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				Graphics: 8.0 Gameplay: 7.5 Sound: 7.5 Control: 7.0 Replay Value: 7.5 Live play: 8.0 Rating: 7.8 Publisher:  Activision Developer:  id Software / Ravensoft Number Of Players:  1-8 Cheats Screenshots
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  Quake 4 is the latest in the franchise from id Software. The game was developed by Raven for iD and has been released on the XBox360 a few weeks after the PC version of the game. This game brings back the single player campaign and the story takes place right after the events at the ending of Quake 2. Which is a change of pace to the multiplayer only Quake 3. However, Quake 4 also includes a nice selection of multiplayer game types. Overall, if you're looking for a good action packed first person shooter, then this game may be for you.

  Graphics

  The graphics in Quake 4 are pretty impressive. The game is obviously using the Doom3 engine, which I've already seen on my mid-range PC and on the XBox console playing Doom3 and Doom:RoE. So initially the engine won't blow you away with visuals, but you will notice the increased level of detail, and especially how nice the engine handles the huge outdoor environments. The lighting has been handled pretty well, and Doom3 complainers will be glad to know that you have a flashlight attached to two of your main weapons. The graphics for the game are great, but you may not like the art design. I've heard many complain that the Strogg look rather silly than intimidating, did they not play Quake 2 or 3?! The character designs have always been a little goofy. Also, the biggest complaint you'll here about the game in motion is the frame rate. The frame rate does hop around quite a bit but the game is never unplayable. You can tell that Raven should have taken a couple of more weeks to polish up the frame rate, but it was obvious they wanted the game o shelves to coincide worth the launch of the XBox360 console.

  However, having played the game on my mid-range PC I won't knock the game to hard. I wish that Raven would have either spent the time to optimize the game for 60fps or locked the game at 30fps for consistency. The game is never unplayable due to the frame rate, but due to the shift, it sticks out like a sore thumb. The only reason I won't gripe too much on this is that it does the EXACT same thing on my PC. So unless you've got a high end PC rig with the latest and hottest tech, then you wouldn't be playing the console version in the first place. I will add that if you take off your Call of Duty 2 goggles, the game is not that bad visually. But CoD2 has spoiled me as well.

  Audio

  The sound in the game is well done. Nice use of digital surround sound in terms of sound positioning and clarity. The game score seems to be cinema inspired at times and helps with the overall immersion. The weapon sound effects do their job in giving you the feeling of impact and power of the weapons. The voice acting is well done and the ambient game environment sounds really add to the level of immersion. The positional sound has really been helpful in the multiplayer games. There have been many time where I've tracked my enemy by listening for their footsteps. So if you are like me and used to playing games in true Dolby Digital surround sound, Quake 4 will deliver the basics.

  Gameplay

  The game plays and controls like your typical console first person shooter. Therefore, if you can play Halo, then you can play Quake 4 with no issues. You select through your weapons using the left and right "bumper" buttons, or you can quick select via the D-pad. What I like about this game if that you're fighting along side with your squadron teammates. What's nice is that you can interact with medics and get health when wounded, and techs to repair your armor. This helps in some of the heated battles in the game not only by adding to the level of immersion, but also by giving you a reason to help keep your teammates alive. The game is action packed and the story keeps the plot moving forward and the pacing intense. The A.I. of the enemies is decent, but nothing extraordinary. It's an iD game, so don't expect a game of cat & mouse, you mow down your enemies and gear up for boss battles. In addition, the game comes with a bonus disc that includes Quake 2 with all the expansion packs, that support split screen and system link multiplayer (including co-op). It would have been nice to have this online via XBL as well but that’s asking a bit much.

  XBox LIVE Play

  Quake 4 has your classic multiplayer game types: death match, team death match, CTF as well as CTF with power-ups and 1-on-1 tourney modes. You can have up to 8 players at a time in each mode and the not only has a lobby, but also has a party system similar to Halo2. You can invite your friends to games and they stay with you throughout all the online games you play. The game plays well online and offers some heated matches. The only complaint I have is that the game should have shipped with more multiplayer maps. The game supports DLC (downloadable content), so I expect to see more released later. Overall, the multiplayer game is a blast to play online. I've had a few matches that lagged, but I think that was mostly due to the hosts connection speed. Most of the games I've played or hosted have played very smooth.

  Replay Value

  The single player game is pretty massive, if I had to guess I think it took me 14-16 hours to play through it. In addition, the game also has four difficulty levels. There are a ton of "Achievements" for completing the game on various levels, multiplayer accomplishments and performing various challenges. Like I have yet to clear an entire level using only the hyper blaster or nail gun and there is a ton of secret "achievements" as well. In addition, the multiplayer offers enough to keep the most seasoned veterans busy. There are also "Achievements" for the Quake 2 content as well.

  Nitpicks

  As stated above, the biggest gripe many have with the game is the frame rate. It does not make the game unplayable, but it is something that is usually smoothed out in the final stages of development. I won't knock the game too much since up until now it has been rare to have a timely release of a demanding PC title on a console. We had to wait over a year to see Doom3 and Half-Life 2 on the XBox after the PC release. Raven could have delayed this game a couple of weeks to smooth out this minor issue. Also co-op play would have have been perfect for this game (sorry Doom3 spoiled me). I wish there were something special in terms of content for XBox360 owners, but again that me wanting to get the most bang for my buck. Hey Activision, what's the deal with throwing the bonus disc in a paper sleeve and just stacking it on top of the game disc. Were there no double disc game cases in the marketing budget?!

  Final Thoughts

  Quake 4 is definitely something for fans of the series. It offers a good single player campaign, and your basic combat online fare. If you are looking for an action packed first person shooter with a good single player campaign and some frag fests online then look no further. The game really doesn't do anything new or innovative and is really a franchise update with the Doom3 engine. While I find it rather enjoyable, many may not be willing to shell out $59.99 for FPS with stiff competition from Call of Duty 2 and Perfect Dark Zero (and considering that you can grab the PC version for $10 cheaper at most retail outlets). The game is very comparable to the PC version so if you are a fan and own an XBox360 instead of a high-end PC rig, I think you will find the game very enjoyable.

1/23/2006  Apharmd Battler