Quake 4 shoots up stores

There's a whole lot of shaking going on with the Xbox 360 today. Activision today has announced that Quake 4 has begun its assault on retail. Quake 4 is the next-gen console version of the fourth game in the franchise, which was recently released on the PC. Raven Software handled the game's development, and id Software executive-produced.

The first-person shooter sends Matthew Kane and fellow space Marines from the Rhino Squad to the Strogg homeworld of Stroggos to finish off the alien invaders on their home turf. But, as is often the case with interplanetary invasions, not all goes according to plan.

In addition to the run-and-gun action trademark to the series, Quake 4 adds some vehicular combat. It also includes a heady multiplayer mode, bringing the action from Quake III Arena to consoles. Up to eight players can tangle head-to-head over Xbox Live or System Link.

The Xbox 360 version also includes making-of videos and a full version of Quake II, re-engineered for the 360 with cooperative play support.

Quake 4 is rated M for Mature and retails for $59.99. To see if Quake 4 really shakes up the Xbox 360, read GameSpot's preview or get the scoop on the PC version.