Quake Review Summary

This timeless classic FPS includes all expansions and DLC with creative level design, but enemy design difficulty, crashes, and graphics performance issues mar it.

All Expansions Included: The package includes all official and fan-made expansions, including classic 90s episodes, new Machine Games expansions, and the 30th anniversary expansion. Players appreciate the massive amount of content between the base game and add-ons.

Outstanding Game Overall: Reviewers consistently describe the game as amazing, incredible, addictive, and a masterpiece. Many call it one of the greatest games of all time.

Excellent Level Design: Level design is consistently described as amazing, splendid, and top-notch. It is well thought out and unrivaled.

Best FPS Ever: Many consider it the best first-person shooter ever made, citing its influence and timeless quality. It is frequently called the greatest FPS of all time.

Fantastic Remaster Quality: The remaster is praised as faithful, beautiful, and stellar, adding nice quality-of-life features. It is considered a must-have for fans.

Enemy design and difficulty: Enemies are often seen as bullet-spongy, with unfair placements and hit-scan attacks that cannot be dodged. Bosses are considered dull and too easy.

Level design and navigation: Levels are frequently criticized for being confusing, maze-like, and overly long, leading players to get lost. Some maps are considered gimmicky or poorly structured.

Weapon balance and variety: Reviewers criticize the weapons as unbalanced, with many feeling derivative or useless once stronger versions are found. The arsenal is often reduced to a few effective guns.

Crashes and launch problems: Many users experience crashes on startup, freezing during gameplay, and errors like ERROR_DEVICE_LOST. Some cannot launch the game at all after updates.

Graphics and visual aging: The graphics are considered dated, with a limited brown color palette and low-resolution textures. Some visual enhancements cannot be fully disabled.

Includes all expansions: The game bundles the base game with all official expansions, including remastered and fan-made downloadable content. Players appreciate the comprehensive content and the 30th anniversary expansion.

Multiplayer support available: The game offers multiplayer modes including deathmatch, co-op, and online play via modem or LAN. Many reviewers highlight the competitive and cooperative multiplayer experience.

Classic 3D first-person shooter: Quake is widely recognized as a fully 3D first-person shooter with fast-paced, dynamic gameplay. It is considered a classic and one of the first true 3D FPS games.

Iconic weapon arsenal: The game features a variety of weapons including shotguns, nailguns, grenade launcher, rocket launcher, and lightning gun. Players frequently mention these weapons as core to the experience.

Nightmare difficulty option: Players can select Nightmare difficulty for increased challenge. Some mention changes such as a 50 HP cap and tweaked enemy behavior.

Crashes on launch after update: Multiple users report the game fails to start or crashes immediately after recent updates. This issue is severe and prevents play entirely for affected users.

Smooth performance overall: Many users describe the game as running buttery smooth or smoothly, indicating generally good performance. This positive feedback is widespread.

Lag and stuttering issues: Players frequently report lag, stuttering, and uneven frame pacing in various situations, including specific levels and multiplayer. This detracts from the experience.

Unstable frame pacing above 60Hz: Players experience constant stuttering and uneven frame pacing when running the game at refresh rates above 60Hz. This affects gameplay smoothness significantly.

Launch parameters fix crashes: Some users found that adding launch parameters like +r_rhirenderfamily "d3d11" or "vulkan" resolves startup crashes. However, this workaround introduces texture flickering.

Highly recommended overall: A large number of reviewers simply recommend the game, often with high praise and strong endorsements.

Must-play for FPS fans: Many reviewers highly recommend the game to fans of first-person shooters, calling it a must-play for anyone who enjoys the genre.

Must-play for everyone: Many players consider this a classic that everyone should experience at least once, emphasizing its universal appeal.

Essential for boomer shooter fans: Fans of retro or boomer shooters consistently recommend this game, stating it is a must-play for those who enjoy old-school shooters.

Buy Quake if you don't own: Reviewers urge those who do not own Quake to purchase it immediately, emphasizing its value.

Community fair range: $5.00 - $10.00.

Game completion: 20.0h.

