Quake 4: Behind-Closed-Doors Demo

[ZeRoQL]

Just before the close of E3 2005, SPOnG was lucky enough to wave the media badges in the faces of id?s PR guys and head off the last group of 'Exhibit only' pass holders waiting for a private showing of the real time demo of Quake 4. The demo we witnessed was running on a top o? the line Intel system with an nVidia 6800 handling the beautification. Even running at 1080, the game was already holding a steady frame rate with barely any noticeable slow-down. The texture resolution did seem a little lower than one might expect, though considering the folks at Raven haven?t even announced a release year, it's relatively safe to assume things will be smoothed out in the final code. Little graphical quibbles aside, the game did look sufficiently gorgeous. While the appearance of the game is very similar in structural and character design to Doom 3, there are a great deal more characters and open areas than anything seen in id?s last offering.

The segments the team at id chose were obviously meant to show off the graphical prowess of Q4 and give attendees a feel of the more cinematic route the designers are taking, while introducing viewers to the deeper level of character development and the main plot twist that really sets up the entire game. As such, there was little in the way of gameplay and no HUD was present. As the tiny theatre went dark, the unmistakable Quake logo faded into view and the tiny crowd of 15 couldn?t help but emit a murmur of excitement. Then, it begins. The scene fades in, first person view of the inside of a dropship, complete with pre-battle banter, through which your character's name, a first for the series, is revealed. As the pre-battle jitters cause some bickering between your comrades, the commanding officer pops in to steady and brief the crew. Apparently someone has managed to take out what the humans had previously believed was the nerve centre of the Borg-like army. However upon doing so, the Strogg continued to function. As a newly recruited member of the elite Rhino squad, you and your company are charged with infiltrating the Strogg and destroying the 'nexus' which is now believed to be the true centre of the enemy?s consciousness. Things, however, do not go as planned?though you had already guessed that, right?

During the intended sneak attack, your team is ambushed, and you are captured. It is apparent the Strogg were anticipating the strike and were awaiting the arrival. Once in captivity, any thoughts of a miraculous last minute rescue quickly begin to disappear. In a simultaneously genius and twisted move, you regain consciousness, strapped to a semi-upright gurney of the future. Just ahead of you is one of your fellow squadmates in a forebodingly similar position, but always one step ahead. It is here - strapped to a human conveyor - that one of the most unsettling scenes in video game history is delivered. As you slowly regain your vision you witness a series of mechanical devices reach out towards your captive compatriot ahead of you. This is followed immediately by a blood-curding yell that will likely bring the hairs on your neck to full attention. It is then, you realise, you are next! Station after station, your circumstance becomes more and more dire. First, just barely visible at the bottom of your field of vision, a needle the size of the shaft of a golf club is plunged square into your chest. Then as quickly as it was inserted, out it goes, trailing behind a mix of forcibly removed tissue and blood. Next, your legs are removed, cauterised and replaced with the cold steel of the Strogg. More and more of your human form is ripped away and replaced until you more closely resemble a side of beef in a slaughterhouse than a man, your skin stretched and pulled around metallic rivets, and once versatile limbs twisted into implements of nothing but death. After your transformation nears completion, you begin to draw near the final step, the activation of your neural implant. It is in this moment, of ultimate desperation, when the idea of escape has all but left your mind, that the cavalry chooses to arrive. From the green liquid tube that acts as your most recent transport, you see your team blow open the doors, quickly accost the few guards around, and release you from your amniotic prison.

It is in this way the missing link is found, the key to defeating the unstoppable horde. You have all the strength and speed and computer interface abilities of a Strogg and maintain your human intelligence and intentions.

id has taken comments from its fans to heart and seem to really be trying to make a game more in line with today?s vision of a first person shooter. Besides having a much more in-depth and emotionally involved storyline, you will be accompanied at times by a squad of several different reoccurring characters. Not just the dime a dozen marines found in the likes of Halo, but a select group of well-developed characters who will all play different roles in your journey to the eventual defeat of the Strogg.

