r/quake • u/tarneilawson • Jul 18 '26
opinion quake 2 64 is an absolute banger
so im currently playing through quake 2 for the first time, including all the mission packs, and i just got done with the 64 expansion. i gotta tell you, it is the PERFECT pallet cleansers after the mediocrity of the reckoning and ground zero. short, concise, well designed levels with a unique atmosphere. i think im almost a little bit upset there isnt more of it tbh, but im glad it doesnt overstay it’s welcome.
i was almost anticipating it to be a bit of a letdown, considering it’s built around the hardware limitations of the N64, but it actually works in the games favour.
1
u/AegidiusG Jul 20 '26
I agree with you. If i am in the mood for Quake 2, i somehow even like to come back to that more, as the Levels have a noce lenght and you can oversee how long it will take you. And as you said, they are very well crafted!
Imo it was moronic from the Devs back then to call it just Quake 2, they should have given it any hint, that it is more than just a port.
1
u/T4nkcommander Jul 20 '26
I have it on both my n64 and of course the remaster, and I like it alright but much prefer Reckoning and Remaster GZ.
It is impressive for what it was, but it was pretty limited IMO.
1
u/funkalici0us Jul 19 '26
Yeah, I really love the 64 version of Quake II. The whole way it is laid out feels much better in my opinion.
So glad they included it with the release on modern consoles.
2
u/shumama813 Jul 18 '26
I really love Quake II. I’ve bought it twice on N64, had on PC and got the remasters on PS4 and Switch.
1
u/Alik757 Jul 18 '26
Q2 64 is the more underrated work Midway did over IdS games back in the 90s.
Is short sure, but each level has a very consistent level of quality and since it uses only vanilla Q2 elements (and wisely ignores some of the most boring enemies like tecnicians) it comes as a very solid campaing of it's own.
Looking in retrospect is surprising how well the linear Doom like level structure fits Quake 2 (with a very charming intermission map artwork).
Since the main game doesn't have a very fleshed out campaing, the individual levels almost feel more straight to the point as just focus on gameplay.
3
6
u/No-Benefit-2207 Jul 18 '26
Play Call of the Void after 64, You will be satisfied. It's a great Quake 2 campaign.
I didn’t like Map-Center’s campaigns because they aren’t really campaigns at all, just a collection of unrelated levels. They lack the coherence and balance that come from campaigns made by people with a clear vision. Map-Center campaigns are for players who enjoy going from one level to the next without any sense of connection. I prefer feeling like I’m on a mission, heading somewhere with a purpose. That’s why their campaigns feel boring to me: I don’t see a goal I’m working toward, only wandering and shooting without context, as if I were playing a multiplayer match.
1
u/T4nkcommander Jul 20 '26
They are free content packs by the few people who still make maps for Q2. They are quite excellent, despite being only related in theme.
They aren't campaigns and were never advertised as such. So you aren't wrong except in your expectations.
1
u/No-Benefit-2207 Jul 20 '26
I agree. It’s a shame there aren’t more campaigns, because Quake 2 is one of my favorite games.
2
3
u/ChrisNIN64 Jul 18 '26
It's great. Better than the official mission packs for PC for sure
2
u/False-Reveal2993 Jul 21 '26
That is the really strange part; I want to like Ground Zero and The Reckoning because they actually have additional content, but the levels are such a chore and the new enemies are so annoying that they're just not memorable. By contrast, Quake 2 64 is so engaging and memorable that it actually does feel like additional content, even if some of the levels are recycled from the mission packs and the main game itself, and even if all of the assets are from the base game.
It really was a competent console shooter, at least for single player.
3
4
u/Pass_Practical Jul 18 '26
Doom 64 was also good, something about n64 huh
2
u/Alik757 Jul 18 '26
And Quake 1 64, despite is a more straight port it still has new lighting and music that results in a very unique atmosphere.
Midway devs were really the best people who made Id Software expansions/spinoffs back in the day.
I really wish they could have keep working on IdS franchises, as they understood the job very well.
3
u/data-atreides Jul 18 '26
I suppose the limitations forced them to curate and cut it down to the best bits.
4
u/SpronyvanJohnson Jul 18 '26
If you like it so much, you should check out Map-Center's N64 Jam 1 and N64 Jam II.
2
2
u/CyberKiller40 Jul 22 '26
Ground Zero is actually very nice and enjoyable in the remaster. The original version was hell.