The release of the extended version of the first part of the cult Quake series for both PC and consoles, which happened during QuakeCon 2021, was a definite success. A brand new episode from the creators of new parts of the Wolfenstein saga from MachineGames studio, improved graphics, restoration of the original soundtrack, smooth multiplayer, gradual release of selected popular mods through the official path… improved Quake In short, it was a dream come true for many fans and veterans. That’s why Naturally, many were eyeing QuakeCon 2022 in the hope that 1997’s Quake 2 would receive a similar treatment.. But that did not happen.
Source: bethesdaQuake Champions Quietly Leaving Early Access
But how it seems This year’s traditional event not only for fans of the Quake series could fix this.. The South Korean rating agency, which early denied the existence of an improved version of the first part with its rating, again awarded age rating of a game called Quake 2 Remastered. Just look at the agency’s website, which was pointed to, for example, by the Gematsu server.
As usual, this is probably just a mistake, so for now, we recommend taking it all with a grain of salt, but at present there is little reason to doubt it. So if an improved Quake 2 is coming, there are a few questions. We can ask, for example, when it will be announced and when it will be released. Most likely, this is definitely a reveal and a simultaneous release during this year’s QuakeCon., which will be released on August 10/August 2023. While we can’t completely rule out the game’s presence at another event, it’s hard to imagine a better opportunity to officially announce and launch a Quake-branded game than an event called QuakeCon. . Especially after last year’s experience with access to an improved version of the first part.
There is also the question of who can develop Quake 2 Remastered. The original Quake was developed jointly by id Software and MachineGames, owned by Bethesda Softworks. however, most of the work on the entire project was done by specialists in improving the old games of the Nightdive studio.. They are also responsible for the KEX engine, to which all Quake and all extensions were converted. Of course, Bethesda took care of the release before Microsoft completed the acquisition of parent company ZeniMax.
Therefore, the most important question is not WHEN or WHO, but WHERE. Microsoft does not currently allow Bethesda to release new products anywhere other than PC, Xbox, and mobile phones., so it’s better to prepare for the fact that the owners of the PlayStation 5 and Switch will not receive an improved Quake 2. Maybe a miracle will happen and someone at Microsoft will finally remember how Bethesda tried for many years to treat all platforms in the market the same way. At the very least, fans of the Quake series who have their PS5 glowing under their TV have reason to be nervous.
After all, almost all cases of exclusives in recent years and months revolved around the activities of Microsoft and Sony, i.e. around disputes and competition between the two corporations. But we think that in this case, Microsoft could turn a blind eye and let Bethesda release Quake 2 Remastered wherever possible.so that the company will be in a better position in the future in any defense approach to competition.
In any case, we hope that if Quake 2 Remastered becomes a reality, we will see the return of the original soundtrack. The latter has the lion’s share of the great gaming experience from id Software’s classics, but if you buy the original game now on Steam or GOG.com, you’ll be looking for music in it in vain, mostly for technical reasons. (although of course putting it in place is not so difficult). Quake 2 without a soundtrack written by an artist with the nickname Sonic Mayhem is simply not real. Just listen to the beauty a little higher.
In conclusion, we remind you that improved Quake 2 already exists in some sense. We mean project Quake 2 RTX, which was released in 2019 thanks to Nvidia. But the creators at Lightspeed Studios just took the original game and then spruced it up (or ugly, depending on your point of view) with various ray tracing effects. Therefore, you would look in vain for it on consoles, and on PC it requires a graphics card with support for ray tracing. So we can assume that Quake 2 Remastered will go in a different direction in many ways. However, if you don’t want to wait, you can download Quake 2 RTX as a standalone installer from the Nvidia website, as well as find it on Steam and GOG.com. But be careful being able to play all levels of a ray-traced game requires ownership of the original game.
Source :Indian TV
