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Rating: Awesome
Quake 2 is one of the most intense video games of all time. The
adrenaline rush that takes place when running into somebody and
instinctively pressing the fire button and blowing them away point-blank
with the super-shotgun cannot be described in words. This highly-
anticipated first-person shooter had all kinds of bugs and other problems
when it was released in December 1997, but these problems have been fixed
in the form of free upgrades that are downloadable over the Internet.
Sure, the single-player mode in Quake 2 is good as well (much better than
Quake 1), but the multi-player mode is where it's at. The weapons are so
much more balanced in Quake 2 than they were in Quake 1. This may upset
hardcore fans of the original game who did nothing but get the Rocket
Launcher and hold down the fire button, but the much more balanced weapons
make for a game that is more enjoyable for most people.
The multi-player interface (jump into any server at any time) is great,
although I would have liked to have modem game support so I could go 1-on-1
with friends in a really good connection. Speaking of good connections,
anyone with a basic 28.8 modem should have a decent enough connection in
most Quake 2 servers (unless you're on AOL or something like that), and the
game flys on a 56K modem. There are dozens and dozens of Quake 2 mods
(modifications) out there, including Capture the Flag, which is by far the
most popular mod on the Internet. I found myself enjoying the regular
deathmatch much more, though. The main reason is that my team could be up
5-0 in a CTF game and it could have nothing to do with how good or bad I'm
playing, but if I'm kicking everybody's butt in a deathmatch it's my fault
and my fault only. Quake 2 also allows for up to 32 players to play in one
game (64 if you download the special 64-person deathmatch maps), but I
think 16 players is a little too much, 32 players is way overboard, and 64
players is just insane. I prefer "small" deathmatches of 8-12 people,
which have plenty of intensity without being so crowded that it becomes the
norm rather than the exception to be re-generated and instantly killed
wherever you regenerate.
It should be noted that Quake 2's learning curve is quite steep (at
least it was for me). When I first started, I completely sucked, and I
suspect most people suck when they first start out. But I stuck with it
and continue to slowly but surely improve with every game I play. I also
go through freakish hot and cold streaks, sometimes even in back-to-back
games. One game I'll be on fire and one of the best players on the server,
the next game I'll be cold as ice (stone cold... heh) and one of the worst
players on the server. I've come to realize that whether I'm hot or cold
has more to do with my mental state (how frustrated I get when I get killed,
whether I run or fight with the wimpy blaster, etc) than my physical state.
This just goes to show you how involving Quake 2 is. The game can be
frustrating when I'm cold, but when I'm hot, Quake 2 is among the most
entertaining video games I have ever experienced.
© 2001 ivan@mastergamer.com