[ Thanks to John
Matthews for this link. ]
“The truth is that Quake 2 wasn’t much of a single player game.
It even lacked the atmosphere we’d enjoyed in Quake and, before
that, Doom. And as a multiplayer game, straight out-of-the-box
deathmatch wasn’t a huge step up compared to the Capture the Flag
and Team Fortress mods for QuakeWorld. But eventually Quake 2 won
my heart with clever mods like Action Quake 2 and Lithium II.
Now, Quake 3 Arena is here and we ask the question: “Has
anything changed?“
“The short answer is that, yes, much has changed since Quake 2.
Perhaps the most notable change is that Q3A requires hardware video
acceleration. The result is a fantastic visual feast, unlike any
I’ve seen before. From the much-discussed curved surfaces to the
glossy sheen on the brushed metal doors, Q3A has established itself
as the most impressive 3D game engine on the market today. Beyond
being visually astounding, the engine is optimized enough that even
my processor, which is nearing a year old, is able to push the game
at a framerate that I find acceptable in all but the most intense
situations. Player models have also taken a huge leap forward with
far more natural movement and higher polygon counts to smooth out
the blockiness. Weapon effects, both visual and aural, are as good
as one is likely to find anywhere, providing both the deadly beauty
and bone-crunching sounds that today’s combat gamers demand.
Finally, the online play on my 56k modem is, undoubtedly, the best
I’ve ever played.”