Quake Arena
(Activision for the PC)
by Brian Johnson
Before I incite any of the legions of pigeon-shouldered-over-large-cranium cases who live and die by this game… oops…. I have to confess; I found Quake to be a disappointment from both a personal and professional standpoint, and it now resides among a very exclusive set of coasters in my apartment. While those of you who read the following may chastise me for my ineptitude, please remember that this is only one man’s experience. I’m sorry to say that the folks at Activision have created a game that requires such an advanced 3D game card that it cannot simply be enjoyed by uninformed gamers who buy it.
Normally, I would swoop down on the fools who buy software without consulting the system requirements like a buzzard at a morgue. However, I found myself victim of my own hubris. I thought my computer would be enough. I thought I had access to the right tools of the trade. In the end, however, what I had was a CD that had more trouble running then a Chrysler mini van in a snowstorm, and a confounded computer begging me to stick to my usual fare of solitaire and downloaded porn from AOL. I can’t say I’m alone in my assessment. The word on the street is, it’s a great game, but you have to have the best stuff out there in order to even try. I figured Activision might have a hankering this attitude exists as I printed out the novel they call an FAQ sheet which lists video cards like they were sushi platters at a Japanese restaurant. In my opinion, the average American knows less about a Detonator 3.6 driver than they do about sashimi.
However, the intelligence of the average nitwit has nothing to do with what is going on in Quake Arena. The developers of Quake have increased the requirements of their games at the expense of the average PC owner. Quake for the PC has been totally redone. It’s now geared toward multi-player linking via the Internet. This, while being revolutionary, takes away from the single player versions which preceded it. This may be an inevitable shift in the marketplace, as software developers look for ways to incorporate the ever-expanding Internet as it shifts from PCs to Broadband, DSL, cable, and eventually, totally-interactive television. As a result, those of us with minimal capabilities are required to purchase additions to our standard computers in order to enjoy the game.
Quake offers an opportunity seldom seen in peace time: meet interesting, new people and kill them. These games, while being a healthy way to channel aggression, will undoubtedly become the target of criticism for increasingly out-of-touch politicians who see games of this nature as a threat. By the way, I’ll give five dollars to the first person who can identify the Republican presidential candidate who incorrectly identified the band Rage Against the Machine, as The Machine Rages On. Political rants aside, I applaud the innovations Quake has brought to the table. I just wish the game were more friendly to the average PC owner who doesn’t have a lot of money to spend on additional video cards. This one gets strong ratings for forward-thinking, but low ratings for sacrificing those of us who still want to play with ourselves. I mean with video games, of course.
