Quake II

by Sony Playstation / Activision

Product Features

• 1 or 2 Players (Multi Tap 1-4 Players)
• Vibration Function
• Mouse Compatible
• Dual Shock Controller Support
• Incredible Engine Speed and Agility. Mission Based.

Product Details

• ASIN: B00001QED5
• Item Weight: 5 ounces
• Media: Video Game
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #13,082 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)

Product Description

Editorial Review

The unabashedly bloody and violent shooter that has splattered PC screens since its release has come to roost on the PlayStation. Yeah, it's awfully gratuitous. No, you shouldn't let the kids play. But darn it if this game isn't a sure-fire hit that depends on pure, visceral action. For those who haven't been shaken by this computer megahit, it's your basic cavernous hallway crawl populated by biotech alien bad guys who want nothing more than to make you expire. For your enjoyment, you are given a virtual armory of ridiculously powerful devices with which to destroy your attackers. Expect gore, and lots of it.

Surprisingly, disc loading times in midlevel are short, and the movement is fluid with fast frame rates. Also, the control using the dual shock game pad is very well implemented, although for the small percentage of PlayStation owners who bought a mouse for the system, this game is compatible. In fact, Quake II makes the purchase of a mouse a worthwhile decision. Multiplayer games excel, even with tedious split screens. Rather than letting you save your progress anywhere, the game has specific saving points within each level, and enough of them so that you won't be too frustrated. --Jeff Young

Pros:

• One of the best first-person shooters on the PlayStation
• Vertigo-inducing realism
• Great use of PlayStation controllers and optional mouse

Cons:

• Incredibly violent

Product Description

This is the game Quake II for the Playstation 1. This game may not come with the original case and instructions. We stand by our products and offer a 60 day guarantee. If a game does not work within 60 days from the time you receive it we will gladly exchange it for you.

See all Product Description

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great port, great game, November 16, 1999

By A Customer

= Durability:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Quake II (Video Game)

For anyone who was disappointed by the N64 port of this PC game, do not dismay, it is now here for the playstation and it is great. The graphics are stunning and the gameplay is just as difficult as the origional. Maybe one of the best features is that the whole game seems darker than the PC version, in essence making it scarier. This makes it a lot of fun to play and a lot scarier when you aren't expecting a gernade to the face. Multiplayer is fun as well, but the options that a PC provides just isn't there. Of course, you don't have to pay for internet fees to play on the playstation... Overall, this is a great game, just not for those easily grossed out by blood and whatever else these monsters may excrete. Some of the fun things from the first game are missing: creatures such as the Shambler and weapons such as the super-nail gun, but the basics are still around, and every other aspect has been improved on. This is one great game.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a solid and entertaining version, March 16, 2007

By 

B. E Jackson (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Quake II (Video Game)

This is a review for the Playstation version of Quake II.

Quake was a very popular and influential first-person shooter series on the PC, and I'm happy to report that everything you love about the series there has remained almost exactly the same on the Playstation console.

I can't help but compare Quake II to Medal of Honor because MoH was the very first first-person shooter I ever owned. The controls in Quake II are almost exactly the same, except in Quake II, the L1 and R1 buttons on the Playstation controller are used to move your target up and down. The target is the little white thing that permanently stays in the middle of the screen. It's used to line up the perfect kill shot. Learning to use this target properly will probably take about a half hour because, to be totally honest with you, it's not exactly the easiest way to find and eliminate enemies. If you think this control system is a bit strange, I won't disagree. You'll learn to adjust to it, though. Give the game time to sink in.

First let me mention that, despite what people might say, you CAN in fact use a regular old Playstation controller for this game. That's what I'm using right now, in fact. I don't care about all these Dual Shock and Analog controllers that are supposed to make the gaming experience superior because the reality is that a regular controller works just fine. Sorry, but using a directional pad to play first-person shooters is MUCH easier for me. I need to hit the "Up" button to walk, and the X button to shoot. That's exactly what Quake II allows me to do.

After a good 30 minutes with the game, I think the controls are almost perfect. I have no problem at all controlling the game. Furthermore, the framerate is lightning fast and incredibly smooth. How many games with a SMOOTH and near-perfect framerate can you find on your Playstation? Okay, there's Medal of Honor and tons of third-person shooters (like the Resident Evil series) in addition to lots of 2D adventure games (such as Mega Man X4 and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night).

The honest truth is that many games have choppy framerate issues that make it extremely tough to enjoy a game. Many games are designed where you can actually get STUCK to the side of a wall when going around a corner (Duke Nukem anyone?). Not to mention many games have an unresponsive button system (you press a button and nothing happens or your command is delayed a couple seconds- ANNOYING!). Quake II does NOT have any of these problems. It somehow manages to avoid all the problems that many games have a nasty habit of having and instead gives us a sweet-looking and easily playable game.

