Developer: id Software, Saber Interactive
Publisher: Bethesda
Platform: PC
Tested on: PC
Quake Champions – Preview
With most of the original gamers being grown-ups now, some form of homesickness can occur to the ways of the old days. We remember how it used to be and sometimes something less complicated can be more fun. A good example is the old arena shooter genre. While it used to be just run and gun it got classified into its own category when other shooters with more realism took over the market and pushed the grandfathers of the First Person Shooter into the subgenre “Arena Shooter”. With the announcement of Quake returning to the glory days of far gone, we were all sitting on the edge of our seat for this new installment. A short while ago we had a first try at this new title with the closed beta and we were honored to be part of it.
For the people that have played the recently released DOOM from Bethesda will know that this title went back to the old-school gameplay. Bethesda wanted to make us even happier and secretly started on making a true-to-its-original Quake title. The original arena shooters like Quake, Unreal Tournament and DOOM have set the bars to be fun, fast-paced and brutally hectic. This remake does not underachieve on any part. When first booting up the game you start with the basics and immediately you notice that, like DOOM, you can customize loadout and character outfits. These are all aesthetic so don’t spend too much time in there if it is not your cup of tea. If it is then feel free to spend hours customizing each character and weapon to your liking.
We joined a game of Team Deathmatch and after the countdown the mayhem started. Quake Champions instantly feels like the old platform with its fast-paced sharp movement and spraying enemies all over the place. Unlike the original game there is a damage indicator for you to know how much pain you are bringing to the table, and with characters boasting different stats it is a handy tool to keep around. After grabbing a rocket launcher we tried something that became popular in these old shooters: the rocket jump. This makes a return in this new installment, to great amusement of the players. One other classic element that returns to the field is the announcer, with all new lines and we are enjoying this relic of the past in a brand new jacket.
Graphics wise for a beta this is all up to modern standards while not holding back on performance. With slower systems will come a bit of a frame rate issue but this will be hopefully solved with the full release. For being in an early stage the game looks really good, with very detailed scenery and characters. Some of the old weapons make their return as well and this in an all new next gen coat and although they are looking cooler and more realistic, their base function has remained and this is a good sign for the authenticity.
The sound will let us relive those special moments on the LAN parties with all the hurtful screams of our enemies, the explosions,gunfire and the announcer informing us who is on a rampage. This also gives a whole new atmosphere to the shooter genre since most games these days are way too serious or don’t come with a good soundtrack.
As earlier mentioned the gameplay is a blend of true classic arena shooting mixed with some modern tweaks like DOOM had. Various modes will be available in the future but for now we had the choice between Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch. In Deathmatchthis is just a free-for-all to find out who is the alpha predator without someone to cover your six. In Team Deathmatch you and your teammates work together to bring home the bacon. When dashing around in the search for weapons, health and armor you will be able to use various environmental aids such as teleporters or jump platforms to keep you out of harm’s way. Sometimes a pick-up will appear and this will make you super strong and powerful against the opponents (we can compare this to the pickup in DOOM) but will not last long and since everybody wants this, it will be a true onslaught for acquiring this item.
Conclusion
Quake Champions is a warm welcomed title for the old coots in the gaming world and will be a fun challenge for the new bloods of arena shooters. With authentic gameplay combined with modern day graphics and inputs while not swerving too much from its original. Among intense multiplayer matches that seem to last for ages and battles fought with comebacks of never before, this title will be finger licking good. We had our nostalgia trip with DOOM a while back, but now we are on a bus to memory lane with Quake Champions!
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