Quake is no stranger to this concept it practically heralded the rise of bunnyhopping and trick-jumping in multiplayer and speedrunning circles decades ago.Īs Doom demonstrated, embracing quick movement and level design modeled for circular killing sprees encourages an exhilarating challenge. Doom 2016’s emphasis on old-school speed was a welcome relief to the sluggishness of Doom 3’s more survival horror style, and the frenetic combat reflected the importance of staying in motion to survive a constant threat. Their influence is used to this day: mouselook, sprinting, and sustained momentum were all molded by Doom’s simple controls and Quake’s 3D evolution. practically heralded the rise of bunnyhopping and trick-jumping in multiplayer and speedrunning circles.īoth Doom and Quake shaped the very fiber of FPS movement. Both have worked in the past: Quake’s Lovecraftian Goth paired with Trent Reznor’s darkly atmospheric compositions while Quake 2’s militaristic invasion of an alien world kept rhythm to Sonic Mayhem’s juggernaut metal. Whatever the new Quake’s choice of theme, it’s important to set a great foundation for a mix of brooding ambience and cacophonous action cuts. Quake favors savagery equally with its older sibling, and id has ample opportunity to sustain the brutality with a crunchy score befitting a violent brawl through Stroggos or Shub-Niggurath’s mystical dimensions. Quake 5’s soundtrack shouldn’t try for restrained sophistication. When Doomguy’s fist plunges into a Gore Nest and Rip & Tear crashes into the soundscape, it’s a too-perfect tap into adrenaline mode. Thrash drum pedal kicks pound metal guitar riffs into the braincage as the synth wails a prayer to carnage. Above the combat’s din of ear-rattling explosions, super shotgun thunderclaps, and the gurgling foley of spilt demon blood rages an auditory transgression. Composer Mick Gordon masterfully captures the seething, pulsing dread of exploring the dual desolation of Mars and Hell-until the ambience shatters with an Imp’s screech. Put together a wicked mixtapeĭoom’s music feels like riding the edge of a hurricane with the eye of Sauron in the middle. Fashion a level inside a giant Elder God’s esophagus. It doesn’t have to be suffocatingly abstract but expressive enough for it to scream Quake. If a new Quake paces with Doom and returns to a classic motif as a modern reboot, it should leverage the power of contemporary hardware and id Tech 6 engine effects to realize a setting with stylistic identity. We’ve already seen the original Quake’s mythological medieval murk and Quake 2 through 4’s industrial sci-fi.

Festooning skulls and pentagrams at every turn is a safe reminder of Doom’s traditional theme. It accomplishes what it sets out to do as the barracks and arcane library of its demonic denizens. That’s not to say Hell is a visual failure. For a place acting as the planar trophy hall of conquered dimensions, Hell is less Dali and more Dio album cover.įashion a level inside a giant Elder God’s esophagus. Doom’s depiction of Hell is a surprisingly tame translation: a rockier, redder Mars-style exterior with floating boulders and skulls carved everywhere. The compound sports a straightforward rendition of “corporate lab disaster” interior decorating: chromed paneling, beeping science stuff, a neutral-voiced AI calmly recounting horrific casualty rates over the PA, and the occasional culty candle circle. The point of departure is a portal swirling in the center of the Mars UAC facility. A jaunt into the demonic home-realm of eternal torment is an inevitable checkmark on Doomguy’s itinerary.

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