"Solid, but still missing something"

Quake has two basic goals. First, stay alive. Second, get out of the place you're in. The first level of each episode ends in a slipgate, which signify that you've entered another dimension. When you complete an entire dimension, you encounter another slipgate, which returns you to the start.

Quake comes from ID the producers of ‘DOOM' and ‘DOOM II' so you know it will be a great game. ID is famous for its first person shooters, and this is one of the best.

After you choose your skill level, you actually get to choose what episode you play. You will come to a room with four exits, each leading to a different military complex, or episode. There are four total episodes. The four episodes in order are Dimension of the Doomed, Realm of Black Magic, Netherworld, and The Elder World.

Quake also has one of the best online multiplayer options for any first person shooter. You can play cooperative, death match, or team games. Quake is very fun to play online. It brings a new level of challenge and excitement to the game. If regular game play will bore you after a while, the multiplayer option will certainly bring you more fun.

The Story
You get a call at 4 A.M. By 5:30, you are in a secret installation. The commander explains, “It's about the Slipgate device. Once we perfect these, we can use them to transport people and cargo from one place to another instantly. An enemy, codenamed Quake, is using his own slipgates to insert death squads inside our bases to kill, steal, and kidnap. We have no idea where he's from. Our top scientists think Quake's not from Earth, but another dimension. You are our best man and you need to find Quake and stop him. You have full authority to requisition anything you need. Good Luck!”

That is basically a summary of the story, from the manual of the game, copied almost exactly. Yes it does say that you can requisition anything you want but that would make the game too easy right? So unfortunately you can't say, “I want a rocket launcher!” and poof there it is. The story in this game doesn't quite compare to other Quake games to come after it, but overall the story is pretty good.

Graphics
The graphics are the next step up from ‘DOOM' and are fairly clear and easy to see. They are fairly life-like and make the game much better. You can see bullets fly and blood splatter as you play through the game. Quake delivers radically different graphics engine and mesmerizing 3-D effects.

Sound
The sound is very good. You hear groaning, constant gunshots, dogs barking, and other creepy sounds. And there is basically no music making it an even more nerve-racking experience. But something I noticed is that you hear groaning and enemy sounds when there is no enemies I sight, but this does make the game a little more interesting.

Game Play
You are given a ridiculous arsenal of weapons in Quake, lots of things to kill, and creepy environments. The game play is pretty standard for a first person shooter, but this version of Quake isn't that great. There was a lot of flaws with the controls, but it isn't bad.

Fun Factor
With lots of gory game play and great graphics, sound, and story how could this game not be fun? This game is definitely one of the better first person shooters I've ever played, close behind ‘DOOM'. Even if you aren't satisfied with regular game play, you can also play the extremely fun multiplayer features.

Overall
Overall I gave this game a seven. Though the graphics and sound were awesome, there was something missing from the regular game play of Quake. I can't really say exactly what it is, but it just doesn't compare to the other Quake games I've played. If you are considering getting this game, it is worth it, but you'd be better off getting the later more perfected Quake games.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 01/12/06