Quake (1996)

Mar 17, 2023

Who remembers proper first-person shooters?

Welcome to Dark Forces At Work, a new podcast that looks back at the history and development of the genre that can be considered the lifeblood of modern gaming. From its genesis in the early Nineties with id Software’s totemic Wolfenstein and Doom games to its modern incarnation embodied by the likes of Valve’s imperious Half-Life: Alyx, the FPS has the potential to be the most immersive gaming experience imaginable. Each episode, brothers-in-sidearms Rú and Bob will critically examine one game and explore what it means to them, its contemporary impact, its legacy and how it stands up today.

First up is id’s gloriously unhinged 1996 shooter Quake. You, a Ranger, are thrown into a series of extradimensional realms to do battle with a horde of monstrous Lovecraftian entities intent on conquering Earth. All that stands in their way, naturally, is a single player armed with a shotgun, a rocket launcher, a bucket load of grenades… and a nailgun. Yeah, you read that right. They made games differently back then.

If you listen to just one podcast this week, listen to Second Captains. If you listen to two… well, we’re just saying.

FPS

Quake (1996)

Who remembers proper first-person shooters?

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Two fiends, just chatting it out about classic first person shooters

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