Q is for... Quake 2: The Reckoning

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Game Information

Developer:	iD Software; Nightdive Studios; MachineGames	Date Started:	17/03/2025
Platform:	Steam	Fresh Play / Continuation:	Continuation
Genre:	FPS	Time Played:	5.6 hours
Theme:	Sci-fi	Date Finished:	23/03/2025
Difficulty Rating:	Average	Recommendation:	In A Heartbeat

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Originally this was not the game I wanted for my Q entry. It was going to be a Quake 2 one, but I wanted to play a user mod that I originally came across back in 1999. The mod was called Quake 2: Oblivion and I will at some point get around to it. The only reason I didn't this time was because I encountered some errors that prevented me from playing it.

Still, Quake 2: The Reckoning wasn't a game I was going to turn up my nose at. While I have had the game for a VERY long time, I never actually finished it. So, I was quite happy to rectify that. I even have to beat the other mission pack - Q2: Ground Zero - at some point. But I'll save that for another time.

Most people know what Quake 2 is about. You are a lone marine who is fighting against an alien race known as the Strogg after you get cut off from the human counter-strike. In The Reckoning, you are part of a small attack force sent to destroy the Strogg counter-offensive, but you get cut off from the rest of your team (it wouldn't be a one-man army game if you didn't).

The game prides itself in simple, yet fun action-packed levels. There is an absolute thrill of just running through ominous corridors and blasting an enemy point-blank with a four-barrel shotgun. But it's not just mindless shooting (though there is a lot of it).

You are given a primary and secondary objective, to at least give you an idea of what it is you are trying to accomplish. I won't lie... I had a habit of focusing on the blasting more than reading the mission updates. I just got distracted by the shooting. And to be fair, not reading the mission updates did not cripple me in any way. The levels are quite linear, with only a few sections that require you to backtrack or take branching paths, so it's quite easy to find your way and accomplish what you need to do without having actually read what that might have been.

Quake 2 will always have a place in my heart - from its music and its visuals, straight down to its gameplay. Q2: The Reckoning was a nice addition to the main game. The levels weren't overly complicated; nothing really dragged on and the number of enemies kept the game interesting without being too overwhelming.

However, the mission pack doesn't offer a lot of variety to the base game. While there are several enemies unique to the mission pack, a lot are just upgraded versions of the base game enemies. That doesn't mean they are any less dangerous, mind you. Of the nine 'new' enemies only two of them were completely new, and even still only one of the two posed a true threat.

Same with the weapons. Three new weapons are introduced to the mission pack, but in all fairness, I preferred using the base game weapons. The only exception - during the final boss mostly - was the Phalanx Particle Cannon.

I knew though, going into this game, I wasn't going to be expecting much. I simply wanted a game that I could load up, play a quick level, and have fun blasting anything that moved. And Quake 2: The Reckoning delivers that.

While the mission pack doesn't give much with respect to completely new content, it is still a game worth playing. Whether it is for nostalgia's sake or because you want to play a game that doesn't have an overly complicated approach to the First Person genre, it is still worth the time.

The fact that an enhanced version of Quake 2 and its mission packs came out back in 2023, goes to show that there is still a strong love for the game.

Now I look forward to moving on to another, more recent first-person shooter for my R game, one which I have been dying to play for some time - RoboCop: Rogue City