Quake II remaster Review
Bethesda Softworks

Quake II is likely remembered more for the context in which it was made than the content of the game itself. Following the creative clashes that littered the development of Quake, a rift was formed between several core employees of id Software, leading to several key members of the company splitting off for greener pastures. The ensuing fallout would lead to John Romero and Tom Hall forming Ion Storm, a studio known for both the infamous failure known as Daikatana, and one of the most beloved PC games of all time, Deus Ex.

But back at id Software, things were going pretty swimmingly. The different visions that led to the unique mash-up of genres and ideas in the original Quake are no longer present. For better or for worse, there’s a cohesive idea for a new game, which likely contributed to the shortened development time. Whereas Quake would come nearly two full years after Doom II in 1996, Quake II was released just in time for the Christmas season in 1997. Unfortunately, you may have been initially put off by just how different Quake II is from its predecessor.

In fact, Quake II is only a sequel in name only. It was originally meant to be a wholly unique IP, and it was only through indecisiveness on what to name this IP that the sequel idea came about. It wasn’t a popular decision, but it was arguably the best one to make. Quake was, by that point, a revolutionary name alongside id Software’s other flagship series, Doom. Trading Lovecraftian horror and straightforward level design in favor of expanded storytelling and a horrifying science-fiction setting certainly ring some familiar bells, but it’s thankfully what id Software knew how to do best.

Twenty-six years later, though, Quake II fans were bewildered by a surprise announcement at 2023’s Quakecon. Not only would a fully-fledged remaster of Quake II get a surprise release to ring in the event, but it would also be handled by the patron saint of game remasters in recent years, Nightdive Studios. Aside from coming to current consoles and even Xbox Game Pass, those who owned the original Quake II on either the Microsoft Store, Steam, or Good Old Games (GOG) would also get the remaster completely for free. That’s actually how we’ve received our copy of the remaster. While the iron is still hot, there’s no better time to evaluate what exactly Nightdive’s remaster does for the Quake II experience and whether or not the black sheep of the Quake franchise is now worth picking up.

Bitterman’s Journey Begins

Quake II remaster Review 1
Bethesda Softworks

Right from the word “go,” Quake II wastes no time in setting its stakes. Pre-rendered CGI cutscenes — now gussied up in beautiful high-definition — establish an admittedly bog-standard premise. It’s the distant future. Mankind is currently embarking on Operation Alien Overlord, a Hail Mary attempt at suppressing an invasion of Earth by the nefarious Strogg civilization. A gargantuan military vessel approaches the Strogg’s homeworld before launching dozens of ships to scatter across its dusted surface. Only one ship survives. Taking the role of Bitterman, the sole survivor of the operation, you’re tasked with reconnecting with your fallen comrades, fighting your way through hundreds of Strogg soldiers, and slowly completing tactical objectives before taking on the Strogg leader himself: the Makron.

RELATED: ‘Parasite Eve’ Revisited: Square Enix’s Unconventional Horror RPG

That’s about all you’ll get in terms of story. This is a boomer shooter by id Software, after all. While Bitterman’s journey is analyzed via satellite imagery in between accomplishing major objectives, you’ll rarely find the action interrupted elsewhere. Compare Quake II to Half-Life, which would release not even a full year later, and the attempts at storytelling are laughable.

The real draw here, however, is the Strogg. What would become a staple of the Quake franchise going forward, the Strogg can be described as Star Trek‘s Borg crossed with Hellraiser‘s cenobites: amalgamations of flesh and metal, bone and circuitry, and neurons and electricity. While you’ll find typical “zombie with gun” designs here and there, there are some fascinating creatures on display. Little flying drones piloted by human brains, Olympic sprinters outfitted with deadly construction equipment, and mechanical dogs with human faces and lizard tongues are just a few highlights.

Quake II Remaster Offers More Gameplay & Additions

Bethesda Softworks

You’ll be fighting a lot of Strogg, as this remaster of Quake II not only comes with the base game but with multiple other additions as well. The original two expansion packs, “The Reckoning and Ground Zero,” in addition to a brand new episode exclusive to the remaster, “Call of the Machine,” easily pack in double the amount of hours that the base campaign will get you. Not only that, but the unique campaign found in Quake II‘s Nintendo 64 port also makes an appearance in all its limited glory. You certainly get the most bang for your buck, as you’re essentially getting three games’ worth of content in a single package.

As for the game itself, it’s more of what you would expect from a boomer shooter, but with a few bells and whistles here and there. Compared to Quake, the game proceeds in a more linear fashion, being broken up into a series of “primary objectives” to complete. Bitterman will often find himself in the middle of a specific Strogg structure, be it a factory or prison, for example, and he’ll be compelled to disable the structure to progress further. The end goal is ultimately to get out of this area. To do so, you’ll be accomplishing a variety of secondary objectives that make up the game’s individual levels. These levels are gargantuan in comparison to Quake, often broken up into multiple areas via brief loading screens. Hunting for secrets, keys, and switches will often fill the brief time spent not shooting the Strogg.

