BIOS: Technology Means Business

Earth is under siege by an alien race. The Strogg are Borg-like cybernetic warriors sporting mechanical frames and decaying body parts stabilised by flesh consumed in a systematic annihilation of other species and civilisations. Lovely! In a desperate attempt to survive a Strogg attack on Earth, an armada of Earth’s finest warriors is sent to take the battle to the Strogg home planet. Earth’s initial assault force is nearly annihilated immediately, but one marine manages to infiltrate the base, bring down their planetary defence systems, and kill the Strogg’s collective brain and leader-the Makron. Earth assumed the destruction of the Makron would end it all, but it didn’t.

That’s where Quake II left off and Quake 4 begins (forget Quake 3 - there was no single-player option). In this utterly compelling storyline (Hollywood should start sniffing soon), the Strogg are quickly regrouping. However, with the Strogg’s planetary defenses still destroyed, Earth’s forces can deliver a full and final assault. The great thing this time is that you’re not alone. You are Matthew Kane, an elite member of Rhino Squad, and part of Earth’s next invasion wave. An army of soldiers fight with you and an arsenal of weapons and vehicles are at your disposal in this heroic and epic battle between worlds.

Developed by Raven Software in cooperation with id Software (developers of the Doom franchise), Quake 4 (Best Current Price: £20.49/$27.99) utilises the power of iD Software’s excellent Doom 3 engine to transport you into a war-torn science-fiction universe. Unlike previous instalments, single-player is a key feature, with a winding plot, cast of characters voiced by Hollywood actors, objective-based gameplay, light squad tactics, and countless set pieces. Multiplayer is there available of course, with a 16-player cap, Tournament Mode, deathmatch, team deathmatch and CTF.

Quake 4 looks, feels and plays very much like Doom 3, which is hardly surprising considering the same development teams were involved. Quake 4, however, offers much faster gameplay and more relentless gun battles. A lot of the game involves navigating dark environments with a flashlight - just like Doom 3 - but the latter’s suspense has been replaced with gun-toting action - a much welcome gaming alteration. Some gamers may find the areas a little linear, with locked doors ‘magically’ unlocking as you complete mission events.

We, however, prefer more action and less toing and froing, so weren’t in the least bothered with the rather confined gaming environments. We also loved the fact that Quake 4 offers more gaming scenarios than science labs - there are a lot of outdoor areas, for one thing, along with hangars and other wide open spaces. You even get to take control of some vehicles - a first for Quake - to blast the bad guys. The downside is that it all becomes a little too easy - armour and shields automatically regenerate if you sit idle and unmolested for a few seconds, and you have an infinite supply of ammo. Nevertheless, causing mayhem in a hovercraft is a blast!

Quake 4 is not an intelligent shooter, nor does it pose the challenges of Call of Duty 2, F.E.A.R or Battlefield 2. However, its production values are excellent: graphics are wonderful, voice acting is totally convincing, audio and music effects are lavish, and the weapons are truly outrageous. Like Doom 3, there is no alt-fire on any of weapons. Instead, right-click will engage a zoom, if there is one. You can’t lean around corners or throw grenades either, but the relative simplicity of combat doesn’t make that a problem.

Quake 4 is a genuinely fun game. It just won’t keep you entertained for as long as you expect, and it offers nothing new in terms of a gaming experience, but it looks and sounds great and the action comes thick and fast. The single-player storyline is gripping too. You’ll see some new features of the Doom 3 engine, vehicle controls are intuitive, and combat is relatively simple - vital ingredients for an entertaining title.

If you’re lucky enough to get Quake 4 in your Christmas stocking, you may be interesting to know that Activision has just announced three new Quake 4 multiplayer maps: Railed, Tremors, and Campground Redux. The three new maps offer all-new gameplay environments for more fast-paced, intense multiplayer combat. These latest maps are now available for free download at www.idsoftware.com.

In addition, the latest Quake 4 patch (v1.05) addresses Windows users with Intel Hyper-Threading Technology-enabled processors, multiple processors, or systems
with a dual core processor. The update is also required for Windows and Linux
servers as it addresses a recently identified problem with servers left unoccupied for very long periods of time (these servers will appear to be operating normally, but will crash clients that attempt to connect to them). id Software and Raven claim that systems with one of these configurations will notice performance gains of anywhere from 25 to 87 per cent depending on processor type. [8.5 - Editors' Choice]

[Best PC Game Pricing UK]
[Best PC Game Pricing US]