Quake III: Arena

Spel för Alla (10 out of 10)

Quakeserien förnyas och tar klivet in i multiplayer-spelets alla möjligheter med Quake III. Snygg grafik och högt speltempo gör det till ett suveränt spel som det är svårt att slita sig från.

GameGenie ( )

The first six tiers consist of four levels each. Each level contains a mixture of computer-controlled bots that are sure to give you a run for your money. After you've slaughtered all of the computer-controlled bots, it's time for the main event….frag your friends, and believe me, this is where the fun is.

Personal Computer World (5 out of 5)

There’s no doubt that this game is fantastic, but the crucial question remains as to whether it is better than Unreal Tournament featured a couple of issues ago in PCW. The answer is probably yes, but only just. Quake III Arena is death match at its most refined. You don’t get quite as many features as you do in Unreal Tournament, but for sheer fast, furious and unadulterated rage against your fellow gamer, there is simply no equal to Quake III Arena.

PC Accelerator (10 out of 10)

Quake 3 Arena is certifiably a masterpiece in terms of what it has set out to achieve. You won’t find any new game concepts, nor any new weapon ideas (only the grenade launcher and marvelous plasma-rocket firing BFG10K weren’t released in the Q3Test), nor the most perfect deathmatching Bots. What you will find, however, is a tangible, yet indescribable “feel” of solidity that gives Q3A’s physics such a compelling edge over the competition. Weapon hits feel like weapon hits, as your character feels like a solid person, not a flighty cartoon. You’ll also find levels designed with fighting in mind, not some preconceived notion restricting a level’s flow. They’re created to be gibbing arenas, balanced for fighting. They use water, lava and slime sparingly; they judge space to be relative to the skill level of the combatants; they dispense with slow-moving elevators in favor of fast-paced accelerators and bounce pads; they work.

Game.EXE (5 out of 5)

Зато, несмотря на все недостатки, налицо ultimate deathmatch game. Если я захочу играть с кем-то в традиционный дефматч, чтобы по-быстрому выяснить, кто из нас отец, а кто сынок - я, безусловно, выберу Q3A, забыв даже о DOOM'е. И неважно, будет это локальная сеть или Интернет, вердикт однозначен. И игра эта обоснуется на ваших винчестерах надолго. Как твердыня, столп и оплот вечности, эдакий эталон метра, применяемый в детском саду для измерения длины пиписек. И в этом качестве ей гарантированна слава и, возможно, титулы "Игра года" и даже "Игра века". И спасибо товарищу Кармаку за наше счастливое детство.

Next Generation ( )

The best deathmatch yet. Period. End of story. If you want single-player or a storyline, buy Half-Life. If you want great DM and near-infinite expandability, Quake III is the best in the business.

IGROMANIA (9.9 out of 10)

Мы получили свою долгожданную фрагобойню. Мы получили качественный, коммерчески успешный, технологически передовой, геймплейно весёлый, но абсолютно идеологически пустой продукт. Quake 2 получил своё логическое продолжение. Зло выродилось в комикс.

Hacker (96 out of 100)

Quake 3 će biti igran kao i svaki drugi dio Quake serijala do iznemoglosti, barem od strane recenzenta i bližnjih mu. Doduše, neki su se priklonili UT-u, no brzo ću i njih dovesti u red. Bilo da ste ljubitelj prekrasne grafike, gotičke atmosfere, odličnog i intrigantnog single play napretka ili multiplayer tabačine, bilo da ste revni tester hardvera ili jednostavno revni igrač koji igra sve živo, vjerujte - svijet računalnih igara odsad ćete dijeliti na vrijeme prije i poslije Quakea 3!

Jeuxvideo.com (19 out of 20)

Grosse claque pour tout le monde. Le duel Unreal-Quake est maintenant commencé et pour moi, c'est Quake qui l'emportera en offrant plus de gameplay, plus de bestialité, des besoins machine moins gourmands et le tout enrobé dans des niveaux bien plus jolis. En bref, un chef d'oeuvre par les maîtres du genre.

Svenska PC Gamer (95 out of 100)

Är då Arena värt att köpa för singelplayerupplevelsen? Saret är, tack och lov, helt klart positivt. Det är ingen tvekan om att man för att få ut det bästa ur den måste spela på Internet eller LAN, men det är fortfarande en tillräckligt stor utmaning (särskilt CTF) för att de modemlösa ska kunna njuta också.

games xtreme (9.4 out of 10)

Quake 3, one hell of a good game, looks damn pretty when you slap all the features on and plays like a demon. Test your skills vs. those bots and see how you do online, theres only 1 way to improve on a game like this, but I can't tell what it is!

