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QuakeCon 2022 takes place this week from Thursday through Saturday, and with these festivities in mind, the Shack Staff has gathered to discuss their all-time favorite Quake games. Whether you’re a fan of older Quake games, newer Quake games, or all Quake games in general, we’ve got plenty of Quake goodness for you in this week’s Shack Chat.

Ask: What is your favorite Quake game?


Original Recipe – Ozzie Mejia, Senior Quake Editor

I haven’t played much Quake, which is a heresy around these parts. However, I’ve had a lot of fun playing the original game over the years, especially with the Shacknews staff. More importantly, I’ve come to appreciate history and what it’s contributed to gaming, something I’ve been able to see firsthand through efforts like The Great Quakeholio tournament. So if I have to pick a Quake, I’ll stick with the original recipe, in case I want to make an opponent extra crispy.


Diabotic – TJ Denzer, senior news editor

This is a cheat, yes. But for me it is also the truth. I really like the Quake games. They are very good (not Quake Champions), but I don’t like how annoying it is to have some of them work on modern hardware or how outdated some of them are. Unfortunately, Bethesda’s only options right now are the reissue of the original Quake, which is nice but still dated, and Quake Champions, which is crappy. Heck, Quake Champions sucked so much that it pushed developers to design something better. That something is diabolical. Diabotical offers the gameplay and versatility I would like to have in a new Quake game.

It’s fast, bright, looks neat and doesn’t require any weird solutions to play and play with your friends. If you’re going to twist my arm, I think Quake 3: Arena is still one of my favorites in all these respects. Even then, Diabotical was built from the ground up to resemble Quake 3’s gameplay. If at some point Microsoft or Bethesda took over GD Studio and gave them the green light to make a proper Quake game, I’d be on board from day one. Until then, I still think Diabotical is the best and most fun variation of a truly modern Quake game in our day and age.


Quake – Blake Morse, first name rhymes with “Quake”

In this case, the first one is not the worst. I grew up with a lot of nerdy people and LAN parties were quite common. But I was the “poor kid” of the bunch and my Compaq 486 was severely outdated by the time PC gaming really took off, so those parties were my only chance to play some of the most iconic titles of the era, including Quake. . It turned out that I was pretty good at FFA deathmatches and found myself jumping to several wins quite quickly.

This is also where I first learned about spawn camping and how much I hated it. I remember being quite impressed, if you’ll forgive the pun, by the visuals and how fast the gameplay was at the time. It made a lasting impression on me and engraved the original Quake in my brain as an instant classic. And since I’ve been here at Shacknews, I’ve had the chance to see some top-tier Quakeholio tournaments fail with some extremely good players going head-to-head, which has helped make the game even more beloved. to make.


Quake 4 – Sam Chandler, Get Stroggified

The day I took my Xbox 360 home, Quake 4 was one of the first games I played on it. As my first real foray into the franchise, Quake 4 struck a chord with me. It was action packed, but it was also creepy and unnerving. I hadn’t known much about Quake before that point, but what I experienced in this title made me quite interested in the story and knowledge behind humanity and the Strogg. And of course the scene from Stroggification still haunts me. Not only was it brutal, it made me wonder what (or who) I had been murdering all along.


Quake – Bill Lavoy, Rocket Launcher Main

For me, it’s the original Quake, the first FPS game I’ve ever played. This was back before I had a PC. I was the kid who went to his friend’s house to play games, and seeing Quake for the first time was like being introduced to a new technology. I only wish I had understood how big that moment was for me as a gamer and professional. Now I’m not very good at Quake, but I’m always happy when the Shacknews staff decide to step in and shoot each other a bit.


Quake – Morgan Shaver, Shub-Niggurath

Image of Quake Remastered with Shub-Niggurath.
© id Software, Shacknews

Admittedly, I haven’t played many of the newer Quake games, but you can never go wrong by showing love to the original that started it all. When it was released, it really shook things up as far as brutal shooters go. In particular, I’ve always loved the visual design and aesthetic of the original Quake. Outside of other id Software games, there’s really nothing quite like Quake in style, attitude and feel. Not to mention the wealth of content on offer for a game from that period, whether that be weapons, levels, and various enemies, or just the sheer amount of chaos you can get with the game’s multiplayer. Quake is and remains a damn good game.


Quake 3 Arena – Asif Khan, creator of The Great Quakeholio tournament

I have a lot of love for the first and second Quake games, but Quake 3 Arena multiplayer shooting perfection. The weapon balance, level design and mods made this game very enjoyable for many years. Quake 3 brought together Rockets, Rails and Lightning with some of the most iconic levels and modes. I even enjoyed playing Capture The Flag in this game, which is a tall order for me as I prefer Team Deathmatch in my FPS games.


Quake – Steve Tyminski, Stevetendo show host, Classically Schooled

Image of Quake Remastered featuring battles in a tight corridor.
© id software

What is my favorite Quake game? That’s a good question because I don’t play games like Quake as much, but if I had to pick one I’d probably go for the original Quake. I didn’t have the best computer for gaming when I was younger, but I can remember Quake being a big deal when it came out. The look and feel of Quake when it came out wasn’t often seen in the mid 90’s. Killing monsters and exploring exotic locations adds to the look and feel of Quake. I am also a fan of the sounds and music in the game. I’m a late 80’s/early 90’s guy, so I knew Trent Reznor and Nine Inch Nails. So if I had to pick my favorite Quake game, I think I’d go with the original Quake.


And there you have it, the Shack Staff’s favorite Quake games. With that in mind, we’d love to hear from you if you’ve enjoyed what QuakeCon 2022 has to offer so far, and what your favorite Quake games are. Let us know in Chatty!

Shack Staff stories are a collective effort with multiple staff members contributing. Many of our lists often feature entire pieces from different editors, and our weekly Shack Chat is something we all contribute to as a group.