We saw the cybernetic frontier for the barest instant that it still was a frontier, and was free. We got to interact with computers and electronics, during the very brief window before the psychopaths discovered them, and turned them (as they always turn everything they get their hands on) into tools of dystopian enslavement. Yet we have one genuine, quiet glory, which can never be taken away from us.
We do not talk much, and even when we attempt to, we are normally shouted down by either the Millennials or the Boomers, who are both groups of loud narcissists, to a large extent. "I was alive when the original versions of id Software's games were released."Īs our title implies, we of Generation X are generally quiet introverts. Whenever I am depressed or mildly suicidal, I try to remedy the condition by thinking of the things that I have to be grateful for and one of those is relevant to this thread. Those who have experienced online multiplayer Quake, and those who have not. There are two groups of people in this world. Considering how it is free, and can easily run on almost any computer, I could set up a server and we could jam on a few nights. I recall multiplayer in the first Quake was so raw and primal, and would really like to experience it again. Not to mention, the dev team's troubles and state of mind may have forged the resulting experience in some way. But I wonder if we really want that the game's visuals today look almost abstract, which I believe helps with the aesthetic in a way that cannot be reproduced. Especially after the unfortunate handling of the last few installments under this legendary name. It's a game (and series) that is worthy of the same treatment that Doom has had recently. I could go on and on about Quake's nuances and legacy. And yet again, a very fitting name for the game. Learning about Quake's development, it has some resemblance to those stories where a music band is on the verge of imploding due to internal issues, yet the album they put out is regarded as their finest. Probably the reason why every word on this page can be used to describe Quake. It is still a unique experience today, and one of the finest games that use Lovecraftian themes. With its atmosphere, soundtrack and art design, Quake is morose throughout and, when combined with the gameplay and enemy design, oppressive on the player. The game's experience itself just does not let off the gas pedal I found Doom/Doom 2 still had a few more moments of pause in the action that was spent traversing the map and its puzzles. A very fitting name then, considering what it did to the industry.Įven today, the movement and controls have that tightness and fluidity that has since become synonymous with the work of the team behind it. There is so much that can be traced back to it, in terms of design, gameplay and technology, that you could write a book on it. The true 3D environments, the degrees of movement and freedom, the input and mechanics, and ofcourse the multitude of accomplishments in multiplayer with Quakeworld this game is the cornerstone of the games we have today. But it was Quake (1996) that was the true revolution. Sometimes this is a discussion that pits Wolfenstein 3D and Duke Nukem 3D as well, and occasionally Id Software's later titles too.īut for my money, Wolfenstein 3D > Doom > Duke Nukem 3D were an obvious progression, a slow evolution. From what I have seen, read and heard, Doom is what many people consider the most influential and a major milestone.