Game Over Online (94 out of 100)

This game is very fun and quite addicting. Past that there is not much to say. Little touches are what make this game and keep you coming back for more. I think that the aforementioned awards really added to the fun and I had a great time bragging to my friends after we had finished playing (at 4:00am). The feeling I had when I played this game was the same I had when Quake and Quake 2 first came out. The graphics are smooth and fast, the sound well done and the gameplay outstanding. I can hardly wait to finish this review so that I can return to playing. If you're a Quake nut or love deathmatch, I recommend picking this up, it's a sure win. Well done ID software.

PC Action (Germany) (94 out of 100)

Quake 3 Arena spielt sich genau so, wie ich es von einem brillanten Egoshooter erwarte. Schnelle, wilde Action, geniale Grafik, ausbalancierte Waffen und abwechslungsreiche Levels. Die Beschränkung auf zwei Mehrspielermodi finde ich persönlich nicht so prickelnd, aber ich bin mir sicher, dass bereits nach wenigen Wochen geniale Modi wie das altbekannte Rocket Arena die Onlineszene in Ekstase versetzen werden. Quake 3 Arena ist DER Pflichtkauf für alle 3D-Shooterfans.

PC Player (Germany) (93 out of 100)

Quake 3 lässt den Traum eines jeden Shooter-Fan in Erfüllung gehen und wird noch lange für Schlagzeilen sorgen. Für mich jetzt schon das Spiel des Jahres 2000.

PC PowerPlay Australia (93 out of 100)

When all is said and done, the dust has settled and the gibs mopped up, Quake III: Arena is the ultimate first-person shooter that we were all expecting. Of course it’s going to be compared and contrasted with Unreal Tournament, but trying to compare these two games is like trying to decide who’s better — Elle Macpherson or Cindy Crawford. You simply can’t do it — they’re both equally exquisite. There are a few minor issues with QIII’s sometimes-cheap hot AI, but they’re only noticeable because the rest of the game is almost flawless. If you don’t have Quake III Arena yet, go get it now… oh, but don’t forget to upgrade your PC on the way home as well.

IGN (9.3 out of 10)

If there's one thing that can be said about Quake III: Arena is that it's incredibly addictive, no matter how shallow and simple the gameplay may be, and no matter how canned the arsenal is. Of course, Quake has never tried to disguise itself as a thinking man's game. Although I would have liked more gameplay types and a larger variety of weapons, there's absolutely nothing that I can fault Quake III: Arena for. It accomplishes exactly what id set out to do when creating the thirds installment. I must admit that even with the massive gameplay options in Unreal Tournament, I'll always come back to Quake III: Arena for my deathmatch fix. There's no other shooter that comes close to the look and feel of Quake III. I've already reserved a permanent area on my hard drive specifically for Quake III, because it's going to be there for a while. It takes a powerful machine to run it correctly, but it's well worth it.

GameSpot (9.2 out of 10)

All things considered, it isn't a stretch to call Quake III Arena an outstanding game. But whether it's superior to its rival Unreal Tournament is less certain. If you're interested in sophisticated team-play modes like those featured in Unreal Tournament, then Quake III Arena comes up short. However, Quake III Arena provides the ultimate deathmatch experience. If deathmatch is the particular style of play you're interested in, then Arena is your game.

Gaming Age (A-)

Even with all this polish, Quake 3 Arena isn't the final word in deathmatch gaming. I would be more comfortable to say it is the final word in "old school" deathmatches. Quake 3 Arena is still one of the best titles currently out on the market.

Entertainment Weekly (A-)

Jaw-dropping visuals, white-knuckle gameplay, and robust multiplayer support have made the million-selling Quake series the king of the first-person-shooter genre. Quake III pushes the mayhem even further by sending the player into online futuristic arenas to rise through the ranks as a one-man (or one-woman) army. Though there’s nothing like playing against live, unpredictable human opponents, the single-player option that lets you fight against artificial players simulates the online experience. The gorgeous graphics come with a price: Expected minimum system requirements are a Pentium 200, 64MB of RAM, and a 3-D accelerator card. Who said death matching in style was cheap?

