Now in my opinion, I don’t think they could have put this title on anything but the 360. Sure Doom 3 and Half Life 2 both made it onto the original Xbox, and they even look great as well. But the thing about Quake 4 and the 360 is that this game runs damn near parallel to a high end PC playing the same game. Explosions are crisp and bright, line of sight is clear and accurate, the Strogg themselves look gross and evil. It’s simply an awesome looking game.
As you adventure you will note that even when a whole mess-load of action is playing out, there is very little breakdown on the screen. In fact, I can only remember one time when the screen had the slightest slowdown and that involved the exploding of a massive cannon. And even then it wasn’t anything I could complain about.
And it’s scary as well! This is a game that rivals even the creepiest of games. My palms would begin to sweat as I played at 2:30 in the morning with the lights out. Creeping around the dank and sewer-like steam tunnels of the Strogg facilities is creepy enough, but then when something “doesn’t” happen, the tension is ratcheted up another notch. Then finally when you just begin to let your guard down, BOOM! A sick looking Strogg monster comes crashing through the wall and begins beating the snot out of you. This is tension to the nth degree, God bless the folks at id for making a game that looks as good as it scares.
But it doesn’t stop there, the architecture of the levels, the unhealthy atmosphere of the Strogg planet the whole visual ambiance of the game really does a good job of drawing you in and placing you into enemy territory. It’s this desperate pacing that makes for addictive gameplay. Oh, sure there is some breakdown in the game’s pacing between battle scenes and non-battle scenes, but it is forgivable.
And don’t forget that this title has in game Dolby Digital sound. Not only does the intro and other cut-scenes come out of your speaker with excellent positioning and digital clarity, but so do the action scenarios. If you have set your 360 up the way Mr. Gates intended with the High-def cables and fiber optic connection into your receiver, then the action humming out of your speakers is comparable to a big budget, Hollywood action movie. Kick ass sound for a kick ass game.
