steam sale. I can’t remember though – I bought that many games.
Kennykazey
I remember playing Quake 4, but it kept crashing on Vista (yes I got it from a bargain bin) so now that I have 7, maybe I should give it another go… The surgery-scene is still haunting my memory.
You should do a cheap PC gaming article on GTA2, it’s free to download from Rockstar’s website. And it’s still fun to play on a LAN.
3shirts
Good call. I love GTA2 and mates and I still play the odd LAN game on that. Jumping over moving cars is the key skill :)
Kennykazey
An the hilarity that ensues when you get the machine gun for your car and surprize newcomers with it is priceless. :-)
Dazbobaby
I bought the entire quake collection, including addons last week in the Steam Summer Sale.
Total cost was £5.99
BARGAIN!
Pemberton_
I’m going to have to back and read through all of this series now that I’ve finished building my beastly rig. Looks like I have a bit of a backlog.
Darksidesystems
I grabbed this in the Steam sale mostly because I knew it would instantly work on a modern gaming rig. I used to consider myself half-decent as a PC FPS type-guy but 4 years of PS3 has made me soft. This is SO FREAKIN’ FAST it makes your brain hurt and before you know it you’re grinning like an idiot at what feels like the next gen of gaming and not the last. It’s still that good :)
iiekka
Quake 2 is still a good game today, looks a little dated but the game play is spot on, loved quake 3 arena as well still got my copy on my shelf at home
aphex187
Ahhh the days and nights spent playing this on the Dreamcast on American servers with a 33k modem! Sweet memories and what an amazing community we had going! My clan BG*D against RW, EG*A, (X), vF etc was just a blast and one i wish i could just go back there for one night!
After we all went to PC (2001) it never quite captured that magic, but hey i can still say to this day that it’s still one of the greatest online shooters ever made and one that got me into MP FPS and for that i salute you! ;)
Louise
OH god, Quake 3 was my fav. I have so many fond memories of when i was younger, and i always played it with my older brother over lan. It was so much fucking fun. Haha, i love how you can change the railgun colour. He always knew i was trying to snipe him when a white laser just missed him.
I remember being fascinated by how the bots ‘talked’ to eachother. I was young, so my understanding wasn’t that great, but i remember putting the difficulty on easy, putting loads of of bots on, and trying to get them to tell me where the secret items were in the level! :D