The enemies you encounter in Quake II are pretty smart. If they see you, they will keep shooting until you die. However, I found a trick you can do to fool the enemies. Walk up next to one, allow them time to see you, then quickly hide behind a crate or go back out into the previous room, or run into another room, turn around, and WAIT for them to run to you. They will most likely come to you, and this is the very best time to take them out. This is a trick I learned in Medal of Honor and I'm happy to find it also works in many situations here in Quake II.

So let's see. The framerate is identical to Medal of Honor, in addition to the controls. How about the graphics? Quake II has pretty good, colorful graphics (which is surprising because most Playstation games are dark, not to mention the PC version mostly features dark and ugly hallways and rooms). The animations from enemies dying isn't exactly the best you've ever seen, but please keep in mind that Quake II is supposed to be a nonstop shooting blood-bath of a game, and of course, compared to the PC version of the same game of COURSE everything on the PC version will look and play a little better. You're supposed to be amazed that the Playstation can even HANDLE such an excellent game so well with only minor problems. Extremely minor problems, at that.

The thing that REALLY amazes me about the Playstation version of Quake II is that, when you go around corners or run down a hallway, the graphics on the ceiling, floor or side of a wall NEVER turn choppy or glitchy. NEVER. I'm serious. We're talking about an old Playstation game here where the framerate and graphics consistently hold up and remain silky smooth, like homemade caramel. Everything remains firmly intact. This is truly amazing. Excellent job and a HUGE thank you to all the people who created this game. They understood that controlling a game and not having the graphics fall apart while running around shooting is the most important aspect of a game. Not just first-person shooters either- ANY kind of game.

Okay, sometimes the game might slow down when too many enemies are on the screen at once. Big deal. Slow down has always been an overrated problem among most people who complain about it, in my opinion. Just because a game occasionally slows down a *little* bit shouldn't be a reason to put a game down, EVER.

Another thing people criticize about games... loading times. The loading times in Quake II are extremely short. Well, not always. Let me explain. You have to go through a bunch of mini levels in order to complete a mission entirely. Sometimes while walking from door to door inside one of the mini levels, the game will take, and I promise I'm not exaggerating, TWO SECONDS to load the next room. Yes, that's right. Two whole seconds. It's not a big deal at all.

However, when each of the mini levels are complete, a save option will appear on screen. The loading time here will jump up to about 5 seconds total. Again, not a big deal. Not a long wait at all. I can't believe I have to mention these extremely short loading times, but people seem obsessed over making a big deal over them, and the truth about it needs to be said. These are reasonable and understandable loading times when you consider just how GOOD everything about the Playstation version of Quake II is.

The music in the game is a bunch of Van Halen-like heavy metal songs, with maybe a touch of crunchy Megadeth riffs thrown in for good measure. If this kind of music bothers you, prepare yourself, because the entire game is dominated with this kind of music. It's a little heavier than you might think. Get ready. However, some of the music is starting to grow on me.

As far as difficulty goes, it's pretty hard. Mission One is easy enough with health packs sitting everywhere, but as soon as Mission Two begins, the difficulty really jumps up. Even on Easy Mode. Of course, the higher difficulty options will greatly increase the challenge, but I think I'm nice and comfortable sticking around on the easiest setting the game has available. A trick to making the game easier is to frequently aim for the heads of enemies. Not their feet or stomach- their heads.

In conclusion- if you own a Playstation One console and want a good first-person shooter, you can't go wrong with this fantastic version. In some areas, such as graphical colors and the appropriate buttons used on the Playstation controller, it might even put the PC version to shame.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great bit of fun on the good 'ol PS1, December 12, 2002

By 

N. Durham "Big Evil" (Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Quake II (Video Game)

When Quake 2 originally hit the PC, it's unabashed violence and surprisingly addictive gameplay not only outshined it's predecessor, it killed it before it hit the ground. The PS1 and N64 conversions took much longer than expected to be released, and fans of the PC game anxiously awaiting the home versions were a little worried about the quality of the home system versions. When Quake 2 hit the PS1, those fears were dead in the dirt. Activision, Hammerhead, and Id all did a fantastic job bringing Quake 2 to the PS1 while keeping a surprisingly smooth frame rate (although the graphics aren't as good as its PC counterpart, but that was expected) and the unabashed violent addictive gameplay remains intact. The game makes excellent use of the PS1's Dual Shock controller; the controls are easy and every button is to be used. While some parts can be frustrating and the game has a rather steep learning curve, Quake 2 is still undeniably fun. Those still holding on to they're PS1's can find this bad boy at a rather cheap price and have a great time with this near classic FPS.