Overview & Gameplay

The war between Humans and Stroggs has resumed, and in good spirits, the summons to go and spank the monster on the planet Stroggos is not long in coming. The player finds himself most of the time inside Strogg's buildings, whose atmosphere is undoubtedly reminiscent of Doom 3 rooms, separated by doors and corridors. It is pretty much what the architecture of Quake 4 is all about.

So it's not this episode that will change the series's gameplay. With thousands of enemies to eradicate, the various objectives that the player receives are only a pretext to move forward and kill even more stroggs. However, there are a lot of small changes for the series or compared to Doom 3. The most notable is the presence of teammates: gunners, doctors and engineers. Whether it is to kill stroggs, heal you, or put your armour back in order, their help is enjoyable in these big dark and empty rooms, although finally not so indispensable for anyone who knows how to play. The pleasure is not absent, but most FPS addicts will probably find it easier than others to enjoy Quake 4. On the other hand, the enemies' AI is more developed than before without reaching the heights of ingenuity. The smartest ones hide behind crates for cover and don't run headlong, while others disappear when the situation becomes less advantageous to them.

The Stroggs are vicious, the Stroggs hurts, and most of all, the Stroggs are ugly. The whole bestiary of this Quake 4 more or less meets this rule. Unfortunately, this one is far from being varied, and we often encounter the same types of enemies. The technique to get rid of them can change, but two or three rockets are usually enough to get rid of them.

Graphics & Sound

Graphically, the different protagonists are correctly modelled but well below what you would expect to see on an Xbox 360. The animations are a notch above, and the modelling of the scenery and the particle effects also leaves something to be desired. All this can be explained by the fact that the engine used is none other than the one created by ID Software for Doom 3, barely touched up. Quake 4 would have been magnificent on Microsoft's first console. Still, it differs considerably from it on Xbox 360, the worst being that despite the increased CPU power, Quake 4 manages to run poorly during specific outdoor passages (fortunately rare, one would be tempted to say).

Fortunately, not everything is to blame, and we already have an excellent soundtrack. The sound effects and music quickly put the player in the oppressive atmosphere of the title.

Conclusion

Raven didn't get bored with this fourth episode. Taking an engine and old ideas from ID Software, the developers didn't change the concept. If Quake 4 remains an honest title in gameplay and fun, it remains above all a PC port unworthy of a machine like the Xbox 360 with a staggering frame-rate and textures. Only to be reserved for the most FPS enthusiasts.