This hub-based approach to level design was originally a critique of Quake II and for good reason. For one thing, it was incredibly easy to get lost. Quake II‘s color palette and surrounding environments are often heavily inspired by industrial structures, meaning greys, browns, and occasionally oranges will make up a majority of what you’re seeing. It’s not that these levels are inherently bad, but when combined with some occasionally vague secondary objectives, you would’ve found yourself wandering in circles at points, trying to figure out where to go next. This is especially egregious in The Reckoning, where the first handful of levels boil down to winding hallways, dark caves, brown sewers, and other environments that all blend together.

RELATED: ‘Dredge’ Game Review: A Near-Perfect Lovecraftian Horror Game

Fortunately, the remaster mends this issue with one simple addition: the compass. Accessible at any point, the compass provides a trail of temporary green arrows to directly point you to your next objective. Gone are the wasted minutes just trying to navigate to the next objective, making the time spent between accomplishing goals and fighting enemies minuscule at most. You’re never forced to use it at any point, but it’s incredibly useful in keeping your focus on shooting instead of circumnavigating. The remaster-exclusive episode also takes advantage of the remaster less-strict technical limitations and introduces some fantastic new levels. New color palettes, memorable settings, and even some occasional platforming challenges accompany a surprise for Quake fans that we dare not spoil here.

In fact, this remaster introduces several new additions that, arguably, directly enhance the Quake II experience. An item and weapon wheel have been introduced, allowing you some breathing room to quickly activate an important power-up or swap to an appropriate weapon. The act of switching weapons is noticeably faster. Balance changes, such as the machine gun lacking any recoil, have been met with a mixed but mostly positive response as well. Perhaps it’s just a combination of these different criteria, but the game as a whole feels faster than it ever did before, falling more in line with what the contemporary view of a boomer shooter paints the genre as.

Bethesda Softworks

The biggest plus for Quake fans has to be the addition of cut content. A section in the game’s menu, the “id Vault,” allows you to both view rare conceptual material salvaged from the game’s development, play demos that showcased the game’s technology, and even view models of every enemy, gun, and item in the game. Obviously, you should probably avoid it until you’ve cleared most of the game’s content. Other cut content, including a new attack for the Berserker enemy and re-worked AI that makes enemies behave more aggressively, makes a lot of the base game’s enemy encounters much more exciting.

Of course, those miffed by the original Steam release’s lack of music will find this issue remedied as well. Sonic Mayhem is back in all of their thrashy glory, bringing with them classic tracks like “Descent Into Cerberon,” “Operation Overlord,” and even their contributions to the original expansions. On top of this, the original soundtrack for the Nintendo 64 port, originally composed by Aubrey Hodges, is here in its entirety as well. It’s a surprisingly atmospheric counterpart to the blaring electronic-laced metal of the base game.

A Remaster for the Modern Age

Quake II remaster Review 3
Bethesda Softworks

If there’s a downside to all of this, those who enjoy the base Quake II may find these changes to be a bit excessive.  Some changes can be seen as slightly superfluous, unnecessary, or otherwise harmful to the original Quake II experience. The rail gun, for instance, has been a serious point of contention for one simple reason: its reduced damage nullifies its original role in your arsenal. What was originally meant to be a slow but incredibly powerful weapon is now outclassed by weapons you can find hours prior to it. While the PC versions of the remaster come bundled with the original game files, you’ll be missing out on the new content offered if you opt to avoid the remaster.

Having personally played multiple versions of Quake II in my life, however, I can’t say that these changes are necessarily a deal-breaker. I found myself adjusting to the game’s changes fairly quickly and was able to complete all episodes bundled with this release in roughly eleven or so hours. Playing on Hard, I was struggling at some points, especially in the expansions, but the challenge felt appropriate. It’s recommended to play the vanilla campaign first before jumping into the expansions, as the ramp-up in difficulty assumes you have previously done so. This is especially true for “Call of the Machine.”

RELATED: ‘Postal’: Looking Back at the Controversially Raunchy Game Franchise

Combined with a slew of accessibility options, modern graphical settings, and other quality-of-life adjustments, Quake II is now a proper game for the modern age. Frankly, this Quake II remaster — along with the recent remaster of Rise of the Triad — come close to what a quintessential remaster should be: a near-complete package of just about anything and everything related to the base experience. The fact that this is even available, to begin with, should be celebrated, with opportunities available for further improvement should Nightdive Studios commit the resources to them.

Quake II is currently available on Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and 5, Nintendo Switch, Steam, GOG, and Microsoft Windows for the modest price of around ten USD.

We’re hardworking geeks that love to geek out, but we can’t do it without you! If you enjoyed this article and want to see more like it, please consider tipping our writers. Also, as an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.