PC Jeux (91 out of 100)

Quake III Arena s'avère incontournable, même s'il dispose de quelques lacunes.

GameSpy (90 out of 100)

Tremendous deathmatch game, lacking in innovations to gameplay but packing the most beautiful game engine and art we've seen.

FiringSquad (90 out of 100)

Quake 3 is the kind of game that people will run out and upgrade their computers for; James built a dual Celeron system solely to take advantage of Quake 3's SMP support. So the bots aren't that great - no big loss; we didn't get Quake 3 to play by ourselves. If you want single player, skip Quake 3 and pick up a copy of Half Life or System Shock 2. To the naysayers who proclaim that there's nothing innovative or new in Quake 3, we say that you're beating a dead horse. Even id staffers would probably admit to that accusation with a "guilty as charged." So what does Quake 3 give you? It's quite simple: the utter refinement of deathmatch, and the ultimate multiplayer shooter experience - nothing more, nothing less.

Computer and Video Games (CVG) (9 out of 10)

Overall we can assure that Q3A is the most amazing game to look at, with a totally honest, in your face appeal you canit deny. Connoisseurs will go for Unreal or Opposing Force to explore new strategies. Firing rockets at people's feet, and jumping to avoid them, has got to get boring sooner or later. UT and OF don't need to worry about that - they're already succeeding in ways Q3A doesn't come close to touching. But as the ultimate incarnation of the idis seminal FPS series, Q3A delivers many times more than we hapless fools were led to believe from the tests. And thatis an understatement.

Power Unlimited (9 out of 10)

QIII: Arena is de beste en mooiste Deathmatch game voorhanden: instant fun en een hardcore frag-feest! Echter, de slordige A.I. van de bots en de beperkte Teamplay modes maken dat deze game 'overall' lager scoort dan Unreal Tournament. Newbies kunnen deze game ook beter laten liggen maar de Quake fans zullen tevreden zijn. De honderden MODS, skins en models die dagelijks op het Internet verschijnen, houden je wel weer zoet tot Quake IV.

Gamereactor (Sweden) (9 out of 10)

Genom Quake 3 har id Software bevisat att de, tillskillnad från så många andra utvecklare, förstår sin målgrupps behov och lyssnar till dess önskemål.

Game industry News (GiN) ( )

Still, with these shortcomings, Q3A is very enjoyable, and comes pretty close to toppling UT's position at the top of multiplayer FPS. Compared to UT's rating of 5/5 Gems, Q3A gets 4 Gems for its single player mode, and gets a perfect 5 gems for its multiplayer capabilities, for an average of 4.5 Gems. Let the fragging commence!

GameLand (9 out of 10)

Основные сильные стороны третьего Quake-а те же, что и у всех его предшественников. Q3 силён традицией, отличной, въевшейся в кровь нескольких поколений атмосферой, годами отшлифованным геймплеем. Потенциал третьего Quake-а чрезвычайно высок в силу одного лишь генетического происхождения этой игры! Это действительно очень мощная сила, которую никак не следует недооценивать.

Gamekult (9 out of 10)

Très connu pour son moteur 3D, Quake III Arena a souvent été considéré plus comme un benchmark que comme un véritable jeu. S'il est vrai que le jeu s'est rapidement imposé comme une référence pour les tests de cartes 3D, au même titre que 3D Mark 2000, il ne fait toujours pas l'unanimité en multijoueurs. Rapide et défoulant, un peu bourrin sur les bords, Quake III Arena est malgré tout l'un des meilleurs jeux du genre, même si les joueurs plus subtils et moins regardants sur le moteur graphique peuvent lui préfèrer The Tournament.

Eurogamer.net (UK) (9 out of 10)

I'd like to try sum up Quake III Arena in the same way, but also take a look at how the game shapes up for those folks, like me, that treat FPS games as a way of life rather than 'just another game'. Traditionally I kick off reviews with a bit of background, but I'm sure that everyone is familiar with id's past legendary works, so far so I'll cut to the chase - Quake III Arena is a strange hybrid of supremely polished first-person shooter evolution and a burning desire to have it appeal to the broader gamer. It's a bit odd, but I mean that in a good way...

WomenGamers.com (9 out of 10)

Quake 3 Arena is the third installment of the Quake series of shooter games. While it's somewhat different than its predecessors, there are plenty of similarities. Of course being the next in the Quake bloodline, gives it a tremendous basis for being a great game, but to really become a hit it must still prove itself on its own merits.