Story completion: 4.0h.

Session length: 0.8h.

Endgame: 200.0h.

The strongest direct progression is early friction turning into fun after understanding enemy health and movement, though many reviewers report immediate fun and some report late-game fatigue.

Friction: Early game feels like a chore.; First hour or so is difficult to force through.; Not knowing enemy health makes weapons feel weak.; Early weapon availability can leave you underpowered.; Competitive multiplayer requires high skill investment..

Old-School FPS Veteran: Plays the campaign and expansions on Hard or Nightmare, hunts secrets, and values movement, resource management, and classic FPS combat. Motivation: To relive and master a foundational old-school FPS with its original challenge and atmosphere intact. Stance: buy.

First-Time Classic FPS Recruit: Plays the remastered single-player campaign at a comfortable difficulty, learning weapons, movement, and classic FPS conventions. Motivation: To experience a genre-defining classic through a modern, accessible remaster. Stance: buy.

Multiplayer and Co-op Devotee: Focuses on deathmatch, co-op, horde mode, and crossplay multiplayer, often switching between casual sessions and competitive matches. Motivation: To play fast, social, and competitive Quake matches with friends or online opponents. Stance: buy.

Across the returned cohorts, performance is generally positive on Windows and Linux systems with 8GB or more VRAM, while the Windows <8GB VRAM cohort shows mixed results due to crashes and instability on some low-end or integrated setups.

Windows <8GB VRAM: mixed. Some low-end and integrated systems run well or benefit from KEX performance improvements, but others report launch crashes, random freezes, glitchy textures, and unstable frame rates.

Windows 12-15GB VRAM: positive. Players report smooth 2K and 4K performance, including high-end RTX-class systems, with no notable performance problems in the included reports.

Windows 8-11GB VRAM: positive. The included reports recommend the game and describe it as polished for modern PCs, with no reported performance issues.

Steam Deck: The reviewed feedback is overwhelmingly positive for Steam Deck and Linux. Quake Remastered runs through Proton without forced tweaks, has full controller support, smooth performance, and no external launcher or anti-cheat barriers. Optional Ironwail source-port setup exists but is not required. There is no evidence of small text, battery drain, crashes, or unreadable UI.

Linux and Proton: The Linux and Proton evidence is overwhelmingly positive. Multiple users report the game runs out of the box on Linux, works great through Proton, and is rated Platinum for Linux support. While there are crash and launch-option complaints, those reports are not explicitly tied to Linux, Proton, SteamOS, Wine, or a native Linux build, so they are excluded from the Linux compatibility score. The audit finds a well-working Linux/Proton experience.

Monetization: The reviews discuss Quake's paid 30th-anniversary DLC and criticize its value as a cash grab, but they do not provide direct evidence of in-game purchases, real-money gacha, loot boxes, paid power, or paid convenience. One review explicitly states that core content and best weapons are not locked behind DLC paywalls. This is consistent with traditional DLC/expansion criticism rather than predatory monetization, so the score remains in the fair range.

External guides: The reviews contain almost no Wiki Tax complaints. The only external-data mention is optional lore or trivia lookup via Baidu Baike, while the rest is gameplay critique and nostalgia. No evidence supports Tier 1 farming, Tier 2 inventory or crafting, or Tier 3 instructional dependency.

Includes all expansions and DLC: The package bundles the base game with numerous official and fan-made expansions, including all previously released episodes and new content. This comprehensive collection is frequently cited as a major value.

30th anniversary expansion released: A new DLC was released to celebrate the game's 30th anniversary, adding fresh content. This update is highlighted in many reviews.

Nightdive remaster with enhancements: The game is a remaster by Nightdive Studios, featuring updated graphics, polish, and new content beyond the original. This is a key selling point.

Includes Dawn of the Machine expansion: The Dawn of the Machine expansion is included, either as part of the package or as a free addition. It is a notable new campaign.

Soundtrack by Nine Inch Nails: The soundtrack and sound effects were created by Trent Reznor and Nine Inch Nails. This iconic audio is frequently praised.