Over the past couple years no
company has redefined the gaming the way id Software has. They created the first person
shooter and have continually set the standard by which all other first person shooters are
judged. Each new game they have produced has added a new level of game play. With Doom and Doom2 it was the multiplayer capabilities and the ability to
add on and create new levels, with Quake it was the amazing 3D graphics, the support of
OpenGL, the ability to customize almost every aspect as well as the ground breaking
Internet play with the ability to have up to 32 players in a game (a design which almost
every future game, no matter what genre it is in will be using). id's new game, Quake 2,
is looking to push the level even higher.
Here's the basic story line for Quake 2 (a nice change from the
repetitive story lines of Doom, Doom2, and Quake):
'After years of waging war against the alien aggressors, the
Earth is on the verge of being completely obliterated. A last effort to bring the mass
destruction to an end is underway. Launched from a giant space carrier, you are part of a
secret assault force sent through an interplanetary gateway in single-manned pods. Shortly
after landing on the alien surface you learn that hundreds of your men have been slashed
to just a few. Now, you must do what entire armies could not: fight your way through
heavily fortified military installations, lower the city's defenses, and shut down their
war machine. Only then, can Earth even hope to launch an air assault. Only then, will the
fate of all humanity be known.'
The engine used for Quake 2 is an enhanced version of the one
used for the original version of Quake. It's new features include colored lighting
(available only in GLQuake2), rotating brushes (already available if you have purchased
either of the Quake add-on packs), the ability to duck, transparent water, and a much more
intelligent enemy AI. Monsters are able to duck, move around the level, and more. Also, in
Quake 2 there will be no need for special GLQuake and VQuake exe files. There will only be
one central executable file which should make it less confusing for novice computer users.
The weapons list in Quake 2 is much more extensive than it's
predecessor. The planned weapons at the moment are:
���= a bfg type weapon
���= blaster
���= grenade launcher
���= rocket launcher
���= machine gun
���= shotgun
���= double-barreled shotgun
���= flare gun
���= chain gun
���= hyper blaster
���= disintegrator
���= rail gun
���= hand grenade
Quake 2 is definitely going to be one a must play games. Will it
be the better then Daikatana, Unreal, Half-Life, Hexen 2, and all the others? Only time
will tell, but for now it looks like it could very well be.
