Kudos to Lobotomy for this extremely ambitious port, which, as it happens, isn't half bad.
Way back in '97, Lobotomy were given the task of porting id Software's legendary Quake, THE high-end, true-3D definitive PC gaming experience of '96. Ambitious doesn't even come close. At the time, they reckoned the PlayStation couldn't handle Quake, let alone the Saturn, which was supposedly awkward to 3D develop games for. But with Lobotomy on board for the project, having already proving themselves with the brilliant Exhumed and Duke Nukem 3D Saturn port (which was also an ambitious port), not all hope was lost.
A brief summary of id Software's Quake for the newbies: it was groundbreaking mostly due to the fact it was the first FPS to feature true-3D polygon environments and enemies (rather than sprites) at higher resolutions, which all added up to create probably the most technologically-advanced game on the market at the time of release. It was also notoriously huge for it's incredible multiplayer capabilities; deathmatch in other words, despite having an impressive, fast-paced single-player game too. The single-player game has little story (much like Doom) that see's you playing as a futuristic soldier, a 'Ranger' and takes place in gothic castles, crypts and tombs as well as high-tech military bases whilst blowing away zombies, ogres, knights and other hideous beasts along the way.
If you've got Quake for the PC, don't approach the Saturn version with an assumption that it will be exactly the same, because it's not. Given the hardware, it is massively understandable that some sacrifices had to be made. Sacrifices aside, it's nice to be able to say that Lobotomy exceeded my initial expectations of the game. I knew the game wasn't going to be perfect, but it's QUAKE running on a SATURN, and run well it does! For the most part...
If you're a PC purist, you'll no-doubt smirk when you find out that Saturn Quake has no multiplayer. I can understand why you'd smirk too, but really, it doesn't bother me. For a start, I didn't expect a multiplayer port full stop, and if there was a deathmatch of some-sort in place, it'd probably require a link cable, two Saturn's, two TV's and two copies of the game anyway. IF for some insane reason, the game supported split-screen action, it'd most likely have a catastrophic effect on the framerate. I'll straight-up admit that I've never personally been much of a multiplayer gamer, so obviously the lack of any competitive content doesn't really affect my opinion of the game, but I think one should just respect this ambitious port for what is, multiplayer or not. And besides, it's not exactly lacking in content.
The game contains virtually every level you saw in the PC bar the four secret levels; instead, they have been replaced with four Saturn-exclusive secret levels, which are admittedly not as good as the one's found in the PC, but are still playable none-the-less. You're still getting all four chapters as well as every enemy, weapon and power-up you initially had. It goes without saying that most of the original levels do have their alterations from the PC to save memory, but they are nowhere near as drastic as you might think – just a few added walls here and there and a few odd bits and pieces from various levels being removed, but it's hardly noticeable on most of the levels unless you really know the originals from the back of your hand. So all in all, I certainly can't complain in this respect.
One thing you probably want to know about is how well the game handles with a standard Saturn controller, but if I'm honest, there's no easy way to answer that question. Depending on the game, I always found that the Saturn controller was either just fine or lacking in the controls field when it came to first person shooters. More straightforward FPS's such as Doom and Alien Trilogy worked OK, but with games like Duke Nukem 3D and of course, Quake having the ability to look up and down and swim etc., the controller could make things awkward at times. Quake apparently does support the Saturn analog controller, but I've never used one. Playing the game with a standard controller is functional for the most part, with things like strafing and shooting working nicely, but swimming can be a pain as well as aiming at an enemy above ground. I guess in terms of controls, it's a mixed bag, but it's still quite easy to live with.
One major difference from the PC original is that the Saturn actually uses Lobotomy's own in-house SlaveDriver engine, the same engine that powered Exhumed as well as their Saturn port of Duke Nukem 3D instead of the first Quake engine. This leaves me with a dilemma; in many ways, this is actually more beneficial for the Saturn itself, especially regarding performance, but it also affects Quake's gameplay in numerous ways...
