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| Quake | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | id Software[a] |
| Publisher(s) | GT Interactive[b] |
| Designer(s) | John Romero American McGee Sandy Petersen Tim Willits |
| Programmer(s) | John Carmack Michael Abrash John Cash |
| Artist(s) | Adrian Carmack Kevin Cloud Paul Steed |
| Composer(s) |
|
| Series | Quake |
| Engine | Quake engine[c] |
| Platform(s) | |
| Release | June 22, 1996
|
| Genre(s) | First-person shooter |
| Mode(s) | Single-player,multiplayer |
Quake is a 1996first-person shooter game developed byid Software and published byGT Interactive. The first game in theQuake series,[13] it was originally released forMS-DOS andMicrosoft Windows, followed byMac OS,Linux andSega Saturn in 1997 andNintendo 64 in 1998.
The game's plot is centered around teleportation experiments, dubbed slipgates, which have resulted in an unforeseen invasion of Earth by a hostile force codenamed Quake, which commands a vast army of monsters. The player takes the role of a soldier (later dubbed Ranger), whose mission is to travel through the slipgates in order to find and destroy the source of the invasion. The game is split between futuristic military bases and medieval, gothic environments, featuring bothscience fiction andfantasy weaponry and enemies as the player battles possessed soldiers and demonic beasts such as ogres or armor-clad knights.Quake heavily takes inspiration fromgothic fiction and in particular the works ofH. P. Lovecraft. The game went through many revisions during development, and had originally been inspired by aDungeons & Dragons campaign held among id Software staff.[14]
The successor to id Software'sDoom series,Quake built upon the technology and gameplay of its predecessor.[15] Unlike theDoom engine before it, theQuake engine offered fullreal-time 3D rendering and had early support for3D acceleration throughOpenGL. AfterDoom helped popularizemultiplayerdeathmatches,Quake added various multiplayer options.Online multiplayer became increasingly common, with theQuakeWorld update and software such asQuakeSpy making the process of finding and playing against others on the Internet easier and more reliable.Quake featured music composed byTrent Reznor and his bandNine Inch Nails.[10]
Quake is often cited as one of thebest video games ever made.[16][17][18] Despite its critical acclaim,Quake's development was controversial in the history of id Software. Due to creative differences and a lack of leadership, the majority of the team left the company after the game's release, including co-founderJohn Romero.[19] An "enhanced" version ofQuake was developed byNightdive Studios and published byBethesda Softworks and was released forNintendo Switch,PlayStation 4, Windows, andXbox One consoles in August 2021, including the original game's first two expansions and two episodes developed byMachineGames. ThePlayStation 5 andXbox Series X/S versions were released in October 2021.[8]
InQuake's single-player mode, players explore levels, facing monsters and finding secret areas before reaching an exit. Switches or keys open doors, and reaching the exit takes the player to the next level. Before accessing an episode, there is a set of three pathways with easy, medium, and hard skill levels. The fourth skill level, "Nightmare", was described by the game manual to be "so bad that the entry is hidden, so people won't wander in by accident".[20]
Quake's single-player campaign is organized into four individual episodes with seven to eight levels in each (including one secret level per episode, one of which is a "low gravity" level that challenges the player's abilities in a different way). If the player's character dies, they must restart at the beginning of that level. The game may be saved at any time in the PC versions and between levels in the console versions. Upon completing an episode, the player is returned to the hub "START" level, where another episode can be chosen. Each episode starts the player from scratch, without any previously collected items. Episode one (which formed the shareware or downloadable demo version ofQuake) has the most traditional layout with aboss in the last level. The ultimate objective at the end of each episode is to recover a magic rune. After all of the runes are collected, the floor of the hub level opens up to reveal an entrance to the "END" level which contains a final puzzle.
In multiplayer mode, players on several computers connect to a server (which may be a dedicated machine or on one of the player's computers), where they can either play the single-player campaign together inco-op (cooperative) mode, or play against each other in multiplayer (seeLAN party). When players die in multiplayer mode, they can immediatelyrespawn, but will lose any items that were collected. Similarly, items that have been picked up previously respawn after some time, and may be picked up again. The most popular multiplayer modes are all forms ofdeathmatch. Deathmatch modes typically consist of either free-for-all (no organization or teams involved), one-on-one duels, or organized teamplay with two or more players per team (orclan). Players frequently implementmods during teamplay. Monsters are not normally present in teamplay, as they get in the way and reveal the positions of the players.
The gameplay inQuake was considered unique for its time because of the different ways the player can maneuver through the game.[21]Bunny hopping or strafe jumping allow faster movement, whilerocket jumping enables the player to reach otherwise-inaccessible areas at the cost of some self-damage. The player can start and stop moving suddenly, jump unnaturally high, and change direction while moving through the air. Many of these non-realistic behaviors contribute toQuake's appeal. MultiplayerQuake was one of the first games singled out as a form ofelectronic sport.[22] A notable participant wasDennis Fong, who wonJohn Carmack'sFerrari 328 at the Microsoft-sponsoredRed Annihilation tournament in 1997.[23]
In the single-player game, the player takes the role of the protagonist, unnamed inQuake but referred to as Ranger in later games (voiced byTrent Reznor),[24] who is sent into a portal in order to stop an enemycode-named "Quake". The government had been experimenting withteleportation technology and developed a working prototype called a "Slipgate"; the mysterious Quake compromised the Slipgate by connecting it with its own teleportation system, using it to send death squads to the "Human" dimension in order to test the martial capabilities of humanity.
