Quake II Review: A Revelation Of A Remaster

I spent a fair amount of time with the original Quake back in the 90s thanks to my grandfather strangely having it on his PC and there being nothing else to do when I visited him, but its sequel is a game I largely missed at the time thanks to my parents’ anti-PC gaming attitude. That’s true of many of the best 90s PC games that never had a great console release. Getting to revisit it 25 years later, I can see what I missed out on. The core of Quake II is brilliant even in 2023, and the treatment Nightdive Studios has given it should serve as a blueprint for any modern release of a classic game.

A Campaign That Holds Up Beautifully

Jumping into the original game, you’ll be met with a campaign that is still a ton of fun. Ignore the mostly superfluous story about a war with an alien race; it does its job but little more. We’re not here for a deep narrative. This is a 90s shooter, and we’re here to blow stuff up and tear aliens apart. That’s where Quake II shines.

Within minutes of jumping into the game, it becomes clear how strong the core shooting still is in Quake II. You’ll unlock all kinds of great weapons. Everything from your starting blaster to one of the best shotguns in gaming, chain guns, rocket launchers, and much more. Each has a totally unique feel as you use them to blow through hordes of deadly enemies. Seriously, this shotgun feels as good as any I can remember, and finding the super shotgun is heaven.

Visceral Action

What stands out most about blasting through enemies, though, is the impact that doing so has. You really feel the shots, helped in part by the way your enemies react. They’ll be thrown off their feet only to slowly lumber back up. Other times they’ll stagger backward. Even when they’re dying, many will fall to one knee and keep shooting at you, not recognizing the inevitable. Do you get out of the way and let them expire, or keep firing to stop the danger they represent? That’s up to you, but I loved the choice.

While the core of most missions here isn’t complex, you’ll be navigating a series of mazes that you can easily get lost in. That’s part of the fun sometimes, and levels are filled with enemies who come from all directions, so don’t assume you don’t have to worry about the way you already came. Secondary objectives give players extra things to work towards and make this campaign feel a bit more modern. You could certainly get lost easily enough, but a new compass option is the sort of smart quality-of-life feature which helps modern players jump in and find enjoyment in a game with less modern design. It’s entirely optional too, so players who want a more traditional experience can ignore it.

Everything You’d Expect And A Few Things You Never Would

Beyond that core campaign, though, Quake II is packed full of the sort of bonuses every great remaster should have, and even a few that no player would ever expect. The original two expansions for the game, Ground Zero and The Reckoning, are both here and are upgraded just like the main game is. That’s the sort of inclusion you’d expect in a quality remaster.

What you wouldn’t even dream of, though, is for one of the best shooter developers of today to create an all-new expansion for the game over 25 years later. That’s what happened here, though, as the all-new Call of the Machine expansion here, created by MachineGames of Wolfenstein fame, creates something entirely new for players after all these years. The Call of the Machine levels are some of my favorites in this entire package, featuring fierce battles and enemies who will make players gasp right from the start.

The package doesn’t even stop there. This crazy package even includes Quake II 64, the N64 version of the game, which is straight up a different game. While there are similarities with the original game, including enemies, weapons, and design elements, it offers entirely original levels. Getting to play these with dual analog support instead of the N64 controller is a joy. These levels may not be as strong as the main game’s, but playing them in a modern game shows they were well-designed and a lot of fun. You also have the game’s full multiplayer suite, including local and online deathmatch or co-op play. These played great, even if the skill level felt more than a bit insane for someone like me jumping in for the first time. There’s even a gallery of classic images and design documents and the ability to play recreations of actual trade-show demos for Quake II from the mid-90s. While it would have been cool to see the actual original demos included, their inclusion in any form is more than welcome.

Conclusion

Quake II is the new King of remasters. Proving that with a fresh coat of paint, some of the 90s’ best games can still hold up brilliantly today, Quake II is the best shooter I’ve played in years. Its visceral action is far more satisfying than the vast majority of shooters that release today, and modern improvements have helped sand away some of the rougher edges of its era. Whether you spent hours enjoying this one 25 years ago or you’ve never touched it before, you should absolutely make sure to check out the year’s best bargain.

Final Verdict: 4.5/5

Available on: Xbox Series X (Reviewed), Xbox Series S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, Switch, PC; Publisher: Bethesda; Developer: id Software, Nightdive Studios, MachineGames; Players: 16; Released: August 10th, 2023; ESRB: M for Mature; MSRP: $9.99

Full disclosure: This review is based on a retail copy of Quake II.