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Quake IV - First Look Preview
Chris Leyton
19/05/2005
id Software and Raven Games return with the powerful Quake franchise - first person shooters don't get any better then this...
E3ā05 heralds the return of id Softwareās legendary Quake franchise, appearing in its fourth incarnation for the PC and Xbox360 ā“ and boy are there a number of surprises in storeā¦
Having created the franchise, id Software placed the responsibility of Quake IV into the very capable hands of Raven Software, creators of the likes of Soldier of Fortune 1&2, Jedi Knight (Jedi Outcast & Jedi Academy) and X-Men: Legends. The result is shaping up to be a resounding success, coming quickly after Doom 3 and looking to meld Ravenās gaming expertise with Doom 3 technology ā“ even if it has been significantly enhanced.
Quake IV picks up directly after events foretold in Quake II; players assume the role of Matthew Kane, an elite member of Rhino Squad, Earthās valiant invasion force sent into deliver a crushing blow on the Strogg home planet after the heroic events of Quake IIās protagonist ā“ wittily recalled during one of the gameās first cut-scenes. Quake IV is undoubtedly going to be horrific, the seemingly tranquil introduction set in space sees a space marine drift into view only to realise that itās just a torso, followed by debris, bodies and junk from a cataclysmic battle.
Both the PC version and Xbox 360 versions are currently in development alongside each other, and whilst the demonstration focussed on the former, weāre assured that both will be released at the same time and that this isnāt your typical case of developing on PC and porting to the console. Raven claims that the Xbox 360 is extremely easy to work with and that helps developing both titles concurrently, although suggested that final development kits had yet to appear.
The big surprise from the demonstration focussed on Kaneās capture by the Stroggās, resulting in torture and transformation during a harrowing scene in which heās fastened to a conveyor belt and dished around a Strogg laboratory, spiked, his limbs chopped off and all but left a Strogg. A last minute rescue mission prevents this however when his fellow Rhino Squad compatriots burst through the doors, leaving Kane with enhanced abilities and the power to turn the tide of war. Sadly weāll have to wait until QuakeCon 05 at the earliest before knowing the full potential of these powers.
The demonstration provided a lot of footage, revealing the significant enhancements that Raven have applied to the Doom 3 engine; most significant is that of AI in terms of both fellow compatriots and the Strogg. Whereas Doom 3 was a largely solitary experience, Quake IV firmly creates the feeling on a planetary invasion with two sides at war, youāll constantly find fellow Rhino Squad members alongside you working intelligently, while the Strogg are more then capable of putting up a fight and looking natural about it.
Many of the levels featured in the demonstration also highlighted the vast, expansive locations that the game takes place within, alongside the vibrant lighting effects that should hopefully keep those who complained about the darkness of Doom 3 happy.
Perhaps the biggest introduction to be found in Quake IV and the franchise to date is the inclusion of player controlled vehicles. Both a mech-styled Walker and a Hover-Tank were visible, both courtesy of the improvements made to the physics engine on Ravenās behalf; whether or not more vehicles will feature is unknown, and while they look to spice things up, provide a little variety and are on the whole suitably done, we have to question a little why Quake needs them.
Finally Quake wouldnāt be Quake without a strong multiplayer component (some could say the same for Doom), and those fearing that the delights of Quake III/Team Arena have been muscled out for a storyline can breathe a sigh of relief. Quake IV features a fully functional multiplayer mode that has been largely based on the frenetic nature of Q3 albeit in a heavily re-engineered kind of way; when asked whether thereās anything to appeal to fans of the Q1/Q3 style, Raven confidently claimed that the multiplayer will keep these fans happy. Once again however weāll have to wait until QuakeCon 05 before getting the full lowdown, however we were able to discover that the game will support between 12-16 players and that vehicles will play a part ā“ Co-Op has however officially been ruled out!
Finally the promise that Quake IV would see the return of fan favourite weapons (Rail Gun, Mag Launcher) alongside all new ones was confirmed, as we discovered that an all-new Lightening Gun will feature in the game ā“ described as the ābest ever yetā. In a move that smacks a little of Digital Extremeās Pariah, Quake IV include weapon modifications with the one example detailing a rocket launcher gaining heat-seeking capabilities.
dezzyb439
Date Added:Thu 1st Feb 2007 23:31