Quake III Revolution

"Die...all of you...die...painfully, slowly and unmercifully..."

Multiplayer frag festivals like Quake hold a special place in my heart, simply because there is enough first person shooting and mayhem to keep my interest for more than ten minutes. In a response to the critically acclaimed Quake 3 Arena on the Dreamcast, this version of Quake 3 offers you several of the same features that the Dreamcast version offered, but with a small twist. No longer are you limited to a character that you select, but through a single-player mode, you can actually increase and strengthen your character for future use in multiplayer games! As with other First Person Shooter {FPS} games, you’ll find that the control is clean, the visuals are sharp and the game play is fast and furious.

The story line that you find here in Quake Revolution really isn’t much of a story line, but rather a lead into what this game is. Taking the role of a character, you must battle your way through the arenas and take out the Vadrigar. Although you are not alone, you have no friends, no companions and the only thing you can trust is the cold steel and the satisfying pull of the trigger as you splatter the entrails of your enemies against the walls! With several arenas, modes and overall fun, you’ll find that this Quake variation is probably one of the best FPS games that you can find for the Play Station 2, and there isn’t another one like it unless you fall back to the Dreamcast.

For a FPS, Quake III: Revolution is probably one of the more extensive games that I’ve played in quite a while. Even though you’re limited to the confines of a huge arena, you’re fighting both the layouts of the stage and the computer intelligence at nearly every passing moment. Weapons are littered throughout the stages for you to pick up and use all of them with different ranges and abilities. What makes Quake so interesting is that you aren’t limited to a simple computer chosen character, but you can literally increase the attributes of the character through the completion of single-player missions!

These single-player missions make up a good portion of the game if you’re playing alone and range from the standard Deathmatches to a rather interesting Skirmish option that allows you to fight several enemies across several different arenas! The point to all of this may seem unclear at first, but you’ll find that each of the characters is strong in one aspect, but weak in another. Through the use of these single-player missions, you’ll be able to increase and perfect your selected character to be used in the game, or in later multiplayer matches. However, you’ve got a very limited amount of characters to choose from, so be prepared to do plenty of trail and error in order to get yourself the right mix.

Control wise, you have nothing here that is terribly difficult to work with, and if you’re having trouble, then you can customize it through the control configuration. For most FPS veterans, there is nothing here that will challenge you, with the weapons switching being a breeze and moving akin to riding a bike. Beginners to the game will probably want to learn how to work with the speed at which the game moves in certain points. However, if you’re into games such as this, the Play Station 2 controller is easy enough to work with and you won’t have too many problems getting through the game!

Visually, the game isn’t much different than the Dreamcast Quake III. You’ll find that the characters are smooth moving and the arenas are relatively huge in nature with small details being emphasized on in most areas. Weapon effects are sweet to look at, and although you really won’t have much of the Doom style effects, there is enough here to keep your eyes on the game. Speed is something that his highly emphasized upon, and although the camera is easy to work with, the sheer speed that you need to watch can be a little disorientating! However, there are problems, in which some of the areas look a little jagged and there are instances where the game seems to move so fast that the screen jumps when you least expect it to.

Audio wise, there is a rather interesting soundtrack that keeps the pace of the game to the maximum. Although it tries to keep the game in a rather dismal sense, you’ll still find that the music is fast enough to accentuate the type of fast and furious pace. Sound effects are slightly muted though, with most of your effects coming from various gunfire and explosions throughout the arenas. All in all, you’re really not looking for the way that the game sounds in the effects range, but what there is, is sufficient enough to keep you moving on through the game to the end!

Quake III Revolution is not an Internet capable game, which is something that the Dreamcast Arena seems to have over this title. Although you have the multiplayer games that are always fun, you’ll still seek to find your way through all of the various single-player missions simply because you can improve your character! With control that is easy to learn and master and visuals that keep the game at a steady pace, there is very little here that is wrong with the game, other than its been done before. If you like FPS games and you’re a Quake Arena fan with a Play Station 2, then this would be a solid choice to add to your collection. However, if you’re looking for a little more than mindless shooting, then you may want to wait for Medal of Honor and leave this one for parties.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 01/27/02, Updated 01/27/02