The sole surviving protagonist in "Operation Counterstrike" is Ranger, who must advance, starting each of the four episodes from an overrun human military base, before fighting his way into other dimensions, reaching them via the Slipgate or their otherworld equivalent. After passing through the Slipgate, Ranger's main objective is to collect four magicrunes from four dimensions ofQuake; these are the key to stopping the enemy and ending the invasion of Earth.
The single-player campaign consists of 30 separate levels, or "maps", divided into four episodes (with a total of 26 regular maps and four secret ones), as well as ahub level to select a difficulty setting and episode, and the game's final boss level. Each episode represents individual dimensions that the player can access through the Slipgate or magical portals (in the case of the latter three episodes) that are discovered over the course of the game. The various realms consist of a number ofgothic,medieval, and lava-filled caves and dungeons, with a recurring theme of hellish and satanic imagery reminiscent ofDoom (such as pentagrams and images of demons on the walls). The game's setting is inspired bydark fantasy influences, includingH. P. Lovecraft'sCthulhu Mythos.[25] Dimensional Shamblers appear as enemies, the "Spawn" enemies are called "Formless Spawn ofTsathoggua" in the manual, theboss of the first episode is named Chthon, the main villain is namedShub-Niggurath and is explicitly stated to be anOld One, and the four episodes all have Lovecraftian names.[25]
Quake's development was troubled, and the game went through several incarnations over the course of its development.
In the early 1990s, the staff atid Software had a privateDungeons & Dragons game, which would go on to inspire a number of elements in their titles over the following years. WithJohn Carmack asDM, the campaign featured a group of adventurers named the Silver Shadow Band. The group were named for the silver dragon on which they flew, and each represented one of the core stats of the game. Among them was a powerful character named Quake, representing strength, who fought with a magic hammer capable of destroying buildings. Quake was accompanied by a floating magic artefact named the Hellgate Cube which attacked his foes with lightning bolts.[26]John Romero described fighting alongside Quake as the most fun they had playingD&D. The Silver Shadow Band did "contract work for Justice, an even more powerful group". The original campaign concluded in early 1992, after Romero's character made a deal with a demon, exchanging a book called the Demonomicron for a magic sword called the Daikatana, which resulted in a demonic invasion that wiped out theMaterial Plane.[27]
A preview included with id Software's first release, 1990'sCommander Keen, advertised a game entitledThe Fight for Justice as a follow-up to theCommander Keen trilogy. It would feature a character named Quake, "the strongest, most dangerous person on the continent", armed with thunderbolts and a "Ring of Regeneration". Conceived as aVGA full-colorside-scrollingrole-playing video game,The Fight for Justice was never released. The team briefly explored making the project in 1991 but abandoned the idea as the technology for it simply did not exist at the time. The project was only in development for about two weeks.[26]
A return to theQuake concept was raised by John Romero in a meeting in late 1994, when discussing the nextengine and main project after the completion ofDoom II. Newer members of the team, includingAmerican McGee andSandy Petersen, had not been present for the original D&D campaign or game project, but were on board with the idea after it was explained to them, and the team was then in agreement about the broad direction of the title. In a December 1, 1994, post to an online bulletin board, John Romero wrote, "Okay, people. It seems that everyone is speculating on whether Quake is going to be a slow, RPG-style light-action game. Wrong! What does id do best and dominate at? Can you say "action"? I knew you could. Quake will be constant, hectic action throughout – probably more so than Doom".[28]
The team entered into an R&D phase while Carmack was working on the engine. By 1995, the outline for the game included a medieval setting, hand-to-hand combat, thrown weapons, an area of effect attack with the hammer, and feeding souls to the Hellgate Cube.[26] Some early information onQuake was released publicly, focusing on aThor-like character who wields a giant hammer.[29][30][31] A close up of Quake holding his hammer was on the cover ofPC Gamer for the October 1995 issue, and screenshots showed medieval environments and a dragon.[14] Romero revealed in 2023 that the dragon model was never actually implemented, and had simply been placed in the sky for the screenshot. The plan was for the game to have more role-playing-style elements.[32] AnAztec style texture set was developed for the project, but the set was not used due to artistic opposition from American McGee, who preferred a more heavy metal themed look for his levels. This second texture set was used for the Vaults of Zin.[33]
Before gameplay could be worked on in earnest, Carmack would need to build the game engine which was a significant undertaking, and took much longer than anticipated.[26] Carmack was not only developing a fully 3D engine, but also a TCP/IP networking model. Carmack later said that he should have done two separate projects which developed those things- the networking model first, used for a game which was otherwise in theDoom II engine, and then the 3D overhaul for a second title.[34] TheQuake engine popularized several major advances in the genre: polygonal models instead ofprerenderedsprites; full 3D level design instead of a2.5D map; prerenderedlightmaps; and allowing end users to partially program the game (in this case withQuakeC), which popularized fan-createdmodifications (mods).
