QUAKE 4
XBOX 360
Genre: FPS
Difficulty: Medium
Players: 1 (Offline); 2-8 (XBOX Live); 2-8 (System Link)
Developer: Raven
Publisher: Activision
Review by Ruined
SYNOPSIS
In a desperate war for Earth's survival, against an unrelenting alien enemy, the only way to defeat them is to become one of them. Armed with advanced weaponry and vehicles and aided by an elite squad of marines, you take the battle to the heart of the Strogg home planet and become Earth's only hope for victory.
Quake 4 is Raven's latest FPS game, developed primarily by Raven - though id Software also contributed. Quake has an interesting history in terms of focus; Quake 1 and Quake 2 had both solid single and multiplayer modes. On the other hand, Quake 3 was primarily multiplayer focused with no rousing single player campaign to be found. Going back to the style of the first two Quake games, Quake 4 offers both a solid single player campaign and multiplayer offerings. How does it fare on XBOX 360?
GRAPHICS: D
Score reflects graphics viewed at 1080i resolution
Not the best way to start out a review. Quake 4's graphics on XBOX 360, in short, are pathetic compared to the PC version in the single player game. While the image quality is similar to the PC version, the framerate is nowhere near to being as close. In outdoor single player levels, the XBOX 360 version of the game struggles to maintain 30fps, very frequently dipping into the teens. While the PC version also has slowdown in taxing outdoor areas, it is much less dramatic than the slowdown in the XBOX 360 version. In indoor single player levels, the XBOX 360 version generally fluctuates between 25-60fps but has no sense of consistency and in intense battles again dips into the teens. In short, the framerate is incredibly inconsistent in the single player game, and you likely won't go one level without suffering noticable slowdown at least a few times throughout. This does not per se make the game any less fun or unplayable by any stretch, it is just disappointing to see an XBOX 360 game be outperformed by a mid-end PC. It appears that Raven simply ported over the PC version which is only optimized for single core/single thread as opposed to multithread/multicore, therefore not optimizing it for XBOX 360's architecture.
That being said, I found the framerate in the multiplayer maps to be smooth, with slowdown rarely seen. Therefore, if you are buying Quake 4 primarily for single player purposes, you will likely be very disappointed in the framerate. If you are planning on spending a large amount of time playing multiplayer, though, you will have a decent experience.
SOUND: B+
Score reflects sound played back in 5.1 Surround
Sound is very good, but is not really a stand out. While all of the weapons have very nice sound effects, the music is mostly ambient and limited. The 5.1 Surround sound is good in this game but again not a standout. Like all XBOX 360 games, custom soundtracks are supported through the XBOX 360 Guide button.
CONTROL: B
Control is good and gets the job done, but is not outstanding. Buttons are configurable. By default: Jump is assigned to A, Use is assigned to B, Reload is assigned to X, Light is assigned to Y, Fire is assigned to Right Trigger, Scope is assigned to Left Trigger, and the two bumpers (shoulder buttons) on the top scroll through the weapons.
SINGLE PLAYER GAMEPLAY: B+
The plot of the game, very simple, revolves around defeating the Strogg. The Strogg are a sort of alien robotically-enhanced human-like race. Most of the enemies look like cyborg variants, and you will be killing those enemies first-person shooter style. The weapons you have access to are mostly standard fare - machine gun, rocket launcher, railgun, etc. Nothing all too creative, though that is okay since this is Quake afterall.
There are a blend of indoor and outdoor levels, but most of the time is spent indoors. The levels are in ways reminiscent of Doom3, while at the same time being somewhat different. While Doom3 focused on creating suspense with darkness and powerful enemies that jump out at you, Quake 4 primarily piles on larger numbers of weaker enemies in brighter environments. However, many levels retain the look of Doom3, though this may simply be because the game uses the Doom3 engine.
Unlike Doom3, Quake 4 has numerous outdoor areas as well as some vehicular combat sequences. The vehicular combat sequences are primarily either rail-shooters or simple move-and-shoot tank/SUV/etc sequences and mix up the gameplay a bit.
