HEXUS.gaming :: Review : Quake 4

Yep, Activision and Raven's latest addition to the Quake series, Quake 4, gets a thorough going over over on HEXUS.gaming.

http://img.hexus.net/v2/gaming/quake...e4_small_7.jpg

Be sure to check it out in our HEXUS.gaming Quake 4 Review!

A couple of things to add, Nick.

1) This baby is quicker and smoother than F.E.A.R I can run Q4 at 1280 x 1024 with all options maxed out, and still get 60+ FPS!
2) Q4 makes you feel involved in a war. There are loads of NPC's chatting, going abut their business, getting killed, shouting orders etc. and so you feel this isn't just a one-man war, like all the previous Quakes. I even think Q4 has one over F.E.A.R in this respect.

Agree with the rest of your review though.

I've enjoyed it so far I have to admit but it is starting to get tedious, past few levels I've done are literally all the same as I'm really near the end of the game now. Just reached the 3rd tower and have to route the signal for a 3rd time whilst making my way up the tower.

As for Doom, yep got it in one. Some of the Srogg on it are very Doom like critters. Same goes for the indoor sections, very dark so you have to use the flashlight which limits you to the handgun or machinegun so once you're out of ammo you are in the dark trying to fight youre way through with poor lighting.

It even does the lights go out in some sections as stuff is teleporting in to take you out !

Not a bad game but nothing ground breaking or new, few nice twists like the Makron capturing you and turning you half Strogg and armour and health gets uped by another 25 points. Keep you going till something new comes along !

I really enjoyed it. Bit disapointed with a few things, it could of been seriously cool. Like they could of made the vehicle bits way better, it is to similar to D3 on the indoor bits, the idea of being stroggified could of been way better, like change your abilities and stuff. it was done very well in game. It was also way to short.

I really did enjoy the graphics, the enemies were all cool, epseically the boss guys. The weapons were awesome, though the railgun seemed a bit wimpy. it did make you feel involved in a war, it was cool. I wanted a few more different missions though, a bit more varity was needed, and it needed about another 50% length. I cant wait for an expansion.

For me this is what Doom 3 should of been. Doom 3 I have yet to complete as I got to the first part of Hell and got so bored I cried when the menu screen would appear and I quit again, it bored me to tears. As for Quake 4 its a good decent FPS, you want a quick shoot em up this is a good game. As for the MP side of things, continues in much the same way as Quake 2/3 the addon's are already coming thick and fast, the mappers have all the quake 2/3 maps converted already. Can't beat the old InstaGib :D

I liked it too - for the first few hours but towards the end is was more like a chore, just like Doom 3. The only thing that kept me going was the drive to just get it done and dusted and I've not touched it since. Looks good, but again its a little dark. I think the game traded a lot on my fond memories of Q2!

It's been a while since I read a review I agreed virtually 100% with, but you came up trumps here Nick :)

I was battling more with my stupid marine buddies as much as the bad guys last night as they take the term "backup" far too literally and stand right behind you, blocking your retreat.

A game good in its own right, but bringing nothing really new to the table.

Also, I played F.E.A.R. at 1600x1200 and Quake 4 at the same resolution - when AA is enabled Q4 starts to suffer horribly at times - considering that the environment is so less complex this is strange.

It's also so much smaller and so much easier than the previous Quake games.
The entire "level" where you go to the briefing room (without giving too much away) is nice for padding but the very scripted conversations seem way too staged (the NPCs don't even look at you when talking to you most of the time) and stilted.
Half Life 2 does a way better job with the ad-hoc comments muttered by the NPCs.

Agree with the general principle of "this is what Doom 3 should have been", but they should have added more in the way of the aspects you mention in the review... ability to lean, better monster AI, secondary fire or ability to toss grenades while wielding another weapon, proximty/remote control bombs, head shots, monsters that roam and aren't "triggered" by walking on a specific spot, etc.

Definatly Paul. Headshots and grenedes/trip mines would of been really nice.

I didn't really notice the NPC's getting in my way, i thought they were best NPC's in a game yet TBH.

Finished it a few mins ago and the ending immediately said addon !

Makron can be quite tough but the huge brain thing is so easy its unbelievable !

All in all its a good blast but nothing special or different, like Nick said in the review 1997 gaming on a platfrom that is constantly pushing the boundaries with gaming so could have been much better.

This is probably a bump, since I searched for the topic. Just finished it, and I agree with most that has been said. I thought it was fun, and in a way, it feels more "Doom" than "Doom 3" somehow. I am now forcing myself to play Doom3: RE.. I think I had more fun playing Q4. Actually, I've never been that impressed by Quake SP before.

Quake 1 was an technological advancement, but Duke Nukem 3D entertained me more.
Quake 2 never interested me enough in SP.
Quake 3.. *Shrug*
Quake 4... It reminded me of a lot of things but good things overall.

The difficulty was a bit strange though. The game started easy enough, then the difficulty ramped quite a bit. Then mid-way it felt like a walk in the park. Then it got harder again toward the end. There was one non boss major battle (with a few tough monsters) towards the end that was quite tough.

The game was surprisingly playable on my Radeon 9700 Pro. Okay, so I was only on medium quality at 800x600. I don't know how it compares to F.E.A.R graphic wise as I am holding back getting it until I upgrade my PC. But I prefer the graphics in Q4 than D3.