Working with a game engine that was still in development presented difficulties for the designers.[35] Around fifty levels were developed during the R&D process, but engine changes meant that the team was frequently having to redo work. Much of this needed to be scrapped by the time the engine was completed in late 1995. The team was burned out from the process, and raised the idea of using the existing demo levels for a first person shooter, as it would be faster and less risky.[31] Romero opposed the change, but relented. The creative differences would ultimately lead to his departure from the company after completingQuake.[34][36][37]
Quake was programmed by John Carmack,Michael Abrash, and John Cash. The levels and scenarios were designed byAmerican McGee,Sandy Petersen, John Romero, andTim Willits, and the graphics were designed byAdrian Carmack,Kevin Cloud and Paul Steed. Cloud created the monster and player graphics usingAlias.[38] Initially, the game was designed so that when the player ran out of ammunition, the player character would hit enemies with agun-butt.[31] Shortly before release this was replaced with anaxe. id Software releasedQTest on February 24, 1996, a technology demo limited to three multiplayer maps. There was no single-player support and some of the gameplay and graphics were unfinished or different from their final versions.QTest gave gamers their first peek into the filesystem and modifiability of theQuake engine, and many entity mods (that placed monsters in the otherwise empty multiplayer maps) and custom player skins began appearing online before the full game was even released.[39]
Morale on the project was low, and developers were undercrunch from December 1995 through to release in June 1996. Romero has described the process as one of the hardest grinds of his career. He was the only member of the team to attend the office on launch day to upload the files.[34]
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Quake's music and sound design was done byTrent Reznor andNine Inch Nails, using ambient soundscapes and synthesizeddrones to create atmospheric tracks. In an interview, Reznor remarked that theQuake soundtrack "is not music[;] it's textures and ambiences and whirling machine noises and stuff. We tried to make the most sinister, depressive, scary, frightening kind of thing... It's been fun."[40] The game includes an homage to Reznor in the form of ammo boxes for the "Nailgun" and "Super Nailgun" decorated with the Nine Inch Nails logo.
The idea to use Nine Inch Nails for the soundtrack was raised by American McGee, who had been listening to their albumThe Downward Spiral during his work on the game. Romero was initially skeptical as he had envisioned a more ambient tone, but was open to the idea of the band composing with that tone in mind. id approached the band's agents, and the group had agreed to do the soundtrack by the following day as they wereDoom fans and excited by the project. McGee handled the delivery of the soundtrack from there on. A legal issue that rose late in development with the record company meant that the code to play the audio from the CD was among the final changes made before release.[32]
Some digital re-releases of the game lack the CD soundtrack that came with the originalshareware release. The 2021 enhanced version includes the soundtrack.[41]
In late 1996, id Software released VQuake, asource port of theQuake engine to support hardware accelerated rendering on graphics cards using theRendition Vérité chipset. Aside from the expected benefit of improved performance, VQuake offered numerous visual improvements over the original software-renderedQuake. It boasted full 16-bit color, bilinear filtering (reducing pixelation), improved dynamic lighting, optional anti-aliasing, and improved source code clarity, as the improved performance finally allowed the use of gotos to be abandoned in favor of proper loop constructs. As the name implied, VQuake was a proprietary source port specifically for the Vérité; consumer 3D acceleration was in its infancy at the time, and there was no standard 3D API for the consumer market. After completing VQuake, John Carmack vowed to never write a proprietary port again, citing his frustration with Rendition's Speedy3D API.[citation needed]
To improve the quality of online play, id Software released QuakeWorld in December 1996, a build of theQuake engine that featured significantly revamped network code including the addition ofclient-side prediction. The originalQuake's network code would not show the player the results of their actions until the server sent back a reply acknowledging them. For example, if the player attempted to move forward, the client would send the request to move forward to the server, and the server would determine whether the client was actually able to move forward or if it ran into an obstacle, such as a wall or another player. The server would then respond to the client, and only then would the client display movement to the player. This was fine for play on a LAN, a high bandwidth, very low latency connection, but the latency over a dial-up Internet connection is much larger than on a LAN, and this caused a noticeable delay between when a player tried to act and when that action was visible on the screen. This made gameplay much more difficult, especially since the unpredictable nature of the Internet made the amount of delay vary from moment to moment. Players would experience jerky, laggy motion that sometimes felt like ice skating, where they would slide around with seemingly no ability to stop, due to a build-up of previously sent movement requests. John Carmack has admitted that this was a serious problem that should have been fixed before release, but it was not caught because he and other developers had high-speed Internet access at home.[citation needed]
After months of private beta testing, QuakeWorld, written by John Carmack with help from John Cash and Christian Antkow, was released on December 13, 1996. The client portion followed on December 17.[42] Official id Software development stopped with the test release of QuakeWorld 2.33 on December 21, 1998. The last official stable release was 2.30.[43] QuakeWorld has been described byIGN as the first popularfirst-person shooter meant to be playedonline.[44]
With the help ofclient-side prediction, which allowed players to see their own movement immediately without waiting for a response from the server, QuakeWorld's network code allowed players with high-latency connections to control their character's movement almost as precisely as when playing in single-player mode. TheNetcode parameters could be adjusted by the user so thatQuakeWorld performed well for users with high and low latency. The trade off to client-side prediction was that sometimes other players or objects would no longer be quite where they had appeared to be, or, in extreme cases, that the player would be pulled back to a previous position when the client received a late reply from the server which overrode movement the client had already previewed; this was known as "warping". As a result, some serious players, particularly in the U.S., still preferred to play online using the originalQuake engine (commonly called NetQuake) rather than QuakeWorld. However, the majority of players, especially those on dial-up connections, preferred the newer network model, and QuakeWorld soon became the dominant form of online play. Following the success of QuakeWorld, client-side prediction has become a standard feature of nearly all real-time online games. As with all otherQuake upgrades, QuakeWorld was released as a free, unsupported add-on to the game and was updated numerous times through 1998.[citation needed]
In January 1997 an independant developer, Nick Maher, developed a version of the Quake World master server (called QuakeWorld Local) that could be run on a LAN without an Internet connection. The software tracked player statistics over time and allowed international players without a QuakeWorld server on their continent, or without Internet access at all, to enjoy the new client.[45]
On January 22, 1997, id Software released[clarification needed] the first beta of GLQuake. This was designed to use theOpenGL 3DAPI to access hardware 3D graphics acceleration cards torasterize the graphics, rather than having the computer'sCPU fill in everypixel. In addition to higher framerates for most players, GLQuake provided higherresolution modes andtexture filtering. GLQuake also experimented with reflections, transparent water, and even rudimentary shadows. GLQuake came with adriver enabling the subset of OpenGL used by the game to function on the3dfxVoodoo Graphics card, the only consumer-level card at the time capable of running GLQuake well. Previously, John Carmack had experimented with a version ofQuake specifically written for theRendition Vérité chip used in theCreative Labs PCI 3D Blaster card. This version had met with only limited success, and Carmack decided to write for generic APIs in the future rather than tailoring for specific hardware.[citation needed]
On March 11, 1997, id Software released WinQuake, a version of the non-OpenGL engine designed to run underMicrosoft Windows;[clarification needed] the originalQuake had been written forMS-DOS, allowing for launch fromWindows 95, but could not run underWindows NT-based operating systems because it needed direct access to hardware. WinQuake instead accessed hardware viaWin32-based APIs such asDirectSound,DirectInput, andDirectDraw that were supported on Windows 95,Windows NT 4.0 and later releases. Like GLQuake, WinQuake also allowed higher resolution video modes. This removed the last barrier to widespread popularity of the game.
