Online game remasters are not any rarity as of late. They arrive alongside seemingly each different week, filling the void between greater releases whereas reminding us of the “good ol’ days” everybody at all times clings to. In lots of situations, although, these “remasters” are lazy, half-hearted makes an attempt to string a bit more money out of a property whereas barely satiating the needs of followers who’ve wished legacy video games to be extra available for years. This, nonetheless, isn’t any such instance.
Just below two years after Bethesda introduced and subsequently shadow-dropped a remaster of the primary Quake sport at their QuakeCon occasion, the writer has executed it once more, however this time with Quake II. It was inevitable that this could occur — particularly given quite a few leaks and scores boards mentioning the sport — nevertheless it’s good to see it lastly obtain an official announcement. It was already fantastic to see the quantity of affection that went into the primary Quake remaster, and as soon as once more, Nightdive Studios has gone above and past with this Quake II re-release. A lot so, in reality, that the trade needs to be taking some notes.
It needs to be mentioned proper off the bat that Quake II is a implausible sport. In comparison with fellow id Software program shooter collection DOOM, the place it felt like its sequels had been mere repeats of the primary sport, the way in which Quake II was capable of construct, enhance, and innovate in comparison with the primary sport in only a 12 months’s time is phenomenal. Its fight and stage design nonetheless holds as much as at the present time, and it’s nonetheless a tremendous sport on each the single-player and multiplayer fronts.
One might argue that, much more than the primary sport, Quake II was one of many titles that helped lay the groundwork for what the trendy first-person shooter would look and play like. Whereas the primary Quake was merely one other iteration of the DOOM formulation, its sequel felt like a serious switch-up, one that might plant the seeds for the model of first-person shooters that we’d see with a sport like Half-Life a 12 months later. It’s nonetheless an exquisite achievement, and Nightdive’s work in remastering it’s a benchmark-setter.
The pure visible overhaul of the sport is stellar, as main enhancements to issues like lighting and textures make this look much more spectacular with out sacrificing what made the unique sport so particular within the first place. Efficiency can also be spot-on, with the sport sustaining an extremely easy 60 FPS even within the faster-paced sections, which is a blessing as no earlier console model of the sport reached 1080p and 60 FPS like this. What’s extra, players on PCs and next-gen consoles can play the sport at native 4K and 120 FPS, as long as they’ve suitable shows to attain this stage of efficiency.
Now already, that is all nice information; an underappreciated and beautifully modern shooter is again on trendy consoles, and the remastering work is pitch-perfect. That alone needs to be greater than sufficient cause already to present this a hearty suggestion. As it could end up, although, Nightdive Studios has gotten forward of the sport and proven a stage of affection and care that few remasters have executed earlier than this.
Alongside the whole thing of the unique Quake II marketing campaign, this re-release options the entire beforehand accessible expansions and multiplayer maps, which already makes for a myriad of content material. That’s not completely unusual for one thing like this, however what for those who additionally came upon that this additionally contains the whole thing of Quake II’s Nintendo 64 model, which featured its personal distinctive marketing campaign?
Not sufficient? How about the truth that it options a wholly NEW enlargement, Name of the Machine, dealt with by Wolfenstein developer MachineGames completely for this launch? A full-blown 28-level marketing campaign enlargement (that additionally features a new multiplayer map) was added to this remaster. Totally new playable content material in an enhanced model of a sport that got here out in 1997, which for those who’re retaining rating at residence, was 26 years in the past.
Feeling the love from all of that already? How about I sweeten the deal a bit by letting you realize that it’s solely $10? Sure, a remaster that includes a number of video games price of content material, plus a whole set of brand-new content material, is yours to personal for less than $10. Hell, it is a sport printed by Bethesda — an organization owned by Microsoft — which signifies that it’s additionally accessible proper now on Xbox Sport Cross as effectively. Even higher is that for those who already personal Quake II on PC, you possibly can improve to this enhanced model fully free. The entire new content material and enhancements are yours at no further cost.
That is the way you do a remaster: by creating a brand new definitive model of a traditional sport. That is the way you deliver again a legacy title whereas treating the followers respectfully and displaying simply how a lot you’re keen on the sport and IP that you simply’re bringing again. And to take action for such an unimaginable worth is barely icing on the cake…and maybe an applicable shot on the trade and the way in which it handles trendy sport re-releases.
Quake II’s announcement, subsequent shock launch, and low worth really feel particularly pointed contemplating it comes days after Rockstar Video games’ reveal of a Crimson Lifeless Redemption port for contemporary platforms. This model has been roundly criticized for being a straight port with no enhancements that even omits the multiplayer mode, whereas Rockstar nonetheless has the gall to cost $50 for it. That is all made even worse by the writer’s feedback that the value is “commercially correct,” and that the bundle supplies a good, nice worth.
Most definitely, this isn’t Rockstar’s first time having a controversial re-release of a sport, between the abysmal launch of Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Version, or its “next-gen” model of Grand Theft Auto V feeling as if it barely added any actual enhancements. That is to say little of the numerous different examples of publishers fumbling on re-releases, reminiscent of Sony releasing a $70 remake of The Final of Us that will not have appeared all too obligatory, or Nintendo’s fiasco with Tremendous Mario 3D All-Stars the place a barebones assortment of implausible however barely touched-up video games was solely accessible for a restricted time.
In a world the place sport builders and publishers appear to simply not care sufficient for the legacy titles they’re bringing again, it’s refreshing to have a remaster like Quake II. Nightdive Studios actually confirmed the love and appreciation they’ve for the unique sport, whereas together with an exhaustive quantity of content material (previous and new) for an unbelievably low worth. This is without doubt one of the most interesting remasters I’ve ever skilled, and it ought to function the mannequin by which sport re-releases ought to comply with sooner or later. In case you actually wish to present how a lot you care about players — and the legacy of the IPs your gaming firm owns — take some notes on how Quake II did it, as a result of Nightdive actually did one thing particular right here.
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