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QUAKE 4
review | XBOX 360
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Publisher: Activision.
Developer: Raven Software. Released: December 2005 (Europe). Genre: FPS. Other versions: PC. Posted 11th September 2026. By Shane Battams © 2026 |
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Quake has quite a storied history when it comes to console ports, seeing a myriad of interesting versions that varied considerably in quality. The original would see a curious SEGA Saturn port hurt by interference from John Carmack, Hammerhead delivered a rather astounding conversion of the sequel for PlayStation, and the remarkable Quake III Arena on Dreamcast. Quake 4 wasn’t left out either, seeing a port to the debuting Xbox 360 soon after hitting PCs in 2005. The launch saw multiple first-person shooters vying for space, ranging from a long-in-gestation prequel to a movie tie-in, and it offered an interesting preview of the genre’s prominence during the ensuing generation. Was the Strogg’s return to consoles enough to warrant interest?
Quake 4 is notable for being the first entry not to be developed by id Software, instead being crafted by Raven Software, who were at least a sturdy replacement. It serves as a direct continuation of Quake II’s narrative, taking place after Bitterman completes his mission and kills the Makron. With the Strogg on their last legs, marine squads are sent to Stroggos to secure the victory, though the opposition certainly won’t back down without a fight. Players take the role of Matthew Kane, a renowned soldier who joins Rhino Squad to take down the Strogg, though a crash landing starts the mission off on the wrong foot. The story is fairly standard, rife with scene-chewing marines and explosive action, but the voicework is solid, featuring a notable cast that includes Peter Stormare voicing friendlies. There are also some interesting diversions into body horror, including a shocking twist at the end of the first act that remains horrifying two decades later.
Fans of the earlier instalments will be pleased to learn of Quake 4's involved single-player campaign
Unlike the previous game, which placed multiplayer above all else, Quake 4 sees the return of a rather significant campaign mode. Divided into 31 levels, each sees you bolted forward with little room to breathe and pretty linear stages to blast through. The campaign is pretty sizeable at just shy of 10 hours, and is filled with genuinely memorable levels and moments. Explosive vehicular segments, large-scale boss fights and corridor-shooting gauntlets keep you glued to the screen. A range of foes test your skills; be it shotgun-wielding zombies, or screeching sirens. It provides an interesting combination of the fast-paced shooting the series is known for and some jump scares, akin to Doom 3, which makes sense considering it uses the same engine. The lighting is particularly cool, sometimes requiring a torch to navigate gloomier areas, and a couple of jumpy moments help put players on edge.
While squad members will chat over comms and sometimes stop you to talk in person, there’s very little downtime here aside from a couple of stages in the Hannibal command ship that host combat-less briefings. Squad members prove a key part of gameplay too, as you’re often accompanied by friendlies. They offer decent assistance during combat, and certain soldiers, such as medics, can heal or repair your armour, though they can also perish if you don’t aid them in combat. Speaking of, the weapons prove a blast – quite literally. A lot of the weaponry returns from Quake II, including the Blaster and the Rail Gun but they’re all potent, and the new Dark Matter gun is delightfully destructive. Weapon switching can be a touch fiddly using a controller, either requiring D-Pad navigation or tapping the bumpers to swap, but it is at least manageable. Reducing Strogg to viscera with weapons like the rocket launcher never grows old.
While squad members will chat over comms and sometimes stop you to talk in person, there’s very little downtime here aside from a couple of stages in the Hannibal command ship that host combat-less briefings. Squad members prove a key part of gameplay too, as you’re often accompanied by friendlies. They offer decent assistance during combat, and certain soldiers, such as medics, can heal or repair your armour, though they can also perish if you don’t aid them in combat. Speaking of, the weapons prove a blast – quite literally. A lot of the weaponry returns from Quake II, including the Blaster and the Rail Gun but they’re all potent, and the new Dark Matter gun is delightfully destructive. Weapon switching can be a touch fiddly using a controller, either requiring D-Pad navigation or tapping the bumpers to swap, but it is at least manageable. Reducing Strogg to viscera with weapons like the rocket launcher never grows old.
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Unfortunately, the multiplayer proves far less compelling. While Quake III Arena captivated players in 1999, this entry feels like an afterthought, suffering numerous technical woes. You can partake in deathmatch and its team variant, capture the flag and tournament, which really isn’t much compared to titles like Halo 2. Maps and unique weaponry are well designed, such as the brutal Gauntlet melee weapon, but overall, it feels dated next to its competitors, and is let down by limitations. The player count is halved to eight, searching for matches is a slow process, and there is no bot support, which renders this mode unplayable these days as, due to all the above, most players either stuck with the PC original or remained with Quake III Arena.
Quake 4’s arrival on Xbox 360 proved notable, though unfortunately, not entirely for good reasons. The game looks decent though a touch muddy, especially the texturing. Characters and animations are solid, and Strogg designs are unsettling along with the horrific body-horror environments which include machinery powered by body tissue. Unfortunately, the game is dogged by performance issues across the board, which is detrimental to gameplay. The unlocked frame rate fluctuates wildly during quieter moments, and reduced to single-digit figures during intense sequences such as the vehicle segments, to such an extent that the gunfire audibly slows down. It makes combat feel sluggish despite the fast pacing, and it’s noticeable to the point of distracting. Even online is plagued with slowdown. Loading times also grate, taking upwards of 30 seconds a time.
Quake 4’s arrival on Xbox 360 proved notable, though unfortunately, not entirely for good reasons. The game looks decent though a touch muddy, especially the texturing. Characters and animations are solid, and Strogg designs are unsettling along with the horrific body-horror environments which include machinery powered by body tissue. Unfortunately, the game is dogged by performance issues across the board, which is detrimental to gameplay. The unlocked frame rate fluctuates wildly during quieter moments, and reduced to single-digit figures during intense sequences such as the vehicle segments, to such an extent that the gunfire audibly slows down. It makes combat feel sluggish despite the fast pacing, and it’s noticeable to the point of distracting. Even online is plagued with slowdown. Loading times also grate, taking upwards of 30 seconds a time.
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In retrospect, Quake 4’s Xbox 360 port is fascinating, offering an enjoyable campaign without much compromise alongside a multiplayer suite that feels a bit dated. There’s a lot of exciting moments in a campaign which, for die-hard Xbox 360 owners, is worth trying if you don’t have access to a PC. Unfortunately, severe technical issues diminish its high points, seeing potentially exciting moments run at slideshow speeds and having its tempo disrupted by lengthy loading times. If you’re desperate to try it and don’t have a gaming PC to hand, or are merely curious, it might be worth a look. However, if you can’t stand these technical issues, it may be better left drifting in space.
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VERDICT
"Quake 4 is a fascinating but technically rough conversion, boasting an exciting campaign that suffers from severe slowdown, long loading times and dated multiplayer. However, for die-hard 360 owners, it might be worth a look." OVERALL: 6/10 |
OTHER 7TH GENERATION FPS GAMES REVIEWED
Doom 3 BFG Edition (2012, Xbox 360)
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Halo: Reach (2010, Xbox 360)
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