OMG - Q4 Rocks - Looong Post

J

J4M3S0N79

Gawd
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Jul 25, 2002
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Peeps,
I do consider myself to be somewhat of a FPS afficionado and all I can say about Q4 is WOW!!!!!!

Firstly, Let me get this out of the way:
X2 3800 @ 2500MHz Water Cooled
DFI NF4 SLI DR
1GB OCZ Plat Rev2 Ram
BFG 7800GTX OC
Audigy2 ZS
2005FPW
Surround Sound Speaks
SATA 150HDD

So I have been ranting on and on (especially recently it seems) about the quality, or lack thereof, in PC games as of late. I hate to say that largely, there is a huge lack of innovation in the PC gaming arena. Now...I will keep this rant on the topic of Q4 (and D3)because to be quite honest..it's the most convincing PC game experience I have had since DeusEx!!! If I had to sum up the Q4 experience in half a sentence:

"......everything that D3 should have been and more."

Let me explain.

To be sure (before the explaination) let me issue a huge apology to iD for the numerous sladerous posts I made about the engine (as if they care...honestly). I seriously thought that the engine was incapable of fast paced anything but it turns out that D3 was deliberately setup that way. So it turns out that my gripe was not with the engine...just the game design....whodathunkit!

Ok, Here is what I see as the primary problem with D3. Throughout all of the press releases leading up to D3 (and even the *cough* leak) we were told that the environments would have a huge amount of detail present. When the E3 levels were leaked, there was a sense of tension in the game due to the great scripted events and creepy atmosphere. I honestly thought that we would be see a game where there were a few really impressive monsters that would stalk you throughout the game. When the game finally shipped, I remember following the little droid-bot around and looking at the NPCs and the Mars base and thinking "HOLY SHIZNIT.....this is freaking AMAZING". The world was practically alive and extemely convincing and effective. The detail was shocking, the lighing....fantastic, the sound...oooooohhh....the sound, so creepy and immersive. But the game went to hell (hehe) when the lights went off. All of the detail suddenly disappered and you were too busy getting attacked from behind (like in San Fran) to really notice the world around you. The flashlight never made it out for more than a few seconds, and then all you had for light was the muzzle flash as you emptied your clip into the dark hoping to hit some hellspawn.

The enemies for that matter were also a bit reminiciant of 8 bit..."me baddie, me walk back and forth slashing. Maybe me hit you". Perhaps that was a bit harsh, but honestly, they just sprang forth and slashed and slashed. I am not sure about you, but if I were a hellspawn who had seen hundreds of my friends get killed by a human by running and slashing at him...I would likely change up my strategy...throw some boxes...hide behind a corner...run and get health...who knows. Anyway...it was just such a dichotomy between seeing these creepy-cool scripted, climbing on the walls enemy sequences...to having a 10 demons hacking you.

Fianlly...the pacing of D3 was simply....sub par, there really was nothing to break up the pace, it was one giant lonely campain from start to end...and the end was a long time coming.

Now onto Q4.
The graphics in Q4 are on par with D3 simply because it's the same engine (duh). What sets the graphics aside however is the level-design which really shows off what this baby can do. The shadows are great (as expected) but what I really found was the best part was the lighting schemes. Various places you go are lit in these eerie blue, green or orange hues that really create an ambiance that engulfs you. And the best part is that there really is enough light in this game to show off the detail of the levels.

The level detail as well is close to on par with D3. In some places better (imo) and in some places worse. But again...you can actuall SEE it and I have to say that I have never seen a more beatutifully imagined and designed world.....including City17. The Bio-Mech feel to the game seems to be inspired by Giger and I think he would be proud. Everywhere around you, cables spark, water gurgles, limbless torsos writhe in pain while sounds accompany all details. And the levels are far from static, explosions block old paths while creating new ones, levels come alive after breaching security, or activating a switch, walkways break, moving acid shooters wait to scald you with green ooze...it's all so...complete.