PC Zone (1993-2010) (89 out of 100)

A vital purchase and the fastest game money can buy.

Gameplay (Benelux) (86 out of 100)

Ik ben er wel zeker van dat we nog lang zullen genieten van de Quake Arena engine wanneer er andere ontwikkelaars games gaan maken gebaseerd hierop. Half-Life 2, gebaseerd op de Quake Arena engine kan er wat mij betreft niet snel genoeg komen! Pas dan zullen er echt brokken gemaakt worden. Voor nu hou ik me bij Half-Life en Opposing Force voor het online spelen, wat niet wil zeggen dat ik tussendoor niet snel eens een one-on-one in Qukae Arena zal spelen, gewoon maar om te genieten van de prachtige graphics.

Gamer's Pulse (86 out of 100)

What Quake III Arena boils down to is the beautiful shell of a game, waiting for a suitable host to bring it to life. This is inevitable as we can almost bet on Q3A ports of Team Fortress and Action Quake to save the day. Despite its current lack of a steady pulse, Quake 3 is still a good game. It features the best graphics out there, on top of a rock solid code, with good sound, and typical Quake weapons and levels. One must also acknowledge the fact that there are now a few other big fish out there that can currently provide more fun. As far as gameplay goes I had more fun playing Unreal Tournament, but it can't match up to the beauty of Q3A, and will soon have a hard time matching the quality of gaming once we see those fresh new levels and mods in the baker’s window.

JeuxVideoPC.com (17 out of 20)

Un peu partout, on voit émerger ces boutiques étranges que sont les salles réseau, phénomène encore assez marginal qui restait l’apanage de joueurs de RTS. Mais le temps est au changement, et en début d’année le mouvement explose. Déjà un nom traîne sur toutes les lèvres : Counter-Strike, le FPS multijoueur du moment qui a reclassé Quake 2 (l’ancien tenant du titre) au rang de pièce de musée au gameplay fatigué. C’est dans ce contexte qu’Id Software revient avec Quake 3 dernier opus de sa série à succès avec ni plus ni moins que l’intention de donner une nouvelle impulsion au genre…

Oldies Rising (17 out of 20)

Quake III est surtout destiné aux aficionados du jeu sur Internet. Un domaine où le titre d'id excelle, à condition que le joueur y excelle aussi... Dommage que la partie solo ne soit pas plus poussée, car le gameplay est vraiment d'une rare efficacité et la réalisation est bien plus que splendide. Un jeu qui reste vraiment à essayer, tant par son gameplay renversant que par son ambiance jouissive.

Game Critics (8.5 out of 10)

Videogames have also been considered another plain old recreational activity, but with the release of the much anticipated online multiplayer first-person shooter (FPS), Quake III: Arena (Q3A), that perception may finally change. The activity of Deathmatching (dueling to the death in cyberspace), which was popularized by FPS games like Q3A, may finally be considered a legitimate sport; digital or otherwise.

GameSpot (Belgium/Netherlands) (83 out of 100)

We hadden de demo al even in ons bezit en de onderlinge competitiegeest hier op de redactie laaide dan ook weer tot ongekende hoogten op. Eindelijk arriveerde de volledige versie van wat ondertussen de Unreal Tournament-killer werd genoemd.

Absolute Games (AG.ru) (80 out of 100)

То ли в id слишком спешили, испугавшись конкуренции с UT, то ли просто обленились вконец, но по-моему сейчас уже должно быть стыдно выпускать Quake1, пусть даже более красивый и с кривыми поверхностями, будь они неладны. Я не хочу сказать, что первый Quake — плохая игра, для своего времени он был очень даже ничего. Я хочу сказать, что не стоило выпускать его второй раз... В общем, как ни крути, и ежу ясно, что чемпионатное будущее, как это ни печально — именно за Quake3 Arena.

All Game Guide ( )

So with that in mind, it's easy to look over Quake III Arena's faults. Though the single-player game is far from substantial with some poorly designed maps, a lack of gameplay options and originality, average weapons and inadequate netcode, the good things will come to those who can wait. With a few modifications and patches, this will have a very long hard-drive life...that is until the next big thing comes along.

GamesFirst! ( )

Here’s the bottom line on Quake III: Arena. If you’ve got a hankering for pure deathmatch online and have a fast computer and internet connection, you’ll love it. If you’re looking for a scintillating single player experience, or for something different, look somewhere else. Might I suggest Unreal Tournament?