On July 20, 2016, Axel Gneiting, an id Tech employee responsible for implementing theVulkan rendering path to theid Tech 6 engine used inDoom (2016), released a source port called vkQuake under theGPLv2.[46][non-primary source needed][47]
Quake was ported to multiple platforms. The first port to be completed was the Linux port Quake 0.91 by id Software employeeDave D. Taylor usingX11 on July 5, 1996,[4] followed by a SPARC Solaris port later that year also by Taylor. AnSVGAlib port for Linux was created by programmer Greg Alexander in 1997 using leaked source code but was later mainlined by id,[48] unlike similar unofficial ports forOS/2,Amiga,Java VMs, andMac OS.[49] The first commercially released port was for Mac OS, done byMacSoft and Lion Entertainment, Inc. (the latter company ceased to exist just prior to the port's release,[50] leading to MacSoft's involvement) in late August 1997.[5] ClickBOOM announced a version forAmiga-computers in 1998.[51] Finally in 1999, a retail version of the Linux port was distributed byMacmillan Digital Publishing USA in a bundle with the two existing add-ons asQuake: The Offering.[52][53][54]
Quake was also ported to home console systems. On December 2, 1997, the game was released for theSega Saturn. Initially GT Interactive was to publish this version itself,[55] but it later cancelled the release and the Saturn rights were picked up bySega.[56] Sega took the project away from the original development team, who had been encountering difficulties getting the port to run at a decentframe rate, and assigned it toLobotomy Software.[57] The Saturn port was developed withSoftimage 3D[58] and uses Lobotomy Software's 3D engine,SlaveDriver (also used inPowerSlave andDuke Nukem 3D for the Saturn).[59] It is the only version ofQuake rated "T" for Teen instead of "M" for Mature.
Quake was ported to thePlayStation by Lobotomy Software, but the company was not able to find a publisher for it.[60] A port for theAtari Jaguar was reported as 30% complete in a May 1996 issue ofUltimate Future Games magazine, but it was never released.[61][62] A port ofQuake was planned forPanasonic M2 prior to cancellation of the system.[63]
On March 24, 1998, the game was released for theNintendo 64 byMidway Games. This version was developed by the same programming team that worked onDoom 64,[64] at id Software's request.[65] The Nintendo 64 version was originally slated to be released in 1997, but Midway delayed it until March 1998 to give the team time to implement the deathmatch modes.[66]
Both console ports required compromises because of the limitedCPU power andROM storage space for levels. For example, the levels were rebuilt in the Saturn version in order to simplify the architecture, thereby reducing demands on the CPU.[67] The Saturn version omits the four secret levels from the original PC version of the game, replacing them with four exclusive secret levels: Purgatorium, Hell's Aerie, The Coliseum, and Watery Grave. It also contains an exclusive unlockable, "Dank & Scuz", which is a story set in the Quake milieu and presented in the form of aslide show with voice acting. There are no multiplayer modes in the Saturn version. The Nintendo 64 version includes 25 single-player levels from the PC version, though it is missing The Grisly Grotto, The Installation, The Ebon Fortress, The Wind Tunnels, The Sewage System, and Hell's Atrium. It also does not use the hub map where the player chooses a difficulty level and an episode; the difficulty level is chosen from a menu when starting the game, and all of the levels are played in sequential order. The Nintendo 64 version, while lacking the cooperative multiplayer mode, includes two player deathmatch. All six of the deathmatch maps from the PC version are in the Nintendo 64 port, as well as an exclusive deathmatch level, The Court of Death.
