Quake IV presents a satisfying mix of its predecessors to fans of the series...

Quake, Quake, Quake… Sci-Fi/Horror or Gothic/Horror you decide, because it certainly seems that nobody at id Software appears to know. In an attempt to appease fans of both Quake 1+3 along with Quake 2, Quake IV features a single-player campaign that picks up immediately after the second title in the series and a multiplayer mode that harks back to the delights of Quake III: Team Arena. If this seems slightly disjointed then that’s exactly what Quake IV is; a definitive split between a so-so seen-it-all-before single-player campaign, and a multiplayer mode that can still pack a punch.

Once again the evil Strogg provide the main threat as Earth gears up for one final invasion to send the cybernetic warriors off for good. The campaign takes place directly after events in Quake II, where the anonymous hero managed to infiltrate the Strogg base, bring down their planetary defence system and kill their leader – the Makron. There are plenty of little nods to the events of Quake II throughout the campaign, although you don’t have to be a fanatic of the series to appreciate the story.

Whilst the Strogg’s planetary defences are still down Earth sends in one final invasion to clean up the job, which is where you come in. Taking control of Matthew Kane, an elite member of Rhino Squad with a dark past, players must work their way through a series of linear levels to once again infiltrate the base and truly bring the Strogg to an end – as if that’s going to happen!

Torsos’ drifting in space amidst war-torn debris always makes for good introductory fodder, and there’s no denying that Quake IV begins strongly setting the scope for a truly epic last-man-standing finale between the Stroggs and Mankind. But sadly the game quickly shifts to rather more routine first-person-shooter material, spending the vast majority of time in darkened, mechanic corridors largely in isolation – haven’t we been here before? Given the fact that id Software and Raven Games know a thing or two about the first-person-shooter this is not necessarily a bad thing, as what you get is a solid, atmospheric fps that packs action in between suspense - just don’t go expecting Call of Duty 2 here.

In an attempt to distance itself from Doom 3, Quake IV features pockets of fellow human soldiers along the way, which form a somewhat shallow gameplay feature. Alongside the varying ranks of soldiers medics and engineers also feature; a red trim indicates a medic and blue for an engineer – and yes you’ve probably guessed will replenish your health and shield throughout the game. Well when I say “throughout” I really meant whilst they’re about; Quake IV is a strictly scripted experience from start-to-finish, with many of those accompanying Kane splitting up or coming to a grisly end. Like Doom 3 before it Quake IV does this to stylish affect and creates atmosphere by the ozone full, which is great if you’re a fan of this technique or Sci-Fi but at the same time likely to disappoint those expecting something different.

Equally similar to Doom 3 is the somewhat lack of inspiration when it comes to level designs, which often feature an unsatisfactory amount of backtracking and rarely get beyond finding a terminal to activate. Perhaps the most taxing element, beyond some abstract designs later in the game, is creating a ledge to access a higher level by using a crane and some barrels. It’s a good thing for Quake IV that the actual core action is as satisfying as ever, despite a few shortcomings.

Quake IV packs a challenge particularly later on with the occasional boss encounter. The Strogg may not be the brightest bunch when it comes to cybernetic invaders however they’re a hard bunch which take a serious whack before going down. The AI never strays far from erratic dodges, athletic rolls and occasionally seeking cover, coming woefully short of the standard set recently by F.E.A.R; instead the Strogg are mindless brutes with big weapons, it’s as simple as that.

Thankfully for Kane Quake IV presents more then enough weapons along the way, with a mixture of the new and fan-favourites such as the Grenade Launcher, Lightening Gun, Rail Gun and Rocket Launcher. Id Software rarely disappoints when it comes to guns (double-barrelled shotgun Doom 3 aside) and Quake IV has no intention to change this; there’s a great sense of variety between each weapon, with a near perfect blend of cost and effectiveness – with a steady aim the Rail Gun is as deadly as it was in Q3TA if you can get into the rhythm of the reload delay, equally the nail gun spells instant death but has a very fine targeting area. Perhaps the greatest thing the Engineers will ever do – beyond getting killed off as messily as possible – is to upgrade your guns, which happens at certain stages within the game. Secondary fire features include zoomed tracking with the Nail Gun or Rockets that can literally be shot around a corner; although they play around with the balance of weapons, there’s little denying that the sharp difficulty towards the end makes these additions essential.

It’s a shame that the progress through Quake IV isn’t helped by an outdated health system and a frustrating checkpoint system. Titles such as Halo and the soon-to-be-released Call of Duty 2 highlight the vast improvement to the natural flow of a game when using the recharge shield system; perhaps id Software and Raven wanted to ensure the frustrating Game Over’s of yesteryear remain in Quake? Much like most things with each and every game, it’s a question of individual taste; personally I prefer a game that packs a challenge and isn’t afraid to make the player feel inadequate, however there’s a majority market which thinks otherwise. Combined with minimal checkpoints, Quake IV makes Quick Save + Load a vital technique to learn if you’ve yet to master this.

Occasionally the game throws the action outside (a technical feat given the perceived limitations of the engine) as Kane steps aboard convey trucks, tanks and ultimately a mech. Although these scenes help to break up the core corridor gameplay, they do suffer from the same “padding” feeling that featured in similar sections within Half Life 2. Occasionally the action heats up making the section more satisfactory, however the lack of finesse between a tank and a mech leaves them feeling slightly cheap.

Being a Quake fan jumping online for the first time and coming up with “The Longest Day” – a remake of Q3’s The Longest Yard – was enough to have me leaping to my death before I’d even realised it had started. It’s testimony to just how good Q3 and Q3TA were that Quake IV multiplayer is so much fun; the blinding pace, the incessant intensity and sheer skill requirement makes for a consuming experience if you’re a fan of this style.

Quake IV is continued testimony to the strengths of the Doom 3 engine and a little more besides. Much like Doom 3 Quake IV uses light and shadow to create a highly tense atmosphere along with traditional movie tricks such as projecting an enlarged Strogg silhouette on a nearby wall – it’s all good if you don’t mind jumping a few times whilst you play. The engine also handles character models with ease, each of which pack a fantastic amount of detail and look convincingly natural – not that the same can be said of the Stroggs. These guys are the real stars of the show, twisted, agonised amalgamations of human and machine, leaving little doubt that these guys need that extra bullet just to make sure.

In place of an atmosphere inducing soundtrack, Quake IV places everything on cranking noises, agonised screams and the general clatter of warfare; generally it works but there are times when you’re left needing a morale rousing anthem to send you into war. Given the abundance of machismo in the game’s cast it could have been easy to have a ; there’s a real sense of desperation amongst those you’ll come across however because of the solid voice acting that helps to build the atmosphere.