Quake (2021 Enhanced Re-Release Version)

Mature, violent shooter packs in a lot of gunplay.
Quake (2021 Enhanced Re-Release Version)
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this game.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Quake (2021 Enhanced Re-Release Version) is a downloadable first-person shooter for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS5, PS4, Switch, and PCs. Gameplay is violent and bloody. Using a variety of guns, melee weapons, and explosives, players have to kill numerous enemies -- including humans and humanoid-type people -- all of which results in tons of bloodshed, gore, and dismemberment. There are also dead bodies lying around, and used as decoration. Online play supports communication, but it's unmonitored. Otherwise, there's no inappropriate content (though this game is part of a larger franchise that's been ongoing since 1996).
Community Reviews
Even 25 years later, Quake still brings the fun.
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What’s It About?
Though it's not initially clear from playing, QUAKE (2021 ENHANCED RE-RELEASE VERSION) has you trying to take out an enemy named Quake who's been using portal technology to send enemy soldiers into this dimension in an attempt to see just how much of a threat humanity will be. That's why you spend every waking moment shooting, stabbing, and exploding enemy soldiers from the first-person perspective, before running to the next room or through a portal so you can shoot more enemies. You also spend time trying to find keys you need to unlock new areas...where you'll continue shooting, stabbing, and blowing up more of Quake's minions.
Is It Any Good?
Though mostly just a nicer looking version of an old (though classic) game, this does add something that makes it worth double dipping. The spiritual successor to Doom (the 1993 original, not the 2016 remake), the sci-fi first-person shooter Quake (2021 Enhanced Re-Release Version) has you running and gunning your way through maze-like areas, killing anything and everything that moves. And like Doom, the gunplay in this game is the same: fast, furious, and feeling like you're sliding around on a freshly waxed floor while wearing new socks (with all of the inertia that implies).
As for what's new in this "Enhanced" and "Re-Released Version," while the original's rather blocky visuals are intact, they're now in HD and (if you have the right system and TV) in 4K, which makes the imagery rather sharp. This also restores the original soundtrack by nine inch nails, which has often been absent in previous reissues. It even adds the ability to play online against people on other systems for the first time. More importantly, this not only includes the two add-ons they released back in the day, it also has the one they added in 2016 ("Dimensions of the Past") and, more importantly, a totally new one called "Dimension of the Machine." It's this latter add-on -- which adds a bunch of all-new levels but still has that classic Quake feel -- that makes this worth getting even if you've played this shooter in the 25 years since it originally came out. And if you haven't, well, then Quake (2021 Enhanced Re-Release Version) is your ticket to a rather fun dimension.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about violence in video games. Is the impact of the violence in Quake (2021 Enhanced Re-Release Version) affected by the amount of blood and gore shown as a result of the combat? Would the impact be reduced if there wasn't as much blood or gore included?
Is it more fun to play a game alone, or with other people? Do you prefer single player experiences, or multiplayer matches? Why?
Game Details
- Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
- Pricing structure: Paid
- Available online?: Available online
- Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
- Release date: August 20, 2021
- Genre: First-Person Shooter
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy, Adventures, Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires
- ESRB rating: M for Blood and Gore, Violence
- Last updated: August 23, 2021
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