In 1998, LBE Systems and Lazer-Tron released a prototype titledQuake: Arcade Tournament Edition in the arcades in limited quantities.[68] R-Comp Interactive published the game forRISC OS asQuake Resurrection in 1999, including the total conversionMalice and expansionQ!Zone, although community-madesource ports such as ArcQuake were also available.[69]
An unreleasedGame Boy Advance port ofQuake was in development fromRandy Linden in 2002, and was pitched to id Software in that year. The port was rejected by the company, and Linden's work would remain unused until prototypes of his work were dumped in June 2022.[70] Two homebrew ports ofQuake for the Nintendo DS exist,QuakeDS[71] andCQuake.[72] Both run well; however, multiplayer does not work onQuakeDS.[71] Since the source code forQuake was released, a number of unofficial ports have been made available for PDAs and mobile phones, such as PocketQuake, as well as versions for the Symbian S60 series of mobile phones and Android mobile phones.[73][74][75] TheRockbox project also distributes a version ofQuake that runs on some MP3 players.[76]
In 2005, id Software signed a deal with publisher Pulse Interactive to release a version ofQuake for mobile phones. The game was engineered by Californian company Bear Naked Productions.[77] Initially due to be released on only two mobile phones, the Samsung Nexus (for which it was to be an embedded game) and the LG VX360.[78]Quake Mobile was reviewed byGameSpot on the Samsung Nexus and they cited its US release as October 2005; they also gave it a "Best Mobile Game" in their E3 2005 Editor's Choice Awards.[79] It is unclear as to whether the game actually did ship with the Samsung Nexus. The game is only available for the DELL x50v and x51v, both of which are PDAs, not mobile phones.[79]Quake Mobile does not feature the Nine Inch Nails soundtrack due to space constraints.[78]Quake Mobile runs the most recent version of GL Quake (Quake v.1.09 GL 1.00) at 800x600 resolution and 25 fps. The most recent version ofQuake Mobile is v.1.20 which has stylus support. There was an earlier version v.1.19 which lacked stylus support. The twoQuake expansion packs,Scourge of Armagon andDissolution of Eternity, are also available forQuake Mobile.
AFlash-based version of the game by Michael Rennie runsQuake at full speed in any Flash-enabled web browser. Based on the shareware version of the game, it includes only the first episode and is available for free on the web.[80]
At the launch of the 2021QuakeCon@Home on August 19, 2021, Bethesda released an "enhanced" version ofQuake forMicrosoft Windows,Nintendo Switch,PlayStation 4,PlayStation 5,Xbox One, andXbox Series X/S consoles, developed byNightdive Studios.[81] In addition to support for modern systems and improved rendering techniques, the enhanced version includes both mission packs,Scourge of Armagon andDissolution of Eternity. It also includes two episodes created byMachineGames: the previously releasedDimension of the Past and a new one calledDimension of the Machine. A port ofQuake 64 was also included in its entirety via the newly implemented "Add-On" menu.[82][83][84][41]
Originally, there were two official expansion packs released forQuake. The expansion packs pick up where the first game left off, include all of the same weapons, power-ups, monsters, and gothic atmosphere/architecture, and continue/finish the story of the first game and its protagonist. An unofficial third expansion pack,Abyss of Pandemonium, was developed by the Impel Development Team, published by Perfect Publishing, and released on April 14, 1998; an updated version, version 2.0, titledAbyss of Pandemonium – The Final Mission was released asfreeware.[85] An authorized expansion pack,Q!ZONE was developed and published byWizardWorks, and released in 1996. An authorized level editor,Deathmatch Maker was developed by Virtus Corporation and published by Macmillan Digital Publishing in 1997. It contained an exclusive Virtus' Episode. In honor ofQuake's 20th anniversary,MachineGames, an internal development studio ofZeniMax Media, who are the current owners of theQuakeIP, released online a new expansion pack for free, calledEpisode 5: Dimension of the Past.[86]
Quake Mission Pack No. 1: Scourge of Armagon was the first official mission pack, released on March 5, 1997.[87] Developed byHipnotic Interactive, it features three episodes divided into seventeen new single-player levels (three of which are secret), a new multiplayer level, a new soundtrack composed by Jeehun Hwang, and gameplay features not originally present inQuake, including rotating structures and breakable walls. Unlike the mainQuake game and Mission Pack No. 2,Scourge does away with the episode hub, requiring the three episodes to be played sequentially. The three new enemies include Centroids, large cybernetic scorpions with nailguns; Gremlins, small goblins that can steal weapons and multiply by feeding on enemy corpses; and Spike Mines, floating orbs that detonate when near the player. The three new weapons include the Mjolnir, a large lightning emitting hammer; the Laser Cannon, which shoots bouncing bolts of energy; and the Proximity Mine Launcher, which fires grenades that attach to surfaces and detonate when an opponent comes near. The three new power-ups include the Horn of Conjuring, which summons an enemy to protect the player; the Empathy Shield, which halves the damage taken by the player between the player and the attacking enemy; and the Wetsuit, which renders the player invulnerable to electricity and allows the player to stay underwater for a period of time. The storyline follows Armagon, a general of Quake's forces, planning to invadeEarth via a portal known as the 'Rift'. Armagon resembles a giant gremlin with cybernetic legs and a combinedrocket launcher/laser cannon for arms.
Tim Soete ofGameSpot gave it a score 8.6 out of 10.[88]
Quake Mission Pack No. 2: Dissolution of Eternity was the second official mission pack, released on March 19, 1997.[89] Developed byRogue Entertainment, it features two episodes divided into fifteen new single-player levels, a new multiplayer level, a new soundtrack, and several new enemies and bosses. Notably, the pack lacks secret levels. The eight new enemies include Electric Eels, Phantom Swordsmen, Multi-Grenade Ogres (which fire cluster grenades), Hell Spawn, Wraths (floating, robed undead), Guardians (resurrected ancient Egyptian warriors), Mummies, and statues of various enemies that can come to life. The four new types of bosses include Lava Men, Overlords, large Wraths, and a dragon guarding the "temporal energy converter". The two new power-ups include the Anti Grav Belt, which allows the player to jump higher; and the Power Shield, which lowers the damage the player receives. Rather than offering new weapons, the mission pack gives the player four new types of ammo for existing weapons, such as "lava nails" for the Nailgun, cluster grenades for the Grenade Launcher, rockets that split into four in a horizontal line for the Rocket Launcher, and plasma cells for the Thunderbolt, as well as a grappling hook to help with moving around the levels.