The enemies in this game (while not the brightest) present a formidable challenge. They will keep their distance, hide behind boxes, shoot in bursts...and even (maybe in my imagination) time attacks with others close by. There is not a huge variety of enemies, but they all have enough character that they standout from eachother. The bosses are really cool too though perhaps a bit derivitive....nonetheless, the Raven team has quakeified them enough to make them standout from other enemies from other titles.

The story is straght-forward though one major twist had me grinning from ear-to-ear! The twist (also a bit derived from other major FPS titles of recent) serves a conduit to even faster paced gameplay and more abilities.

The pacing of this story is what reigns supreme! Each sub-objective takes about 10-15 mins which means you are never asked to resume a game where you have to look at the objectives screen to remember what the hell you were doing! The NPCs give you clear directions, and act like people in a war would act (I have never been to war so if you want to argue...you win). Each objective serves a purpose as well for the overall offensive to make sense and yet you never quite feel like you are a one man army...your friends are around you for a good part of the game.

The combat sequences are also very cool, most of the time you can run around (forward..not backward like in serious sam or painkiller) and mow down enemies with contempt but at certain times, you are well advised to hide behind columns with a rail gun ready to land a perfectly timed headshot. I find that none of the enemies are soo difficult that you cannot dispatch them with a second or two of heads-up.

Fianlly....the simplicity is what really won me over. With so many games it becomes a 15 minute ordeal to simply map the buttons: Lean Left, right, bullet time, next inventory, next weapon, interact, use item...and on and on and on. In this game.....you need the following:

Shoot
Aim/Alt
Movement
Flashlight
Next/Prev Weapons
Jump/Crouch

And that's it!!!!! Simply amazing.....

So to sum it up...QUAKE 4 SUCKS.....haha...jokes.

QUAKE 4 RULES...seriously....if you haven't yet...go pick up a copy!

M
 
I can sum this up even better. It's Quake 2 but much prettier. If you liked Quake 2, you'll like this. If you didn't like Quake 2, you won't like Quake 4.

Heh but seriously, innovation? I'm not seeing any here. But innovation is /not/ a prerequisite for a good game, a good game is just a game executed well enough to entertain. I don't care if it's new as long as I'm having fun. If I'm so tired of something that it's not fun, innovation is the means to creating that entertainment, the innovation isn't an end in itself.

Quake 4's main difference is that you have people following you around to help shoot and to tell you where to go instead of just menu objectives or radio voices telling you. Aside from that it's just prettier. I personally liked Quake 2 myself, no need to fix what's not broke. If I want a more complicated game, I can play those too.

If you like the Quake-style gameplay, you'll want to play the latest Quake.
 
Yeah, the SP part of it is awesome. But I didn't like the MP at all :( just not my style I guess.
 
I would quote you mysogonist but I'm afraid my rig will explode :D J/K, I agree with your sentiments exactly. I loved every minute of it. Also Quake 3 was uber fun for years and it's nice to get my quake mp fix again.
 
Nice review (original poster), I agree with you.

Did anybody else find the story really interesting (heh stem cell research gone completely madd).

I find the Doom3 sound engine the best out there for 5.1. Nothing has yet to come close.
 
So far I would agree with all the above things said except for one thing. I really would like the ability to lean around a corner and shoot.

I just finished FEAR a couple days ago and really liked being able to peak around corners and pop the baddies in the head.

Obviously this would not work with many of the Quake 4 baddies/bosses. But it would for some of them.

Also, the "twist" as mentioned above just plain rocks! Up until that point, I was not as thrilled witht he game. From that point on... sweet! Love it.


Great post.
 
GeForceX said:
Quake 4 is not WW2, dude. No leaning.

-J.
Click to expand...

