Quake I Turns 15; What Are Your Memories?

Alright, I’m not sure how I let this one slip under my radar, and I really can’t believe it’s been a full fifteen years since Quake hit the PC, but it’s true. The game that followed in the footsteps of Wolfenstein 3D and Doom wouldn’t have been easy to fill, but Quake managed to do the job. At its release, Quake had truly incredible graphics, engaging gameplay, a new level of violence, immersive environments and a superb audio package to back all of it up.

Of all the games id Software released in the 90s, it was Quake that managed to captivate me the most, both from a single-player and multi-player perspective. At its release, I simply couldn’t stop playing, even though it was uber-difficult at times, and even a bit scary. Lights off, sound on, and Reznor supplying the music? What more do you need to potentially jump out of your seat?

Quake, to me, is one of the last FPS titles to be released that truly offer ‘twitch’ gameplay. The control was sublime, and those with the best aim and control succeeded, offline and on. Search for ‘Quake Done Quick’ on Google and tell me if such runs could be done in most other FPS games released since. Unreal Tournament might be another, but I think that’s one of the rarer exceptions.

For me, Quake was my first real foray into online competitive gaming. Equipped with a 28.8K modem (I believe, it might have been a 33.6K), I regularly logged on (even when I wasn’t meant to be) and had my ass handed to me. Yes, even way back then. Quake might have been the game that caused me to start hating ‘campers’. Still, despite the frustration at the time, the game helped craft itself into my memory as being one of the best ever.

Even today, I load the game up on occasion, and it still strikes me as being extremely polished and a ton of fun to play. With news of the game turning 15, I might just have to load it up again soon.

Enough about me, what about you guys. I am sure a ton of you played your fair share of Quake DM and perhaps peed yourself because you didn’t know that Enforcer was right around the corner. So out with it!