The single player campaign offers many hours of gameplay, however I'm not sure that is entirely a good thing; it seems that level themes are repeated a bit too much. If Raven were to trim the fat from this game, it would be significantly shortened but also would likely be more intense and exciting.
Quake 4 also offers a bonus disc with the full version of Quake 2 and some making-of materials. While I didn't bother looking at the making-of stuff, I tried out Quake 2. The graphics have not been enhanced, however the resolution and IQ-enhancing effects of a modern-day videocard have been applied to make the game look more visually appealing than how you remember it.
MULTIPLAYER GAMEPLAY & XBOX LIVE FEATURES: B+
Difficulty to earn XBOX Live Achievement Points: Medium
Quake 4 has a healthy amount of multiplayer modes that can be played both via XBOX Live multiplayer and via System Link: Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, CTF, Arena CTF, and Tourney. Gameplay is dead on here, with great fun to be had in all modes. Netcode is good with little to no lag, though the lack of a dedicated server option (who the hell would buy an X360 just to run a Q4 dedicated server?!) reduces the maximum players to 8 from the PC version. Raven went ahead and made the multiplayer levels smaller so they better fit the reduced number of players. The included bonus version of Quake 2 also supports multiplayer but not over XBOX Live unlike Quake 4. All multiplayer modes are well done and very intense, even if you don't know who you are playing with.
Quake 4 supports all the standard XBOX Live features plus gives some interesting achievements that you can try to win to impress your (nerdy) friends. Most achievements center around beating levels using only one weapon type, racking up multiplayer experience, and progressing through the single player game. Raven even went the extra mile and included XBOX Live achievements for progressing through the single player game of the bonus Quake 2 game included with Quake 4!
GLITCHES
There are two confirmed glitches with Quake 4. I have experienced both of these myself and confirmed them with numerous people who own the game.
The first glitch occurs during the Canyon level; after you defend a marine who is removing landmines from the track ahead of your convoy, there is a good chance the game will freeze when entering the doors ahead of the landmines. If your game freezes, you must restart your console, reload your saved game, and try the section again. One individual reported that going through the doors with your back facing them may prevent the freeze from occuring. In my case, this occured once and the second time through the game did not freeze.
The second glitch randomly occurs at the end of levels, especially later in the game. There is a chance that after completing a level the game will pause for 10-20 seconds, appearing frozen, instead of loading the next level. Generally just waiting out the pause will allow you to continue without issue; however, if the game is still frozen after a minute, you will need to reset and reload your saved game. In my case, the game paused two times at the end of a level, each time the game resumed after about 15 seconds of being frozen.
It is noteworthy to mention that the PC version of Quake 4 also has issues with freezing/locking up.
OVERALL: B-
Raven looks like they put some effort into giving the Quake gamer the things they wanted in this package; a solid single player campaign, a solid multiplayer experience, the full version of Quake 2, and some interesting XBOX Live achievements you can try to attain to impress your fellow gamers. Unfortunately the framerate of Quake 4's single player game drag down the overall score of the game, which probably would have been a B+ if it were a steady 30fps at minimum. John Carmack should have intervened to better adapt Quake 4 to the XBOX 360 hardware; this likely did not happen because it is likely Quake 4 would have missed launch if that was done, plus this was a Raven-developed game, not id Software.
If you want to experience Quake 4 in your living room on your Home Theater System, this is still the best way to do it. While hardcore gamers may cringe at the single player game's framerate, they probably will find solace in the good multiplayer game and bonus Quake 2 game offered. More casual gamers probably would not mind the occasional slowdown in the single player game, though they may find the simplicity of the single and multiplayer game a bit too "old school". Therefore, I'm awarding this game a B- and suggesting that you buy this game if you enjoyed Doom3 - but only if you can put up with an unstable framerate in the single player portion of the game. Because of my love for id Software-style games, I will definitely be keeping Quake 4 for XBOX 360 despite its flaws; playing Quake on your couch with a bigscreen TV and surround sound is a fun experience that in ways can't really be matched by a PC.