Tim Soete ofGameSpot gave it a score of 7.7 out of 10.[90]
To celebrateQuake's 20th anniversary, a mission pack was developed byMachineGames and released on June 24, 2016. It features 10 new single-player levels and a new multiplayer level, but does not use new gameplay additions fromScourge of Armagon andDissolution of Eternity. Chronologically, it is set between the main game and the first two expansions.[91][92][93]
The fourth mission pack,Dimension of the Machine, was released as part of the enhanced version ofQuake released on August 19, 2021.
Quake can be heavily modified by altering the graphics, audio, or scripting inQuakeC, and has been the focus of many fan-created modifications, known as mods. The first mods were small gameplay fixes and patches initiated by the community, usually enhancements to weapons or gameplay with new enemies. Later mods were more ambitious and resulted inQuake fans creating versions of the game that were drastically different from id Software's original release.[citation needed]
The first majorQuake mod wasTeam Fortress. This mod consists ofCapture the Flag gameplay with a class system for the players. Players choose a class, which creates various restrictions on weapons and armor types available to that player, and also grants special abilities. For example, the bread-and-butterSoldier class has medium armor, medium speed, and a well-rounded selection of weapons and grenades, while theScout class is lightly armored, very fast, has a scanner that detects nearby enemies, but has very weak offensive weapons. One of the other differences with CTF is the fact that the flag is not returned automatically when a player drops it: running over one's flag inThreewave CTF would return the flag to the base, and inTF the flag remains in the same spot for preconfigured time and it has to be defended on remote locations. This caused a shift in defensive tactics compared toThreewave CTF.Team Fortress maintained its standing as the most-played onlineQuake modification for many years. After the developers joinedValve,Team Fortress was ported to theGoldSrc engine asTeam Fortress Classic. It later received a sequel,Team Fortress 2, for which content continues to be developed.[citation needed]
Another popular mod wasThreewave Capture the Flag (CTF), primarily authored by Dave 'Zoid' Kirsch.Threewave CTF is apartial conversion consisting of new levels, a new weapon (agrappling hook), power-ups, newtextures, and new gameplay rules. Typically, two teams (red and blue) would compete in a game ofCapture the flag, though a few maps with up to four teams (red, blue, green, and yellow) were created. Capture the Flag soon became a standard game mode included in most popular multiplayer games released afterQuake.
Rocket Arena provides the ability for players to face each other in small, open arenas with changes in the gameplay rules so that item collection and detailed level knowledge are no longer factors. A series of short rounds, with the surviving player in each round gaining a point, instead tests the player's aiming and dodging skills and reflexes.Clan Arena is a further modification that provides team play usingRocket Arena rules. One mod category, "bots", was introduced to provide surrogate players in multiplayer mode.[citation needed]
Arcane Dimensions is a single-player mod. It is a partial conversion with breakable objects and walls, enhanced particle system, numerous visual improvements and new enemies and weapons. The level design is much more complex in terms of geometry and gameplay than in the original game.[94][95]
There are a large number of custom levels that have been made by users and fans ofQuake. As of 2019[update], new maps are still being made, over 20 years since the game's release. Custom maps are new maps that are playable by loading them into the original game. Custom levels of various gameplay types have been made, but most are in the single-player and deathmatch genres. More than 1500 single-player and a similar number of deathmatch maps have been made forQuake.[96]
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| GameRankings | 93% (PC)[97] 76% (N64)[98] |
| Metacritic | 94/100 (PC)[99] 74/100 (N64)[100] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| AllGame |    (SAT)[113] |
| Electronic Gaming Monthly | 6.5/10 (SAT)[101] 8.0/10 (N64)[102] |
| GameFan | 275/300 (SAT)[103] |
| GameSpot | 9.3/10 (PC)[104] 6.4/10 (SAT)[105] 6.9/10 (N64)[106] |
| IGN | 8/10 (N64)[107] |
| Next Generation | (PC)[108] (MAC)[109] (SAT)[110] (N64)[111] (ARC)[112] |
Quake was critically acclaimed on the PC. Aggregating review websitesGameRankings andMetacritic gave the original PC version 93% and 94/100,[97][99] and the Nintendo 64 port 76% and 74/100.[98][100] ANext Generation critic lauded the game's realistic 3D physics and genuinely unnerving sound effects.[108]GamePro saidQuake had been over-hyped but is excellent nonetheless, particularly its usage of its advanced 3D engine. The review also praised the sound effects, atmospheric music, and graphics, though it criticized that the polygons used to construct the enemies are too obvious at close range.[114]
Less than a month afterQuake was released (and a month before they actually reviewed the game),Next Generation listed it as number 9 on their "Top 100 Games of All Time", saying that it is similar toDoom but supports a maximum of eight players instead of four.[115] In 1996,Computer Gaming World declaredQuake the 36th-best computer game ever released,[116] and listed "telefragged" as #1 on its list of "the 15 best ways to die in computer gaming".[117] In 1997, the Game Developers Choice Awards gave Quake three spotlight awards for Best Sound Effects, Best Music or Soundtrack and Best On-Line/Internet Game.[118]
Entertainment Weekly gave the game a B+ and called it "an extended bit of subterranean mayhem that offers three major improvements over its immediate predecessor [Doom]." He identified these as the graphics, the audio design, and the amount of violent action.[119]
Next Generation reviewed the Macintosh version of the game, rating it four stars out of five, and stated that "Though replay value is limited by the lack of interactive environments or even the semblance of a plot, there's no doubt thatQuake and its engine are something powerful and addictive."[109]