...which brings me on to the bad news. Quake on the PC was incredibly fast-paced with some excellent enemy animation and satisfying firepower. Quake on the Saturn however, just feels a little odd in this department. It certainly feels like Quake, there's no denying; but presumably due to the SlaveDriver engine, and the hardware of the console, enemy animations and weapons just feel a little slower than the PC. Not only that, but enemies behave slightly differently too. For example, they tend to have more of an issue with turning in that it takes them longer, and they rarely seem to stand still if attacking, unlike their PC counterparts. Also, your weapons feel less overwhelming than what they used to. This is actually because enemies seem to react less to your shots. For instance, you could be blasting away at an ogre at point-blank range with the double-barreled shotgun or nailgun, but none of your shots seem to slow it down much, maybe just two or three of the God-knows how many so shots you fired seemed to have any effect on it. What I'm saying is, although your weapons still feel and do as much damage as they used to, they still feel less satisfying as before because your foe don't seem to be as affected by them (even though they technically ARE...if that makes any sense). Sadly, this was a big deal for me, as I always found that the way the weapons performed with enemies was flawless as far as the PC went, and having this change was really quite noticeable.
The good news is that despite the game running on a completely different engine, it still looks very close to the PC, and does it justice too. The textures have been imported well, and the architecture of the levels is largely as complex as it ever was. Of course, the fact that the game runs on the SlaveDriver engine is for the Saturn's own benefit; to save memory and create a port that's closer to the PC. Had the game been ported with the original engine in place, we would have been in for one ropey port. Also, the SlaveDriver engine actually runs the true-3D enemies quite well, even if I did state that they aren't quite as complex as the one's found in the PC game.
Technically and visually, Quake is by far one of the more impressive Saturn titles, and I don't just mean that because of the fact that the game boasts true-3D enemies and objects. Lobotomy really did an amazing job in retaining the gloomy atmosphere, especially considering that the game runs on a different engine. In fact, the SlaveDriver engine actually runs the game fairly well; the framerate isn't perfect, in fact, it's understandably the worst of the developer's three products in this respect in that it does slow down when the heat rises, but for the most part, it's decent, and certainly light years ahead of that awful Saturn port of Doom! While the textures can be somewhat pixelated, they still have all the detail that the PC had, and that's never a bad thing. Also, with most of the architecture in place, the levels are still quite complex by the Saturn's standards. At the time, I suppose you could say Saturn Quake looked like the PC on a mid-range system – in no ways does it hold up to playing the game at a high resolution with flawless framrate, but this is certainly impressive stuff for a Saturn to pull off, and considering just how ambitious the port was in those days, kudos to Lobotomy for doing such a grand job! There's even coloured lighting that you didn't see in the PC version! The only real downgrade is that the water has been changed completely to a more basic, blue texture, but it's still more than adequate.
The sound too, is just as good as it's PC cousin. Trent Reznor's (Nine Inch Nails) awesome atmospheric soundtrack and great sound effects have survived their transition very well, especially with the CD-quality audio that the Saturn offers. Believe it or not, but I personally think that it was Quake's soundtrack that really gave the game that extra depth of intensity. The eerie, dark music is just untouchable, and plays a HUGE role on the incredible atmosphere that no other FPS had. It's really something you have to witness yourself.
I'll summarize on a positive note - despite the fact that Quake on the Saturn is flawed; the gameplay feels a little slower, there's no multiplayer and the framerate isn't perfect, you have to really respect what Lobotomy Software did here. I can't really imagine the game being any better than it already is on a Saturn; it's a polished, complete and well-programmed game and I think you're still getting the full Quake experience despite the setbacks and hardware. If anything, many of the problems are actually not Lobotomy's fault – it's the limitations of the Saturn.
Personally, I always liked Lobotomy's Duke Nukem 3D port most, but Quake is certainly up there as one of the best first person shooters available for the Saturn. Just make sure you approach the game KNOWING that the Saturn does have it's limitations.
Wrap-up:
+ Takes full advantage of the Saturn's 3D polygon power
+ A technical achievement Lobotomy should be proud of
+ Excluding the secret levels, everything the original had is in place
+ Trent Reznor's awesome soundtrack
+ A very impressive Saturn game all-round
- The frame-rate obviously wasn't going to be perfect
- Gunplay and AI behavior doesn't feel quite right due to the SlaveDriver engine
- Controls take some getting used to
- No multiplayer, but then what did you expect?