Quake II

The Good
Quake II wasn't all bad, there were some very big improvements over the first installment, even if the game as a whole didn't live up to its predecessor.

For one the graphics engine was phenomenal. Again we're treated to fantastic graphics that run extremely fast even on poor systems of the time. It amazes me how fast and smooth the game would run, while just about everything else out at the time looked worse and ran half as fast.

The single player was a big improvement. Enemy AI was much, much better, the story (although lacking by standards of the time) was better than the first installment, and the level design while not as good in my opinion, offered a wider variety of colors and environments over the first. Furthermore, the lighting effects were much, much better than the first and the character models far more detailed (but we'd expect that with a newer game).

The Bad
Unfortunately everything else is lacking. While Quake 1 gave us fantastic multiplayer action while failing to deliver on the single player campaign, Q2 is the opposite. The single player is decent, but the multiplayer was atrocious.

The state of the online community surrounding Q2 reflected this. This was a game that outsold its predecessor, but still there were fewer ladders, competitions, and online servers.

Some designer got the bright idea that the rocket launcher in Q1 was too powerful, so they dumbed it down, they nerfed it BIG TIME. Not only did the rocket launcher produce a minimum amount of damage, the rockets traveled so slow after being fired that it could take 4 or 5 seconds to reach your target. Not only that but the blast radius was so small that only a direct hit would really do anything, but even so that was dumbed down as well and it would take multiple direct hits on an unarmored opponent. Worthless.

But then they introduce the rail gun. A one shot instant fire, instant kill weapon. This wouldn't be so bad because many FPS games have a weapon of this sort, but to shoot themselves in the foot, the designers slowed player movement to a crawl. The result is everyone using rail guns; the instant kill weapon while players move around at a snail's pace. The result is that newbish, unskilled players are now on level playing field with seasoned veterans, and the game comes down to excessive camping with those that have the faster computer to get into the level first usually ending up the winners.

The multiplayer was slower and buggy. There were crashes, and super low pings were less common than in the first installment. Lots of activity in game would cause slow down, even if your machine is 10x the recommended specifications. The DM was slower, required less skill, and there were fewer customizations available to the end user.

Furthermore, the multiplayer level design was not as good as the previous installment, and the game generally lacked the hard core multiplayer experience that the first offered.

The Bottom Line
If single player goodness is what you're after, and you feel that the original Quake failed to deliver, then this one is for you.

If you're a hardcore multiplayer competitor, then you're out of luck with this title.

The Good
Quake II was far ahead of anything else in its time graphics-wise, with vibrant, fully 3D maps and realistic (for its time) enemies. Its fast-paced action lead you through a long campaign where you play the role of Bitterman, a lone soldier trying to take down a killer race of cyborgs called the Strogg. Sure, it's a cliche storyline, but who really gives a damn about plot in an id Software shooter? Multiplayer is also fun, and the ways you can play online has since expanded with a huge amount of fan content. If you're looking for a mindless, "pick up and play"-type first person shooter, this is a great option.

The Bad
As good as Quake II is, it's far from perfect, and contains a few negative aspects. First and foremost is the horrible AI of the campaign enemies. You'd often find these guys running in place, in-fighting, and or dying in traps which are really meant for the players (lasers and lava pits, for the most part). Another major issue is that the game is almost completely unrelated to the original Quake, minus the ubiquitous Quad Damage (who could live without it?). The weapons seem more like those of Doom, with the return of the Shotgun, Super Shotgun, and Chain Gun. The Plasma Gun and BFG are also reincarnated as the Hyperblaster and BFG10K. The Axe, Electrobolt, Nailgun, and the rest of the familiar Quake I weapons are gone. What gives?

The Bottom Line
Quake II is a generally well-done first-person shooter, and offers hours of fun to those who get into it. The graphics, multiplayer capability, and ease of play make it very entertaining. Although it has nearly nothing to do with the original Quake, it is still a genuine id Software FPS, and deserves a larger audience. If you ever get a chance to play this game, and are a fan of old-school shooters, I guarantee you will enjoy it.

The Good
Nice level design in most parts. Multiple pathways to an objective. Well-designed enemies with soome exceptions. Great Arsenal (Love the super shotgun). Brilliant pulsating music.

The Bad
Absolutely non-existent AI. Some levels are quite tedious and require endless backtracking thru very similar looking areas. Too dark in parts. Wussy boss encounters.

The Bottom Line
Good fun for the mindless shooting crowd.