The first Quake is a masterpiece in every sense of the word, but the second one is very alright. I absolutely hated this game at first, mostly because the starting weapons are complete trash, but it started to grow on me as I progressed. Then it sort of fizzled out toward the end. I like the idea of the unit-based level design, and some of the maps are a lot of fun, but it occasionally brings with it some annoying backtracking that really kills the game's flow. The enemies are pretty bland and spongey as well, and while the later weapons are far better than what are maybe the weakest pistol and shotgun in video game history, they never come close to matching the satisfying arsenals in either Quake or Doom. Now that I've finished it, I don't feel as strongly opposed to this game as I did at first, but unlike its predecessors, it didn't leave me wanting more. I'm sure I'll give the expansions a shot at some point, but right now I feel like I've had my fill.

Reviewed on Apr 15, 2024


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