But it's all contained within levels built from lessons relearned in the more recent wave of retro-inspired shooters, which emphasizes speed, reactivity, and variety over narrative realism. Those things that made Quake 2 feel modern on its release - the interconnected levels, the enemies with advanced behaviors, and the iron-oxide aesthetic - are now the elements that tickle your nostalgia. Like the base game, it still has one foot in the past and one in the present, but they are the opposite feet now. All that said, there is only so much color MachineGames can add to Quake 2 without completely diluting its rusty essence, and the episode still has its fair share of indistinct grey-brown tunnels and corridors.įor the most part, though, Call of the Machine does a fine job of revitalizing id Software's least-relevant shooter. One of the campaign's highlights transports you to the Moon in a direct reference to Wolfenstein: The New Order. Missions like Operation Ruined Earth pull you away from the industrial landscapes of the base game, while Operation Darkest Depths channels original Quake more than it does the sequel. The result is a vision of Quake 2 that feels more aligned with the other Quake games that id Software madeįinally, Call of the Machine strives to increase the variety of places you explore. In short, you aren't cheated of the opportunity to be blown to smithereens. Other foes like the Tank and the Beta Class Gladiator make up for the absence of the Iron Maiden's rocket launcher. It doesn't make a huge difference mechanically, either. Given the progressive attitude demonstrated by MachineGames in its previous work, it isn't massively surprising that this foe has been quietly sidelined. One notable exclusion from Call of the Machine is the Iron Maiden, the sole female Strogg whose bizarrely sexualized appearance stood out even in 1997. The episode also pulls in weapons and enemies from the expansions, like the Hyper Blaster Guard and the Particle Cannon, and even introduces a new enemy - the Gunner Commander - all of which helps enhance the variety of firefights. One mission has a particularly brilliant encounter involving Quake 2's rarely-seen Mutant, involving a BFG and a dark, vertical labyrinth. As with the weapons, Call of the Machine will often create challenges around specific foes. Strogg that only appeared occasionally in Quake 2, like the Medic who can revive enemies, and the creepy-looking Brains, have a far more prominent role here. Likewise, Call of the Machine gets the best out of Quake 2's enemies. My favorite moments across the episode are when it locks you in a roomful of enemies with a chaingun, letting you go absolutely ham with it. The higher density of enemies also makes weapons like the grenade launcher far more useful, and there are plenty of opportunities to exploit its bouncy projectiles. When you pick up the railgun in Operation Firewall, the level responds by flooding the area with blaster-toting guards, letting you experiment with the railgun's penetrative capabilities for maximum carnage. Quake 2's weapons, for example, are afforded much better spotlights in the scenarios MachineGames has built around them. In this manner, MachineGames unlocks much of Quake 2's latent potential. Within ten minutes of beginning Operation Firewall, for example, you'll have picked up most of Quake 2's existing arsenal, which you'll use to fend off dozens of enemies, some of which the original game took half its length to introduce. Since each mission is a self-contained adventure that sees you playing a different marine, they have a shorter power arc that ramps up much more quickly. Moreover, these challenges are considerably more substantial than what Quake 2 offers.
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