Quake 4 gets back to the basics with intense, flashy shooting and a fun Sci-Fi Experience.
The main thing I noticed while play Quake 4 was how much it looked like Doom 3. This is mainly because Raven used the Unreal/Doom Engine. The characters faces and movements look identical but that isn't too say that it looks very detailed and polished. The audio is also very crisp and sounds like Doom 3 but Strogged with gurgles and moans echoing from the halls of the Outer Space compounds.
With the creepy audio and clean graphics, Quake 4 really creates a nice atmosphere, something I haven't seen the likes of in a shooter since STALKER. This is a nice touch and adds to the excitement of firefights in open and closed pathways. The Story of Quake 4 picks up from Q2 with the battle against Humans and Strogg still raging and it is very prevalent with chaos everywhere and gore to the max. You will still be doing "press this" and "help this squad" objectives but it isn't as linear as other games.
When you are with a squad, which is about an hour or two of the ten hour game, you have a large advantage. If you are lower than 50% health a medic will health you fully and same goes for a tech who will regenerate your armor. Later in the game after you are stroggified you get even more health and armor. You can also get upgrades for your large arsenal of weapons. It may range from an extended clip or a scope feature. Nonetheless the weapons in Q4 are truly unique, especially the black hole gun, and will keep you entertained as you take down the variety of enemy Strogg.
After a good three or four bosses and beating the game I felt very pleased with Quake 4 and how it played. If you are looking to get a great looking and fast paced shooter, I recommend Quake 4. I can now only hope that Enemy Territory: Quake Wars is even better!
Pros+ Detailed Graphics, Atmosphere, Unique Weapons, Intense Gameplay
Cons- Sticks to the basics too much, doesn't surpass today's shooters, only builds on the past series' greatness