Link to buy: http://www.gamestop.com/product.asp?product_id=200101
XBOX 360
Genre: FPS
Difficulty: Medium
Players: 1 (Offline); 2-8 (XBOX Live); 2-8 (System Link)
Developer: Raven
Publisher: Activision
Review by Ruined
SYNOPSIS
In a desperate war for Earth's survival, against an unrelenting alien enemy, the only way to defeat them is to become one of them. Armed with advanced weaponry and vehicles and aided by an elite squad of marines, you take the battle to the heart of the Strogg home planet and become Earth's only hope for victory.
Quake 4 is Raven's latest FPS game, developed primarily by Raven - though id Software also contributed. Quake has an interesting history in terms of focus; Quake 1 and Quake 2 had both solid single and multiplayer modes. On the other hand, Quake 3 was primarily multiplayer focused with no rousing single player campaign to be found. Going back to the style of the first two Quake games, Quake 4 offers both a solid single player campaign and multiplayer offerings. How does it fare on XBOX 360?
GRAPHICS: D
Score reflects graphics viewed at 1080i resolution
Not the best way to start out a review. Quake 4's graphics on XBOX 360, in short, are pathetic compared to the PC version in the single player game. While the image quality is similar to the PC version, the framerate is nowhere near to being as close. In outdoor single player levels, the XBOX 360 version of the game struggles to maintain 30fps, very frequently dipping into the teens. While the PC version also has slowdown in taxing outdoor areas, it is much less dramatic than the slowdown in the XBOX 360 version. In indoor single player levels, the XBOX 360 version generally fluctuates between 25-60fps but has no sense of consistency and in intense battles again dips into the teens. In short, the framerate is incredibly inconsistent in the single player game, and you likely won't go one level without suffering noticable slowdown at least a few times throughout. This does not per se make the game any less fun or unplayable by any stretch, it is just disappointing to see an XBOX 360 game be outperformed by a mid-end PC. It appears that Raven simply ported over the PC version which is only optimized for single core/single thread as opposed to multithread/multicore, therefore not optimizing it for XBOX 360's architecture.
That being said, I found the framerate in the multiplayer maps to be smooth, with slowdown rarely seen. Therefore, if you are buying Quake 4 primarily for single player purposes, you will likely be very disappointed in the framerate. If you are planning on spending a large amount of time playing multiplayer, though, you will have a decent experience.
SOUND: B+
Score reflects sound played back in 5.1 Surround
Sound is very good, but is not really a stand out. While all of the weapons have very nice sound effects, the music is mostly ambient and limited. The 5.1 Surround sound is good in this game but again not a standout. Like all XBOX 360 games, custom soundtracks are supported through the XBOX 360 Guide button.
CONTROL: B
Control is good and gets the job done, but is not outstanding. Buttons are configurable. By default: Jump is assigned to A, Use is assigned to B, Reload is assigned to X, Light is assigned to Y, Fire is assigned to Right Trigger, Scope is assigned to Left Trigger, and the two bumpers (shoulder buttons) on the top scroll through the weapons.
SINGLE PLAYER GAMEPLAY: B+
The plot of the game, very simple, revolves around defeating the Strogg. The Strogg are a sort of alien robotically-enhanced human-like race. Most of the enemies look like cyborg variants, and you will be killing those enemies first-person shooter style. The weapons you have access to are mostly standard fare - machine gun, rocket launcher, railgun, etc. Nothing all too creative, though that is okay since this is Quake afterall.
There are a blend of indoor and outdoor levels, but most of the time is spent indoors. The levels are in ways reminiscent of Doom3, while at the same time being somewhat different. While Doom3 focused on creating suspense with darkness and powerful enemies that jump out at you, Quake 4 primarily piles on larger numbers of weaker enemies in brighter environments. However, many levels retain the look of Doom3, though this may simply be because the game uses the Doom3 engine.
Unlike Doom3, Quake 4 has numerous outdoor areas as well as some vehicular combat sequences. The vehicular combat sequences are primarily either rail-shooters or simple move-and-shoot tank/SUV/etc sequences and mix up the gameplay a bit.
