Juke Joint Jezebel
Member
Release Date: 22nd June 1996 | Genre: FPS | Developer: id Software | Publisher: GT-Interactive | Platform Played On: Windows 7 (Steam)
Well, 2 decades after it's original release in ‘96 I've finally given the original Quake a spin! As a hardcore Doom fan and a huge fan of the Build Engine shooters of the late 90's it's kind of blasphemous I haven't played the spiritual successor to my favourite FPS series sooner but there's no better time than the present. Sadly, playing the game in it's original form wasn't an option as it'd crash a few moments after booting it up every single time, so I slapped the DirectQ engine mod on it and got to playing.
First thing that really stood out to me about this game is the aesthetic, the bizarre mix of industrial, fantasy and love-craftian themes really gel together to make a game that still feels pretty unique even today. The fact that the game didn't even have a traditional level select screen took me by surprise too, giving you a small hub to walk around and navigate through to select your difficulty setting and chapters is pretty striking compared to most modern shooters and it's a really neat touch that adds a little bit more immersion into the game world. During my time playing through all four of the game's chapters I was surprised at how well designed each of the 31 maps in the game's single player campaign were. Without even having played the game prior I never really found myself stumped about where to go, there's a ton of clever signposting dotted throughout all of the maps, from text prompts, wall etchings and a good dollop of sensible level design with a focus on returning to the centre of each of the games stages, it all just flows together really well, with the longest I've ever spent roaming a map being about 11 minutes. It's clear Id Software learned a lot from developing the first two Doom games, the second Doom game in particular had a problem with inconsistent, open level design towards the end of the game so it was nice to finally see how they learned for their mistakes with Quake by going back to focusing on tight, compact level design.
I really dig the enemies and weapons in this game as well. The enemy design is all over the place, from twisted versions of traditional fantasy cliches such as zombies, Ogres and knights, other-wordly nightmarish demons like the fiends, scrags and the vores, and mainstays of the genre such as possessed soldier grunts and rabid dogs there's a ton of variety on display here and they all work so well with the schizophrenic theme the game has going for it. Weapons such as the nailguns and the grenade and rocket launchers feel satisfying to use as well, all with their own unique uses and providing hard counters to each of the denizens of the otherworld. The cherry on top of all of this though is the soundtrack, my fucking god, the ambient industrial tracks that Trent Reznor composed for this game are just outstanding. Wandering around these sprawling grungy labyrinths with these subtle creepy tones playing in the background ramps the atmosphere up considerably. The few quiet moments when clearing out rooms and looking about for secrets really allowed the music to shine, I've genuinely haven't felt unnerved by a games music in a while, but this is the first to have done that in a long time.
The entire package is amazing, and 21 years after it's came out it's a testament to just how well the game has aged and how well it's designed that I can play this for the first time, blast through it and have a whale of a time! If you haven't delved into Quake yet I'd recommend installing it, slapping DirectQ on it and giving it a go. I now know why this is considered one of the crown jewels of the FPS genre. Incredible.
Quake Soundtrack (Youtube)