So all soldiers who are not fighting in WW2 are for some reason unable to lean?! Surely you'd like to lean around the corner to pop some rounds in an unsuspecting demon?!
 
that twist had me going and to tell you the truth i thought the game was going to end, i was so dissapointed =(

the music at key points made the moment alot more suprising too, it had just as good sound quality as DOOM3 had, but i miss the heavey metal from quake2

the sudden jolt of suprise music at the end got to me, i actually thought for a split second i was screwed
 
i picked this up yesterday, because i felt like i was wasting my system, and this games not bad. i never played any of the quakes but it looks a lot like the unreal tournament series
and it uses the doom3 engine much more effeciently with the lighting since in doom3 u play with half of your screen in pitch black

but in both engines i see the same flaw where when u walk it skips frames every ~2 seconds, its really hard to notice it but when u look closely at the walls while walking u can see it
 
xdkimx said:
but in both engines i see the same flaw where when u walk it skips frames every ~2 seconds, its really hard to notice it but when u look closely at the walls while walking u can see it
Click to expand...

I believe that is a vsync problem. What you are seeing is tearing of the image, and it is usually most noticeable when you are staring at a wall while running parallel to it. Happens in all other games that I play if I don't have vsync on.

After all these years I still think that Doom 3 has some of the best interior detail! Only now does Quake 4 come close terms the interior. Most other games have flat interior walls with simple geometric objects that clutter the level, which I think is a poor method of adding detail.
 
just finished quake 4... after playing both fear and quake 4...


I loved quake 4. FEAR just seemed like a crappy versian of Max Payne to me I don't know why. Quake 4 struck my heart in the senseless run and gun fashion that had a decent story. I loved the whole strogg thing from quake 2 and was happy to see it in q4.

I put my money on quake 4 for sure.
 
KillerMonkey said:
So all soldiers who are not fighting in WW2 are for some reason unable to lean?! Surely you'd like to lean around the corner to pop some rounds in an unsuspecting demon?!
Click to expand...
Well leaning really got big in WW2 games I think is what he means. And really, no I wouldn't want leaning in Q4. There's no real reason for it either since the game is so fast you can just strafe out and back behind cover with no real fear. It's just too fast of a game to need it. Plus, I use q and e for weapon binds.
 
obs said:
Well leaning really got big in WW2 games I think is what he means. And really, no I wouldn't want leaning in Q4. There's no real reason for it either since the game is so fast you can just strafe out and back behind cover with no real fear. It's just too fast of a game to need it. Plus, I use q and e for weapon binds.
Click to expand...

But FEAR was fast-paced, and it had leaning too ;) IMO it's a fun feature that isn't hard to implement. And players who don't like it, don't use it :p
 
I found Q4 boring...and I loved Quake 2. I mean it doesn't at all feel like Q2 to me. The need to reload is lame, sounds of the enemies don't feel unique as Q2 (every enemy made a distinctive sound to give it away). Worse problem is that its usually way too dark, Im sorry but Q2 was pretty well lit most of the time, I don't want to be running around in the dark like D3.

The graphics are good but Im not seeing anything special, basically D3 with new models and textures. Nothing beyond what it had... atleast FEAR has an awsome particle engine during firefights and the AI is some of the best.
 
The versions of Q2 on the DVD should have been redone in the new engine.
I just played a few maps of classic doom on the new engine and it rocks....better than the real doom 3 maybe.
 
is anyone getting the music to play with the dvd version of Q2, I kinda miss that from when I use to own Q2.
 
It did lack leaning. there were alot of far away fighting that the rail gun or machine gun zoom was used. Leaning could have been useful. Also didnt' anyone miss throwable grenades. Like doom had for example. It would have been nice for throwable nades of different flavors.
 
Yeah, I loooooved quake2... man, I used to tear it up on CTF every night for hours... so much fun... I am really liking quake4 also... whew... it's fast pace and easy game play suites my mild add/ocd very nicely. heh ;)

one thing, I want a grappling hook. :)
 
