"id software has done it again"

After countless test versions, Quake III: Arena is here. It is possibly one of the most anticipated games of the year, and it doesn't fail to deliver the goods.

Graphics- 10/10

Let's get the graphics out of the way first. They are nothing short of spectacular. Awesome textures, detailed character models, curved surfaces, amazing effects, Quake III: Arena is one of the best looking FPS's to date. Even if you are running it in a low resolution, it is still great looking, but you need a good 3D card, and a fairly up-to-date system to fully appreciate the graphics. This game is also fast, there is hardly a hitch in the framerate unless there is a large amount of action going on, or too many bots are being used.

Sound- 9/10

The sound in Quake III: Arena is also well-done. The music isn't a total pain to listen to for a change and the sound effects are superb, with each different character model having their own grunts and voices. Sound also plays an important role in finding your enemies, as you can hear their footsteps.

Gameplay- 10/10

This is where the game is truly outstanding, I would've given it 11 if I could have. First, you have a single player mode in which you play through all the different levels, playing against computer-controlled bots which put up a surprisingly good fight. The bot's all have different personalities as well. You can actually learn that a certain bot may favour the shotgun, and always go for that weapon or something like that. It's truly a pleasure to play. The difficulty levels have a pretty big jump though. You may totally demolish the bots on "Bring it on!" but have trouble on "Hurt me Plenty". And the "Nightmare" difficuly is basically impossible, with bots making shots that a human player would never make.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 12/12/99, Updated 12/12/99