An enemy with the codename 'Quake', which is believed to come from another dimension, is using teleporter gates to invade Earth. The player takes the role of a nameless soldier who arrives at his base only to find out Quake has overrun it and killed everyone. Somewhere in the base, there must be a teleporter to Quake's realm. The mission is clear: take the fight to the enemy, overcome countless hordes of monsters, and exact revenge.
id Software's follow-up to Quake , released for the Sega Saturn in 1997, is a first-person shooter with a true 3D engine. Its main technological innovation allows for more natural level-designs and character animations, as well as realistic lighting and simulated physics that affect gameplay.
In single-player mode, gameplay consists mainly of proceeding through the levels in search of an exit, killing everything that moves. Interaction with the game world is reduced to a minimum: since there is no use key, buttons are pressed by running into or shooting at them. Many secrets are waiting to be discovered, including hidden levels.
Unlike Quake 's predecessors, its theme is not easily pinpointed. While each episode begins in a futuristic military base, later levels take place in environments inspired by medieval fantasy and gothic horror. The player passes through magical portals to advance. The game's atmosphere is dominated by earth colors.
The enemies conform to the mishmash of designs: human opponents, medieval knights, ghosts, zombies, ogres, and more unearthly beasts. The player's weapons have a low-tech feel, including shotguns, nailguns, rocket launchers, grenade launchers, and the Thunderbolt.
Quake was one of the first games playable natively over the Internet in addition to LANs. The single-player levels can be played cooperatively, but the game is most famous for its deathmatch mode. One-on-one duels, team play, and free-for-all competition are possible, emphasizing fast reaction and skillful maneuvering through the levels.