Reviews// Quake4 (Xbox 360)

So plot points and dialog complaints aside (we did mention the dialog is a bit spotty didn’t we?) how is the actual game? You know, the controls, the graphics, the AI, all that jazz. Well it's pretty damn good actually. Raven has done a good job adapting PC controls to the 360's pad. With the only moderate annoyance being the need to switch through 10 different weapons in a hurry. A fast access feature on the d-pad would have been nice, but thanks to the new 360 shoulder buttons, control is fairly quick and intuitive.

The graphics, whilst no better than those of its PC counterpart, are still top notch and some of the best seen on the 360 so far in its fledgling launch days. The Doom 3 like shininess is definitely very present, especially on the characters, but seeing as 99 percent of the game is made up of machinery it really isn't a problem. The game runs at a relatively solid frame rate but when it does take a dive it dives pretty hard, most notably during the most frantic battles. It certainly could have used some more quality control and optimisation to iron out some of this, but for a game that is meant to run on a $2000 PC and was ported to 360 in around 3-6 months, it's a fairly admirable job.

The sound is clean and the hard, gun effects are classic Quake sounds turned up to 11. The soundtrack does a good job of setting the mood, and even intentionally tricking your mood once in a while, without being intolerably over bearing.

Enemy AI is admirable, smaller enemies will occasionally take cover and attempt to flank while larger creatures just blindly rush and attempt to over take you by force, preventing the use of heavy weaponry by closing the gap as quickly as possible. You won’t be astounded by anything you see but these are supposedly mindless drones after all.

Level design is solid with a good amount of variety. Some interesting strategic options are allowed and new enemies are gradually introduced throughout to help keep things as fresh as possible.

And lets not forget the multiplayer, which for those of you without Xbox Live! Gold, doesn't exist (unless you know enough people with 360’s to set up a lame, sorry LAN, party that is). No split-screen is available at all which is very sorely missed, as the number of 360s around is still very slim. However for those with a functioning Gold account, the multiplayer is good old fashion Quake3 style fun. Its fast and furious and a genuine joy to play. However (and we know... there do seem to be too many "however"s with this game) match-making takes a while, upwards of ten minutes depending on the time of day and what "gamer zone" you play in (pro tip: the underground seems to be the quickest way to find a game). But when it does get going it is a blast. There doesn't seem to be much problem with dropping in our experience and games seemed to run pretty lag free.



SPOnG score: B-

So in conclusion, Quake4 is a good game. It is flawed in some key areas... not so badly that it ever ruins the experience, but just enough to mar it slightly. If you like a game that gives you a good length single player, fun but feature-light multi-player experience, and a decent showpiece to dazzle your friends graphics-wise, SPOnG can wholeheartedly recommend this. If you are looking for the next Halo, this isn't it. But when surrounded by its launch window brethren Quake4 holds up surprisingly well, in spite of its flaws.