Quake II

"'Rocking my world"

'Quake II' on PlayStation is a port of the highly successful PC first person shooter 'Quake II.' Usually alarm bells ring when someone mentions the word 'port' and 'PlayStation' in the same sentence, but rest assure, 'Quake II' on PlayStation is a truly amazing experience. Comparison between the PSX version and PC version are inevitable, but it stacks up surprisingly well against its PC counterpart.

The storyline of 'Quake II' involves you, a Marine of the future, crash landing on a hostile alien planet. You must battle for survival against hordes of demonic aliens and twisted mutants.
The story line is rather inconsequential to the actual action at hand, but hey, who needs a story when you have mutated cybernetic aliens wielding shotguns?!
Story: 2

For a PlayStation game, 'Quake II' is a technical master piece, running at a consistent and smooth framerate at almost all times, even when split in two and even four screens!
The models are highly detailed for a PlayStation game, and aren't too blocky. The texturing is not so good, as it seems to be pixelated and rather ugly.
The levels themselves have changed a bit from the PC version, with the biggest difference being that the PSX version is now split up into different 'sectors.' Each time you enter a new sector a brief loading screen appears. As bad as it sounds this is not such a problem, as the load time is only around two to five seconds, and means that the action can be kept at a constant speed.
Sadly though, not all the maps are the same as their PC counterparts, many of them smaller and more restricted. Some of the scripted events have been taken out as well, and there are times when there is some extremely ugly geometry onscreen.
Texturing is another problem. At first the textures look great, but upon closer inspection they are highly pixelated and ugly.
The colour palette in 'Quake II' is rather restricted, offering brown, brown and more brown. You will be amazed how many shades of brown there actually are! This is not a fault of the PSX version, as this was the same as in the PC version. It adds to the atmosphere however, giving a murky and depressing atmosphere, just right for the theme.
The lighting leaves a bit to be desired though when compared to its PC counterpart, as much of the shadowing and darkness has been removed. No longer are the levels dark and dingy, but surprisingly well lit, which is a bit of a pity considering how much they added to the atmosphere of the PC version. You just don't get the same sense of hopelessness creeping through a dark corridor aimed only with a blaster. A minor concern really, but one that should be pointed out.
As mentioned before, 'Quake II' runs amazingly well even in four-player mode, which is great news for those who are looking for a solid multiplayer experience. The maps are rather limited in size in this mode, which is a pity, but it only makes the action more frantic and fast paced. The framerate manages to stay at a good speed, although does drop when everyone starts shooting rockets left right and centre.
'Quake II' is easily one of the best-looking PSX games available, and runs smooth and consistently which in the end is all that really counts.
Graphics: 9

Sound is another important feature in any first person shooter, and in this regard 'Quake II' does not disappoint.
The music is a selection of various hard rock tracks that suit the game PERFECTLY. I found the music so good that I turned it up just to hear it better.
There were a few problems with the music though, relating to the sector changes. When this happens the track is skipped to the next. This becomes a problem because some of the sector changes are within only a minute or so between, sometimes even less than that. This is not always the case, but the disjointed music starts to play a problem as you seem to only hear the beginning of each track, and never in its full entirety.
The sound effects are average, with your usual assortment of gun blasts and screams of pain. There was one sound effect that started to wear thin on my nerves, which was that of the captured marines screaming 'Help!' over and over again, to the point where I just shot them to make them shut-up. Every second or so they'd scream out, which I can tell you now, gets very frustrating VERY quickly.
At least you can shoot them!
Sound: 8

Like any good game, 'Quake II' is an absolute pleasure to play, in both single and multi-player.
What makes it so good is hard to tell, but it just has that certain spark that keeps you interested.
At the onset of each new level you are given a few set objectives, usually involving getting to a certain point on the map, or retrieving a key card or some similar item.
To achieve these goals usually means blasting through hordes of aliens and mutants, using increasingly more powerful weaponry.
The weapons on offer include the basic blaster, shotgun, double barrel shotgun, machine gun, chain gun, grenade launcher, rocket launcher, rail gun, and hyper blaster. The weapons are all varied and offer a balanced experience.
Unlike the PC version, the machine gun no longer has recoil, as it would be a nightmare to control if it did.
Speaking of which, the controls in 'Quake II' are responsive and intuitive. You can chose to play using wither the standard digital control pad, or Dual Shock controller. Each offers different control set-ups, so there is bound to be a setup that suits you. I found the Dual Shock to be the best option, but sadly it just can't cut it against a keyboard and mouse. There are times when the controls seem rather clumsy, such as trying to shoot an enemy behind you.
Another problem is that the circular strafe tactic where you just run a loop around the enemy is much harder to perform and actually HIT the enemy at the same time.
The multiplayer side of 'Quake II' is great, offering two to four players on the one screen. You can play a free for all or team deathmatch. Sadly the maps are rather small and uninteresting, but do provide some frantic fights.
This mode is probably one of the definitive highlights of the PSX version of 'Quake II,' and even manages to better the N64 version of the original 'Quake I' which only supported two player.
This game is highly recommended for those looking for a solid multiplayer title the next time friends come over.
Gameplay: 9
Life Span: 8

Pros
+ Graphics
+ Music
+ Multiplayer
+ Gameplay

Cons
- Grainy textures
- Limited single player appeal
- Clumsy controls at times

'Quake II' on PSX is a solid effort and an amazing conversion of the PC classic, that no PSX owner should be without. However, it is still inferior to its PC counterpart. My advice is that if you have a PC, buy this game on that. If not, be prepared for one of the best PSX shooters ever.
Overall: 9

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 12/06/02, Updated 12/06/02