Surprise! Time to party like it’s 1997 again. At Quakecon 2023, Bethesda revealed the remaster of Quake II and it’s out now.
This is the second time Bethesda shadowdropped a new game this year, following the surprise release of Hi-Fi Rush.
This release of Quake II, which Bethesda is calling the “enhanced version of Quake II” or simply Quake II, is available on all platforms (including Switch). On PC, which the original release was available on Steam, GOG and the Microsoft Store, this is a free upgrade, but the original version is still accessible.
This Quake II release includes not only the original campaign but also both Mission Packs (expansions): The Reckoning and Ground Zero.
It also includes Quake II 64, the release exclusive to Nintendo 64, on all platforms.
Plus, there’s a new episode called Call Of the Machine by MachineGames.
Gameplay-wise, there are slight tweaks to improve Quake II but keep the original spirit. This includes muzzle flashes on weapon fire (by players and enemies) to improve feedback and new directional damage indicators. The tick rate has been increased for better response. Enemy pathfinding has been improved. Some enemies has new attacks (restored from cut content).
Graphical-wise, the lighting, shadows and models have been improved as well.
Quake II supports 4-player split-screen multiplayer on all platforms, including on PC. On PC and Xbox Series X|S, it supports 8-player split-screen. LAN play is supported (Switch players can use ad-hoc wireless multiplayer). And online, the game supports cross-play. For cross-play parties, Quake II uses a room code system so you can join your friends on any platform to start fragging.
Plus, Quake II also gets modern accessibility features to boot.
The last time Quake II was in the headlines is when Nvidia used it for their own RTX version to showcase ray-tracing.
Quake II was the follow-up to id Software’s phenomenal Quake. It interestingly took a different direction, being a sci-fi shooter rather than a direct sequel to… whatever Quake was.
Quake II (2023) is out now on PS4, PS5, PC (Steam, Epic Games Store, GOG), Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch. The game is also available on Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass.
Source: Bethesda