The single player campaign offers many hours of gameplay, however I'm not sure that is entirely a good thing; it seems that level themes are repeated a bit too much. If Raven were to trim the fat from this game, it would be significantly shortened but also would likely be more intense and exciting.
Quake 4 also offers a bonus disc with the full version of Quake 2 and some making-of materials. While I didn't bother looking at the making-of stuff, I tried out Quake 2. The graphics have not been enhanced, however the resolution and IQ-enhancing effects of a modern-day videocard have been applied to make the game look more visually appealing than how you remember it.
MULTIPLAYER GAMEPLAY & XBOX LIVE FEATURES: B+
Difficulty to earn XBOX Live Achievement Points: Medium
Quake 4 has a healthy amount of multiplayer modes that can be played both via XBOX Live multiplayer and via System Link: Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, CTF, Arena CTF, and Tourney. Gameplay is dead on here, with great fun to be had in all modes. Netcode is good with little to no lag, though the lack of a dedicated server option (who the hell would buy an X360 just to run a Q4 dedicated server?!) reduces the maximum players to 8 from the PC version. Raven went ahead and made the multiplayer levels smaller so they better fit the reduced number of players. The included bonus version of Quake 2 also supports multiplayer but not over XBOX Live unlike Quake 4. All multiplayer modes are well done and very intense, even if you don't know who you are playing with.
Quake 4 supports all the standard XBOX Live features plus gives some interesting achievements that you can try to win to impress your (nerdy) friends. Most achievements center around beating levels using only one weapon type, racking up multiplayer experience, and progressing through the single player game. Raven even went the extra mile and included XBOX Live achievements for progressing through the single player game of the bonus Quake 2 game included with Quake 4!
GLITCHES
There are two confirmed glitches with Quake 4. I have experienced both of these myself and confirmed them with numerous people who own the game.
The first glitch occurs during the Canyon level; after you defend a marine who is removing landmines from the track ahead of your convoy, there is a good chance the game will freeze when entering the doors ahead of the landmines. If your game freezes, you must restart your console, reload your saved game, and try the section again. One individual reported that going through the doors with your back facing them may prevent the freeze from occuring. In my case, this occured once and the second time through the game did not freeze.
The second glitch randomly occurs at the end of levels, especially later in the game. There is a chance that after completing a level the game will pause for 10-20 seconds, appearing frozen, instead of loading the next level. Generally just waiting out the pause will allow you to continue without issue; however, if the game is still frozen after a minute, you will need to reset and reload your saved game. In my case, the game paused two times at the end of a level, each time the game resumed after about 15 seconds of being frozen.
It is noteworthy to mention that the PC version of Quake 4 also has issues with freezing/locking up.
OVERALL: B-
Raven looks like they put some effort into giving the Quake gamer the things they wanted in this package; a solid single player campaign, a solid multiplayer experience, the full version of Quake 2, and some interesting XBOX Live achievements you can try to attain to impress your fellow gamers. Unfortunately the framerate of Quake 4's single player game drag down the overall score of the game, which probably would have been a B+ if it were a steady 30fps at minimum. John Carmack should have intervened to better adapt Quake 4 to the XBOX 360 hardware; this likely did not happen because it is likely Quake 4 would have missed launch if that was done, plus this was a Raven-developed game, not id Software.
If you want to experience Quake 4 in your living room on your Home Theater System, this is still the best way to do it. While hardcore gamers may cringe at the single player game's framerate, they probably will find solace in the good multiplayer game and bonus Quake 2 game offered. More casual gamers probably would not mind the occasional slowdown in the single player game, though they may find the simplicity of the single and multiplayer game a bit too "old school". Therefore, I'm awarding this game a B- and suggesting that you buy this game if you enjoyed Doom3 - but only if you can put up with an unstable framerate in the single player portion of the game. Because of my love for id Software-style games, I will definitely be keeping Quake 4 for XBOX 360 despite its flaws; playing Quake on your couch with a bigscreen TV and surround sound is a fun experience that in ways can't really be matched by a PC.
Link to buy: http://www.gamestop.com/product.asp?product_id=200101