Quake 4 to me is very well done. Last night while playing, it made me realize just how much I love the DOOM3 engine. The shadowing and lighting really make for an imersive experience. What I really love about this engine is how damn good it runs on my PC. 1600x1200 is the resolution my eyes like best, and Q4 allows that with max details and great fps. It's a shame how a top-of-the-line PC built from the best components August '04 won't run these new proprietary engines (Call of Duty 2, F.E.A.R.) well at 1600x1200 with max details. Game engines have actually caught up to the hardware available! No more 200 fps in 1600x1200 like HL2. Anyway, I totally agree with the original poster about the lighting schemes used to great effect in Q4. When I got to the area where you have to escort the technician to the console and see that huge walker in the background, the blue fog was awesome and eerie. I thought the smoke effect in CoD2 was sweet, but Q4 has it to great effect also. And the sound is why I'm so glad for 5.1. Now if only Fox would make Aliens vs. Predator 3 with the DOOM3 engine... so awesome. Seeing how I bought Q4 and FEAR on the same day, I assumed Q4 would be on the back burner for a week or two, but that is simply not the case. Good job Raven!
 
I totally agree with the first poster. I found Q4 to be far more immersive than FEAR, better looking, better sounding (esp with the Open AL option activated), and most importantly it runs like a champ. I have a feeling Quake 4 is going to be a major sleeper hit given its quality and the positive word of mouth. I've convinced several clan mates to try it and theyve all reported back loving it. Guided nailgun shots FTW!
 
...sleeper hit? Quake 4? LOL. A hit perhaps, but to be a sleeper hit people would have to not notice it. A Quake game makes a pretty damned big splash:p
 
kelbear said:
.....A Quake game makes a pretty damned big splash:p
Click to expand...

C'mon man....that sentence had sooo much potential:

A Quake game practically shakes the earth
A Quake game causes quite the rumble
A Quake game tends to shake things up

:)
 
I seem to have a different view than most of you posters.
I loved Quake 2, in fact the Quake series has been one on my fav!
But I ended up getting FEAR first and I was blown away by it.
Things like the particles, Enemy A.I., suspense and story, blew me away. Small things like being able to see your feet, or climbing ladders with your hands, make a difference to me.

Now I have Quake 4 and I have been really enjoying it.
But It lacks a lot of things I got use to from FEAR, like the particle system, the SUPER smart A.I. ect. And things bug me like how everything is scripted right down the the NPC talking. It you are not standing were he is looking he still talks but to the wall (as if you were there.)

I love them game to death, these are the two best games FPS games this year for sure.

But I think I liked FEAR more.
 
Anyone else notice the more game reviewer tells us how good a games going to be the
more disappointed we are. I heard so much about Fear no way it could live up to the hype.
Quake 4 was what I had hoped it would be and more. I have played thru both. COD 2 is
next on my radar screen.

Just like the weather a long dry spell followed by a bunch of rain all at the same time.
 
I Loved it simply put.
I beat it the same day I picked up my preordered DVD version (release day duh :p )
I played it all day with not one break and beat it..and dammit i love it!
one of the things that still gets me is all the bitching and complaining about how the doom3 engine cant do outside environments to save its life. Yet when I had to board that landing ship walking around outside with what felt like a friggin UT map was great ! I looked up and was just awed by how big this place felt. running around in the hover tank or walker was just awsome! I made sure to save a game before each level and i find myself loading a save and screwing around on the outdoors maps ALOT.
 
Yeah, when I played Doom 3 for the first time, the engine really didnt excite me. Mainly because there were no outside levels. But now in Quake 4, the Doom 3 engine did a 180 for me. Its really nice looking. I think the tweaks they did to it, made a huge impact on my computer. Its running alot smoother for me, than Doom 3 did. The storyline is good aswell. I first started playing F.E.A.R then got Quake 4, and havnt loaded F.E.A.R yet. Im so drawn into the game, that I almost beat it already. Once I beat Quake 4, I will go beat F.E.A.R. Once I beat F.E.A.R, I will go buy COD 2 and beat that :D This October rocks!!!!!
 
Mysogonist said:
C'mon man....that sentence had sooo much potential:

A Quake game practically shakes the earth
A Quake game causes quite the rumble
A Quake game tends to shake things up

:)
Click to expand...

A Quake game makes me go stand in a doorway
;)
 
I have to agree with OP. This game is the most fun I have had since HL2 and maybe even FarCry. It's simply a fun game.
 
revenant said:
Yeah, I loooooved quake2... man, I used to tear it up on CTF every night for hours... so much fun... I am really liking quake4 also... whew... it's fast pace and easy game play suites my mild add/ocd very nicely. heh ;)

one thing, I want a grappling hook. :)
Click to expand...

