The latest issue of PC Gamer arrived in my hands this morning and between its covers is the first exclusive look at Quake IV. Funny thing - I skipped to the Rome Total War review first (92% btw) See Doom 3 hasn’t yet done it for me. It was a blast at first (scared the bejebus out of me) but I could only enter so many rooms where something jumped out from behind a wall. Too much rinsing, not enough washing and far too much repeating.

I don’t know what that means. Anyway, with Doom 3 id has left a sour taste in my mouth, and so I wasn’t all-excited for another of their properties. More so, the game is coming out WHO knows when.??

But it looks like Raven Software is steering Quake IV an unexpected direction. Lately the FPS industry’s foundations have been shifitng a bit with squad-based shooters - think Call of Duty and Brothers in Arms. Quake IV seems to be following suit.

A sequel to Quake 2, the game’s story picks up 4 hours later and pits you against the Strogg forces in an all out battle for their home world. Like Quake 2, you start out invading a planet - this time you don’t crashland a personal capsule on Mars to fight your way alone.

Expect a Saving Private Ryan D-Day beach battle, except this time around you’re on the Strogg home world. Entirely unlike Doom 3, the game renders vast expanses of land. From the get go you and fellow forces stage an assault across open territory. Keeping supression fire going, you have to move between cover to pick off bad guys (while generally trying to stay alive ). Meanwhile that Destroyer
you rode-in-on provides fire/artillery support from above. Lots of things going boom. Lots of gore. Lots of gibs. mmmm.. gibs.

The main push of the game is to keep the story experience going while the action continues to stream in. Fellow marines (who have personalities ) will go on “point” (suckahs). When a giant maw opens up and swallows them whole, that’s your cue to start blasting the hell outta everything in front of you. Action shooter goodness.

“Even when the action seems to slow, the overall war doesn’t. You’ll be safe for the moment in a Marine-held compound underground, when a massive explosion will rock the surface and shake the walls. Everywhere you go, the conflict will be a constant looming presence - an “ambient war environment”, as Willits describes it” -
Dan Morris, November 2004 PC Gamer

Reminds me of one element of Halo that I loved - playing a part of some bigger war. I mean, sure, being the focal point of the game when everyone is shooting at you is great, but sticking that in the mix of larger mayhem, that’s something entirely different and fantastic. I don’t know if Quake IV will even come close to pulling it off well, but I’m anxious to see it… Especially while moving through something as horrific as a Strogg factory. Remember those body part machines in Quake 2? Yeah, these screen shots… um.. they’ll look a lot better now.

I sense Quake IV will have that same Alien/Aliens relationship with Doom 3 - expect more explosions, more help, and fewer dark halls. If you see PC Gamer on the shelves this month, it’s worth the cover price.

Quake IV is set to come out in 2005.

PS. Click the above image to see the artist’s concept notes.