The Saturn version received mostly negative reviews, as critics generally agreed that it did not bring over the elements that make the game enjoyable. In particular, critics reviled the absence of the multiplayer mode, which they felt had eclipsed the single player campaign as the reason to playQuake.[101][110][120][121] Kraig Kujawa wrote inElectronic Gaming Monthly, "Quake is not a great one-player game - it gained its notoriety on the Net as a multiplayer." and his co-reviewer Sushi-X concluded "Without multiplayer, I'd pass."[101] Most reviews also said the controls are much worse than the PC original, in particular the difficulty of aiming at enemies without the benefit of either mouse-controlled camera or a second analog stick.[101][105][121]GamePro noted that the graphics are very pixelated and blurry, to the point where people unfamiliar withQuake would not be able to discern what they're looking at. They concluded, "Quake may not be the worst Saturn game available, but it certainly doesn't live up to its PC heritage."[121] Most critics did find the port technically impressive, particularly the added light sourcing.[101][110][120] However,Next Generation pointed out that "PortingQuake to a console is nothing more than an excuse for bragging rights. It's simply a way to show that the limited architecture of a 32-bit system has the power to push the same game that those mighty Pentium PCs take for granted."[110] Even Rich Leadbetter ofSega Saturn Magazine, which gave the port a 92%, acknowledged that it was a proverbialdancing bear, noting several conspicuous compromises the port made and stating as his concluding argument, "Look, it'sQuake on the Saturn - the machine has no right to be doing this!"[120]GameSpot opined that the game's lack of plot makes the single-player campaign feel too shallow and lacking in motivation to appeal to most gamers.[105] Most critics compared the port unfavorably to the Saturn version ofDuke Nukem 3D (which came out just a few months earlier), mainly in terms of gameplay.[101][110][120][121]
Reviews for the Nintendo 64 version praised its lighting effects[102][107][122] and smoothframe rate in single-player mode.[102][106][107][111]IGN added the caveats that the environments are simplified from the PC version and the pre-rendered light sourcing is less impressive than the real-time light sourcing of the Saturn version, but judged the visuals overall to be superior to those of the unaccelerated PC version.[107]GamePro went so far as to say the graphics are as clean as those of GLQuake,[122] whileNext Generation was more moderate, concluding that "As a whole,Quake 64 doesn't live up to the experience offered by the high-end, 3D-accelerated PC version; it is, however, an entertaining gaming experience that is worthy of a close look and a nice addition to the blossoming number of first-person shooters for Nintendo 64."[111] Most reviews found fault with the multiplayer, stating that the frame rate takes a hit in this mode,[102][106][107][122] some of the levels are too large with only two players present,[102][106] and the game should have supported four players, as previous Nintendo 64 shootersHexen: Beyond Heretic andGoldenEye 007 did.[102][107] However,Next Generation pointed out that on the Nintendo 64,Quake with four players would inevitably have meant a severely compromised frame rate and small view screen.[111]GameSpot also felt the multiplayer was fun despite its limitations, and noted that setting up a deathmatch was quicker and easier on the Nintendo 64 than on PC.[106] Reviewers sharply differed over the controls, withElectronic Gaming Monthly,IGN, andGamePro all describing them as precise, responsive, and intuitive,[102][107][122] whileGameSpot andNext Generation complained that finding the right control required fiddling with the settings and even at best felt lacking compared to a keyboard-and-mouse setup.[106][111] Reviews generally concluded that while the Nintendo 64 version would not appeal toQuake veterans due to its multiplayer shortcomings and lack of exclusive content, it was a strong enough conversion for non-PC gamers to enjoy theQuake experience.[102][106][107][111][122]
Next Generation reviewed the arcade version of the game, rating it three stars out of five, and stated that "For those who don't have LAN or internet capabilities, check out arcadeQuake. It's a blast."[112]
In 1998,PC Gamer declared it the 28th-best computer game ever released, and the editors called it "one of the most addictive, adaptable, and pulse-pounding 3D shooters ever created".[123] In 2003,Quake was inducted intoGameSpot's list of the greatest games of all time.[124]
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | 81/100 (PC)[125] 85/100 (XSXS)[126] 87/100 (PS4)[127] 87/100 (NS)[128] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Destructoid | 9/10 (PC, NS)[129] |
| Nintendo Life | (NS)[130] |
| Push Square | 8/10 (PS4)[131] |
Nintendo Life gave the Switch version a rave review, saying it "wisely avoids tinkering with the magic formula that made the game so great in the first place, instead keeping the look and feel of the original intact whilst carefully adding all manner of modern bells and whistles in a feature-packed port that's an absolute dream to spend time with." They particularly praised the level designs, puzzle elements, atmospheric game world, and numerous configuration options for the graphical upgrades and multiplayer sessions. They argued that the smooth performance in both docked and handheld mode and ability to play the game as portable makes the Switch version the definitive version of the game.[130]
According toDavid Kushner inMasters of Doom, id Software released a retailshareware version ofQuake before the game's full retail distribution byGT Interactive. These shareware copies could be converted into complete versions through passwords purchased via phone. However, Kushner wrote that "gamers wasted no time hacking the shareware to unlock the full version of the game for free." This problem, combined with the scale of the operation, led id Software to cancel the plan. As a result, the company was left with 150,000 unsold shareware copies in storage. The venture damagedQuake's initial sales and caused its retail push by GT Interactive to miss the holiday shopping season. Following the game's full release, Kushner remarked that its early "sales were good — with 250,000 units shipped — but not a phenomenon likeDoom II."[19]