How about a Quake 4 Lithium Mod? :D :cool:
 
Oooo... Mmmm... with the runes. I loved that. Speed rune and the hyper blaster.. whew. :D
 
I played it and I wasn't impressed. I beat the game in less then 2 days.

The game took too much from Doom 3 in graphics. You can see they used a lot of textures from Doom 3 and just like Doom 3 it's way too dark.

Then there's the story. I hate games where the character is quiet and doesn't say anything. You'd think the guys mute or something. Also I had no background story about these borg guys. Except that they tried to take earth and now humanity is pissed.

The guns didn't look impressive. Too many gun upgrades and too little new guns. Also the guys look like something that came out of Polycount .

The only good things I can think of is that the environment looks great. The walls were littered with human body parts in creative ways. Also there was that one gun. The gun that shoots a moving black hole.
 
I just started playing multiplayer and I dig it a lot. It really does encompass a lot of what Quake 2 was like, and I love that. Even the grunting sounds the guys make when they jump is almost identical. IT's retro and yet runs like a champ while looking great. I'm looking forward to mods and unique maps from the community. Grappling hook is a must.
 
Hi my name is Mr. Obvious, I'm here to discuss the plus and minuses of FEAR and Q4.

Quake 4 = Mediocre Singleplayer, Legendary Multiplayer, Fantastic Engine
FEAR = Great Singleplayer, Crap multiplayer, Fantastic Engine 2 years from now
 
Yeah, I think the FEAR engineers had the quad SLI setup in mind when they designed the advanced IQ features. Ha! ;) I was really looking forward to Quake4 because I know doom3 flew on my rig... Prey should be good in that respect also.. and it should be less "doomy" in it's use of textures (for those of you who thought that was a turn off on Q4).

EDIT: one other thing that clearly seperates Q4 from Doom3... a flashlight on your gun without a mod! :D
 
I've only played up the hanger blowing up type bit at the start, and I'm not that impressed so far, but it's engaging enough, and I hear that it gets better.

I haven't dared to try the MP yet, my former l337 madskillz are weak from lack of practice with real shooters for some time, and I'll probably be owned badly, and there aren't that many playing it this side of the atlantic yet, but I'm very much looking forward to it.

It'd be nice if there were bots, I always find it easier to learn maps and weapons when there's something shooting back so you have to try a little harder, being brutally pWned every 5 seconds makes it hard to get a feel and a rythm going.

Technologically I'm very impressed, maybe it's just because you can see the environments, but no way does D3 look that pretty, but better yet, I was expecting noticably worse performance, but so far it seems to be running slightly smoother than D3 at the same settings. I think D3 wasn't so hot when it came to really using what resources your system had to offer (you have to tell D3 if you have more than 512 ram in the config file to get the best out of it).

And for the guy with the stutter problem, that sounds like what happens when you have vsync on but tripple buffering off, force TB in the drivers and it should stop doing that.
 
Doom 3 was made for a system with lower specs. You can tell because Doom 3 is mostly in doors. Hardly anything is outdoors.

Quake 4 does use the Doom 3 engine a lot better but it's no better then Unreal 3. I was more amazed with Unreal 3 in graphics and story then I did with Quake 4.

Don't know why people keep putting down Doom 3. It's still a more amazing game then Quake 4 and Unreal 3. Just wish the graphics in Doom 3 were a little sharper. The Doom 3 engine looks like a constant blur IMO.
 
unreal3 is not even close to coming out yet... er, is it? or did I miss something? it does look nice and all, but i'd rather play quake4 or FEAR than drool over u3 screen shots any day of the week. Also, I think FEAR's engine might have a leg up on the doom3 engine.. That per-pixel shading with every light source is (FEAR) is just bad-ass. It's taxing, but it looks so pretty. :) Anyways, with both of these just out it's a great week to be a gamer. :)
 
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