Edge (8 out of 10)

That aside, Arena remains as impressively fast, smooth, and enjoyable as anything from id. As a straight deathmatch it is unsurpassed and will doubtless still be played in three years’ time, thanks to its easy-to-modify codebase. But as an enjoyable singleplayer experience it pales in comparison to Half-Life. The future of gaming or a slight hiccup in id’s otherwise exemplary CV? Time will surely tell.

Just Games Retro ( )

Obviously, single-player aficionados need not apply. Bot matches just feel like something to tide you over while your Internet is down, and online was where the game lived. In that regard, Quake III is everything it needed to be – fast, balanced, and flashy enough. Unfortunately, it feels like it was just refining the multiplayer component of the games that came before, while Unreal Tournament was doing that and innovating at the same time. Everybody had to pick their favorite flavor in 1999, and this one wasn’t mine.

incite PC Gaming ( )

Great looking and playing frag-fest, but not original enough to hold your interest for an extended period.

Computer Gaming World (CGW) ( )

It's extremely difficult to slap a rating on Q3A, especially in light of UNREAL TOURNAMENT, On one hand, id ended up with what it set out to make: a solid, pure deathmatch game. But in light of UT, that doesn’t seem to be enough; I just want more. I know that deathmatch purists are already eating this game up, and if you crave incredibly last deathmatch in the realm of DOOM or QUAKE, then Q3A is your game. Those of you who want a bit more depth — and a decent single-player mode — should either pass, or buy this title and wait for the online community to make mods for you.

Adrenaline Vault, The (AVault) ( )

Deathmatch fans are going to love Quake III Arena for what it offers, and truth be told, the online deathmatch is fun, if wholly unoriginal. Capture the Flag is also engaging, but there needed to be more unique styles of competition and a stronger Arena Eternal to flesh out the gameplay. While the graphics and animation are outstanding and set a new standard, the title comes up short, especially with the amazingly brief single-player ladder. There is a lot here for fans to build on, but out of the box, Q3A does not offer the ultimate online experience nor come out on top with its single-player deathmatch.

Computer Games Magazine ( )

It will be interesting to see what kinds of mods the player community will create for this title (and create they will—several mods have already been announced as of the time of this writing). Even if deathmatch isn't your cup of tea, the game is almost worth picking up for that reason alone. If you are a deathmatch fan then you will find a fun game that is well worth playing—it may not be an instant classic, but in the typical id style, it is polished and fun.

Gry OnLine (7 out of 10)

Obecnie Quake III już się trochę postarzał, jednak na samym jego enginie wyszło mnóstwo gier, a niektóre są jeszcze w produkcji. Grafika nadal świetnie się prezentuje, a zabawa dalej może być świetna. Jeżeli jeszcze nie miałeś okazji spróbować tej produkcji, to biegnij szybko do najbliższego sklepu. A jeśli jesteś fanem konkurencyjnych produktów, to zmień jak najszybciej banderę i przejdź na naszą stronę :-)

Génération 4 (4 out of 6)

Un troisième volet encore plus riche en adrénaline que ce que nous connaissons déjà. En cela, il s'adresse uniquement aux enragés du frag. Les autres se tourneront vers Tournament.

Nerikes Allehanda ( )

Quake 3 måste vara ett av de mest efterlängtade spelen i historien. Då är det ju inte utan att man får höga förväntningar, speciellt efter att ha spelat Unreal tournament. Med facit i hand får man väl säga att John Carmack & co inte riktigt nått ända fram. Visst är Q3 actionfyllt och snabbt, extremt snabbt, men det känns efter ett tag som om man bara springer omkring och skjuter utan någon som helst strategi. Man har helt enkelt inte tid. Som jämförelse får väl sägas att vill man ha ultrasnabb action så satsar man på Q3, men vill man ha lite mer kontroll och chans att utveckla strategi så är Unreal ett bättre val.

Game Revolution (C+)

Quake 3 is a great way to demo your new, ultra-powered gaming rig, and a decent diversion if taken in small doses. However, overall it fails to impress, invigorate, or even entertain. It does what it sets out to do extremely well, creating a beautiful, high intensity deathmatch game, but it never tries to do very much. Quake 3, for all the praise being lauded on it by the sellouts in the gaming media, is a lightweight contender.