In the United States,Quake placed sixth onPC Data's monthly computer game sales charts for November and December 1996.[132] Its shareware edition was the sixth-best-selling computer game of 1996 overall, while its retailSKU claimed 20th place.[133] The shareware version sold 393,575 copies[134] and grossed $3,005,519 (~$5.39 million in 2023) in the United States during 1996.[135] It remained in PC Data's monthly top 10 from January to April 1997,[136][137][138][139] but was absent by May.[140] During its first 12 months,Quake sold 373,000 retail copies and earned $18 million in the United States, according to PC Data.[141] Its final retail sales for 1997 were 273,936 copies, which made it the country's 16th-highest computer game seller for the year.[142]
In 1997, id estimated that there may be as many as 5 million copies of Quake circulating.[143] The game sold over 1.4 million copies by December 1997.[144] Sales ofQuake reached 550,000 units in the United States alone by December 1999.[145]
Thesource code ofQuake was released on December 22, 1999.[146] The id Software maps, objects, textures, sounds, and other creative works remain under their original proprietary license. Theshareware distribution ofQuake is still freely redistributable and usable with the GPLed engine code. One must purchase a copy ofQuake in order to receive the registered version of the game which includes more single-player episodes and thedeathmatch maps. Based on the success of the firstQuake game,Quake II,Quake III Arena, andQuake 4 were published, withQuake 4 being developed byRaven Software using theDoom 3 engine.[citation needed]
Quake was the game primarily responsible for the emergence of themachinima artform of films made in game engines, thanks to editedQuake demos such asRanger Gone Bad andBlahbalicious, the in-game filmThe Devil's Covenant, and the in-game-rendered, four-hour epic filmThe Seal of Nehahra. On June 22, 2006, it had been ten years since the original uploading of the game tocdrom.com archives. ManyInternet forums had topics about it, and it was a front-page story onSlashdot.[147] On October 11, 2006,John Romero released the original map files for all of the levels inQuake.[148]
Quake has four sequels:Quake II,Quake III Arena,Quake 4, andEnemy Territory: Quake Wars. In 2002, a version ofQuake was produced for mobile phones.[149] A copy ofQuake was also released as a compilation in 2001, labeledUltimate Quake, which included the originalQuake,Quake II, andQuake III Arena which was published byActivision. In 2008,Quake was honored at the 59th AnnualTechnology & Engineering Emmy Awards for advancing the art form of user modifiable games.John Carmack accepted the award. Years after its original release,Quake is still regarded by many critics as one of the greatest and most influential games ever made.[150]
As an example of the dedication thatQuake has inspired in its fan community, a group of expert players recordedspeedrun demos (replayable recordings of the player's movement) ofQuake levels completed in record time on the "Nightmare"skill level. The footage was edited into a continuous 19 minutes, 49 seconds demo calledQuake done Quick and released on June 10, 1997. Owners ofQuake could replay this demo in the game engine, watching the run unfold as if they were playing it themselves.[citation needed]
Most full-game speedruns are a collaborative effort by a number of runners (though some have been done by single runners on their own). Although each particular level is credited to one runner, the ideas and techniques used are iterative and collaborative in nature, with each runner picking up tips and ideas from the others, so that speeds keep improving beyond what was thought possible as the runs are further optimized and new tricks or routes are discovered. Further time improvements of the continuous whole game run were achieved into the 21st century. In addition, many thousands of individual level runs are kept atSpeed Demos Archive'sQuake section, including many on custom maps. Speedrunning is a counterpart to multiplayer modes in makingQuake one of the first games promoted as a virtual sport.[citation needed]
The release ofQuake marks the end of the classic line-up at id Software. Due to conflicts and burnout, the majority of the staff resigned from id after the game's release including Romero, Abrash, Shawn Green, Jay Wilbur, Petersen and Mike Wilson.[151] Petersen claimed in July 2021 that the lack of a team leader was the cause of it all. He volunteered to take lead as he had five years of experience as project manager inMicroProse, but he was turned down by Carmack.[152] Romero has discussed their relative lack of experience at the time and failure to communicate with one another, and has stated that there is no long-lasting animosity between the staff.[32] Even though he led the project, Romero did not receive any money fromQuake.[153] In 2000, Romero releasedDaikatana, the game that he envisionedQuake being, and despite its shaky development, and being considered one of the worst games of all time,[154][155] he saidDaikatana was "more fun to make thanQuake" due to the lack of creative interference.[156]
After the departure of Sandy Petersen, the remaining id employees chose to change the thematic direction substantially forQuake II, making the design more technological and futuristic, rather than maintaining the focus onLovecraftian horror.Quake 4 followed the design themes ofQuake II, whereasQuake III Arena mixed these styles; it had a parallel setting that housed several "id all-stars" from various games as playable characters. The mixed settings occurred becauseQuake II originally began as a separate product line.[157] The id designers fell back on the project's nickname of "Quake II" because the game's fast-paced, tactile feel felt closer to a Quake game than a new franchise.[158] Since any sequel to the originalQuake had already been vetoed, it became a way of continuing the series without continuing the storyline or setting of the first game. In June 2011, John Carmack made an offhand comment that id Software was considering going back to the "...mixed up Cthulhu-ish Quake 1 world and rebooting [in] that direction."[159]
My original idea was to do something likeVirtua Fighter in a 3D world, with full-contact fighting, but you'd also be able to run through a world, and do the same stuff you do inQuake, only when you got into these melees, the camera would pull out into a third-person perspective. It would've been great, but nobody else had faith in trying it. The project was taking too long, and everybody just wanted to fall back on the safe thing – the formula.
Impressed by Nintendo 64's conversion ofDoom, id Software immediately granted theQuake conversion rights to Midway, even requesting that the sameDoom team be responsible.
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