"I Miss 'Wolfenstein'"

'Quake' is one of the landmark games in recent memory, it being the franchise to follow up 'Doom,' the first-person shooter that changed the gaming world considerably. Unfortunately, 'Quake' seems to be an impressive but empty experience, a technical achievement but not a visceral one. The Id Software library is evolving in technological terms, but their games seem to be losing heart as they go along.
I loved 'Wolfenstein 3D,' for example. It's essentially the grandfather of 'Quake,' and it was a blast. You had to have your character escape from the Nazis in a hail of bullets, and when it came down to the brass tacks, you'd even end up eating dog food just to survive. The impact of shooting those righteous bastards was palpable, and despite the old-fashioned graphics, the game had a feel that one couldn't put a finger on. It was simple, gritty, and fun.
Now we come to 'Quake.' It looks like a million bucks, and the action is fast and furious. But to quote Montgomery Burns, ''where's the heart?'' The enemies are stale and completely devoid of personality. Instead of blasting those evil, putrid Nazis, you're gunning down faceless ogre-beasts and other collections of polygons. It's like reading a dry, dull technical manual in fancy binding.
The weapons are equally drab. There's the usual collection of shotguns and rocket launchers, and the super-gun, the electric cannon, is a big letdown upon its discovery. (Couldn't there be something more spectacular for the ultimate gun, rather than a big tazer?) The two nail guns, for the record, are pretty darn cool, and make a great sound when they're shot. More weapons like that would have made this game a lot more entertaining.
Each level is the usual 'find-the-exit' exercise, with secret passages and keys and all that jazz. The game doesn't really hint at any ultimate goal as you play; you just sort of plod along, assuming that you'll end up in a final confrontation with the head bad guy. (Which, of course, you do.) The storyline is minimal, if it exists at all, and the 'ending' is a laugh. After slogging through all of these dungeons and lame bad guys, doesn't a gamer deserve a big payoff at the end?
The artificial intelligence of the nasties in 'Quake' is a step above 'Doom,' but it still needs some work. Your best bet is to play this game multiplayer, and duel with your friends. In fact, taken as a multiplayer game alone, 'Quake' is actually pretty fun. Even if the designers couldn't rustle up a fun story and interesting guys to fight, you can always write your own battles and have your pals fill in for the lacking villains.
The graphics, as previously noted, are impressive. The screen is constantly filled with amazing sights, such as high arched ceilings and huge, spacious rooms. Unfortunately, the colors throughout the game are drab and repetitive; the world of 'Quake' is soaked in brown and black. Your eyes begin to beg for a little color, just to perk up a little.
The music is pretty forgettable, even though it was widely publicized as being penned by Trent Reznor, of Nine Inch Nails fame. I guess he was wisely saving his good stuff for his next record. The sound effects are pretty good, and can be even a little haunting late at night. Playing without music might be the way to go.
I don't know, 'Quake' just seems to fall under the huge umbrella of 'fancy but ultimately empty' games that look good in displays but don't really touch the player in any way. 'Wolfenstein 3D' had a real passion to it, and 'Doom' had a great touch of claustrophobic, hellish madness. 'Quake' is just a polygon-crunching program with guns attached.

Reviewer's Score: 5/10, Originally Posted: 05/24/00, Updated 05/24/00