DOS

Quake Mission Pack No 1: Scourge of Armagon

Unglaublich, was die Designer noch alles aus Quake herausgekitzelt haben: Wesentlich größere und detailliertere Levels, neue Monster, neue Waffen. Lara Croft muß nun ein Weilchen warten, jetzt wird erst mal wieder ausgiebig und nächtelang gequakt. Alex, Magnus und Martin haben nachts sogar mal unser Redaktionsnetzwerk in einem 4-Stunden-Kampf ausgiebig belastet. Da bekam ich schon beim Zuschauen vor Spannung feuchte Handflächen.

Gameplay is typical Quake, but the enhancements and changes in this pack make it a lot more fun and satisfying. There are some sinister deathtraps in this mission, you need to think as quickly as you react. Tons of fun in all. My only complaints are that I really wish there were more levels (only about 15 single player levels and one Quakematch level) and more than one end boss. I miss the days when you got a boss creature at the end of each episode, not just one at the end of the entire mission. Maybe I just didn't want it to end. This is the game Quake SHOULD have been. Bottom Line: Level design is pure genius. Graphics improved over Quake. Fantastic new creatures, weapons, and powerups. Could have used more levels.

There are three new weapons to choose from, including proximity mines and Thor's war hammer. These add to the gameplay and prove extremely useful against the new enemies which consist of the likes of Gremlins and Centroids. If you are a fan of Quake, this mission pack offers even more of a great thing.

If you're a fan of Quake (and you must be if you've read this far) this is a must-have. It's a natural extension of the original and adds enough new levels, weapons, and enemies to keep you busy. Many of the levels have a few secrets that are a real bear to find. The quality of the level design is hard to find anywhere -- on the net or in the stores.

The Rift guys responsible for this have really sat down and worked at it - the levels are superb. For example, the whole first episode (five levels) is set in the dingy, sci-fi SlipGate complex style of the original, with lots of Nukem-style 'blow up the reactor' and 'fight the water current' style conundrums. Then the whole pack goes off on one into the scary medieval stuff and culminates in a showdown with a very hard, very unpolite new end-of-level monster. You also get to deal with Centroids (metallic nail-firing scorpions), Gremlins (who steal your weapons and use them against you), and exploding puff ball things.

Put simply, Scourge of Armagon is to Quake as Doom 2 was to Doom. Mission Pack 1 : Scourge of Armagon adds a great deal of flexibility, refinement, and longevity to Quake and is an excellent addition to any Quaker's library. While playing through Armagon, I couldn't help but think -- "This is what Quake should have been." Not to put Quake down, this is a great step beyond the foundation laid by the original product. The additional levels, creatures, and items are excellent, but the levels are of very high quality and make for fun deathmatch and single-play alike. In the flood of Quake add-on packages that have come out in the past months, this is by far the best available. You can find Scourge of Armagon for about $25 at your local software store, which is quite a bargain. The original (registered) Quake is required to play this add-on, but for those that already own Quake and are ready for the next level, I highly recommend Scourge of Armagon.

This add-on comes highly recommended for anyone who just can't get enough of the original. With a cool new soundtrack and challenging levels, Scourge of Armagon is more of the same good thing. The only real drawback is the price, which is a bit higher than the other add-ons available - but if you're willing to shell out the cash, you will be sure to find Armagon an excellent addition.

Al wie de originele Quake reeds moe gespeeld is, maar toch nog naar meer verlangt, zal aan deze datadisk geen slechte koop doen. Ik heb zo het gevoel dat deathmatch level 'The Edge of Oblivion' nog lang op onze netwerkserver zal blijven staan.

A lame end-boss (apparently mailed in from Doom - get real close to it and you'll easily defeat it) keeps Scourge ending on a positive note. Outside of that, the only real criticism is one leveled at Quake itself. After the lush, organic environments of Tomb Raider, it's a bit depressing to find yourself in the rather austere and monochrome world of Quake. Scourge of Armagon adds a lot more visual interest, but the perception you can get from the game is that much of it is still spent in those endless monochrome tunnels. Obviously those who've played the game obsessively since day one won't care a bit, but casual players looking for something radically different would probably be best served looking elsewhere.