No multiplayer action was shown, but we were assured it would be in there, however rather than reinventing sliced bread, id plan on a faithful recreation of Quake 3-style deathmatch. No vehicles will be included and the only the most basic 'capture the flag' game types will be added on the rocket-filled journey to the future of online fragging. In regards to maps, some old favourites will definitely be given the '1.21 Gigawatts' required to bring them into the forthcoming Xbox 360 and PC tandem assault.

We here at SPOnG are hopeful the two platforms will play nicely over the net, however the controller users of the world might not appreciate such a crippling disadvantage. Stay tuned to SPOnG for all your Quake 4 news and don?t forget to tell us what you think in the forum below.

[Sa1Nt]

dobro je da cu da chitam ovo ovako nepregledno, daj link da ne coravimo..

[Tiger21]

i ?? nista nivo a kamoli interesantvno

[rutal.b0]

Sve u svemu moracu da kupim novi komp... tradicija se nastavllja kupio sam novi komp i voodoo2 zbog quake2 a sad zbog q4 neki top model alienware-a.

[ZeRoQL]

Ma idi na CB pa vidi...

ma moracu i ja da qpim novu makinu metar im ...

[Gioblin[Fuse]]

Gledao sam neki skrinshotove, i onaj trejler.. pa recimo da ce biti interesantniji za igru.

[Lucky]

Ne znam, moramo da vidimo na sta ce liciti gejmplej a i sam mp i slicno. Svi znamo da na trejlerima moze da se nabudzi da sve izgleda super, pa kad izadje, smor.

[Pesma-mrtve-dece]

Nekako mi sve ovo vristi :sranje: ... ali vreme ce pokazati. QQ, sta uradiste.. a znam da cu da igram i q4 makar bio gori od majnsvipera.

[Gioblin[Fuse]]

Ja se uzdam u D3 engine, kao u Kvejka.. uz malo dorade, moze da bude samo bolje i bolje. Jedino gde mogu da useru to je u "vrsti" MP-a, tj da li ce biti shiroke mape kao u UT2004, ko kontinent jbt, ili ce ostati u Kvejk fazonu, male mape sa "brzim" fragovima!

[Pesma-mrtve-dece]

Nadam se da ce biti vise u q3 fazonu bas, nego u ut2004....

[Gioblin[Fuse]]

imash trejler da skinash od 12Mb ovde ili odavde

[Gioblin[Fuse]]

I neshto manji teaser od 1.5MB ovden

[ZerBah]

Bice glupo ako krv bude plava... Inache je dobra ideja igrati kao Strogg. Nadam se da ce biti i upgrade tela u toku igre.

[Gioblin[Fuse]]

E to bi bilo vrh.. Sklapash svoje telo tokom igre. :) Iskusno.

[Guest]

al u multiplejeru nek ipak budu gruntovi :)

[GOd]

valjda ce da bude dobro samo da ne use*u celu stvar kao shto se sad radi sa nastavcima hit igara i da izadje shto pre

[Gioblin[Fuse]]

Ne znam koje igre igrash, ali Kvejk nikada nije iznevero do sada, mozda su se neki vishe emotivno vezivali za prethodne nastavke, i izrichito negodovali i odbijali da igraju novu igru, ali na kraju su se ipak pomirili sa chinjenicom da je Kvejk=majka igara! Kao shto su Fjuzovci, jelte, Ochevi :))

Pitanje je samo na koju ce se stranu razvijati MP, da li kao masovna igra tipa BF spore, taktichnije i opshirnije ili ce zadrzati char manje MP igre, dinamichnije sa kipucim adrenalinom!

Za SP se ne sekiram, znam da ce biti nastavak QII tako da proverena varijanta, sa puno Aliena i kuraca palaca..koji lete-skachu-pucaju! :)

[Sa1Nt]

^ what he said :)

[ZerBah]

Meni se lichno svidjao i Q2 i Q3 u multiju, mada mi je Q3 bio zakon zbog brzine kojom su se odvijali DM. BTW jump pad-ovi su majka

[tibor2]

q4 se ceka i to je to ....

[VELIKI KURAC]

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Edited November 25, 2021 by VELIKI KURAC