QUAKE II Returns! Play the Enhanced Release Today

[GFreeman]

Experience Quake II, enhanced in partnership with Nightdive Studios to bring the ground-breaking shooter to modern hardware with new content, online multiplayer, visual upgrades and more! Play the enhanced Quake II today on Game Pass, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4.

As humanity's last hope, it's up to you to stop the wicked Strogg's warpath before it twists mankind into mechanical horrors. The odds are stacked against you on a hostile alien planet teeming with enemy forces, but so long as you have ammo and a pulse, it's not over! Battle hordes of cybernetic creatures in blistering FPS combat, strafing through Quake II's campaign with an iconic arsenal of bullets, rockets and shells. Enjoy Quake II's legendary gameplay, preserved and complete with the original soundtrack by Sonic Mayhem, now enhanced with widescreen support, restored content previously left on the cutting room floor, visual and performance upgrades to make every muzzle flash and gib-plosion pop on-screen and even new levels.



PLAY THE ORIGINAL EXPANSIONS PLUS AN "ALL-NEW" EXPANSION
The enhanced release of Quake II comes with both expansions for the original game, Mission Pack: The Reckoning and Mission Pack: Ground Zero, adding over 30 additional single player levels and over 20 Deathmatch maps.

But wait! Quake II now includes Call of the Machine, an all-new expansion created by Wolfenstein: The New Colossus developer, MachineGames. Consisting of 28 campaign levels plus a brand-new Deathmatch map, fight across time and space to find the Strogg-Maker, destroy it and change fate itself.

QUAKE II 64 IS HERE!
Retro fans and FPS newcomers are in for a treat: Quake II also includes its Nintendo 64 port! Originally published by Midway exclusively for Nintendo 64, this fan-favorite release is now available for all Quake II owners, complete with modern enhancements.

FRAG TOGETHER AND FRAG, TOGETHER
It's not Quake without multiplayer. Challenge the world online, with friends via split-screen or even across devices with crossplay in Quake II's enhanced release! Team up and take on the Strogg in online and local four-player cooperative modes or battle it out in Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch and even Capture the Flag locally or with up 16 players online (with bot support!)

Got friends on different platforms? No problem. Crossplay is supported across Game Pass, PC (with controller), Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch versions of Quake II.

PLAY HOW YOU PREFER
Enjoy additional benefits playing on the platform of your choice while never letting up on the Strogg! PC owners of Quake II, including existing owners on GOG or Steam, gain access to both Quake II (Original) - the untouched and still-moddable version of the game previously released - and Quake II (Enhanced), the new release with improved visuals, new campaign content, enhanced multiplayer, crossplay, controller support and more.

Additionally, Game Pass Ultimate players can play Quake II anywhere with Xbox's xCloud (active membership required). Nintendo Switch owners can enable gryo controls to use in conjunction with the control stick for enhanced aiming. PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 owners may enable SixAxis support to augment control stick aiming. Players on compatible PCs and consoles running on supported monitors can also experience Quake II performing at new visual heights, including 120 Hz frame rates and 4K resolution.

Prepare to game like it's 1997 - this time, LAN cables are optional. Play the enhanced Quake II TODAY on Game Pass, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4.

View at TechPowerUp Main Site | Source

 

[kondamin]

As a kid I was able to play that, now it just makes me sea sick.

I’ve been playing doom 2016 recently, and that largeish classic map was very hard to finish because of it.

 

[KrazyT]

Great, Nightdive Studios have already made excellent works with their others remakes !
I finished it back then, i'll put this one in my shortlist.
And a new extension made by MachineGames : fantastic !

 

[Chrispy_]

I guess this is for console players.
Quake II RTX brought updated textures and lighting for free to Quake II and the expansions a couple of years ago, and I enjoyed the nostalgia or replaying those.

28 new levels sounds impressive but Quake II's engine means that it could be just be one or two "levels" as we understand them today, Quake II had to split each map into several smaller chunks. For the right price, I'm interested (as the MachineGames Wolfenstein stuff has been decent) but it depends on pricing. I'm not rebuying Quake II for a third time at $60 just to get a $10 DLC...

 

[Chomiq]

I guess this is for console players.
Quake II RTX brought updated textures and lighting for free to Quake II and the expansions a couple of years ago, and I enjoyed the nostalgia or replaying those.

28 new levels sounds impressive but Quake II's engine means that it could be just be one or two "levels" as we understand them today, Quake II had to split each map into several smaller chunks. For the right price, I'm interested (as the MachineGames Wolfenstein stuff has been decent) but it depends on pricing. I'm not rebuying Quake II for a third time at $60 just to get a $10 DLC...

The what now? Enhanced edition is free for Quake II owners, it's just a re-release and replaces OG Quake II that can be still accessed via launch options, same as Quake I enhanced:

And Quake II costs like $10 on Steam:

 

[MarsM4N]

I guess this is for console players.
Quake II RTX brought updated textures and lighting for free to Quake II and the expansions a couple of years ago, and I enjoyed the nostalgia or replaying those.

28 new levels sounds impressive but Quake II's engine means that it could be just be one or two "levels" as we understand them today, Quake II had to split each map into several smaller chunks. For the right price, I'm interested (as the MachineGames Wolfenstein stuff has been decent) but it depends on pricing. I'm not rebuying Quake II for a third time at $60 just to get a $10 DLC...

The price is ZERO, if you already owned Quake II. Just load the update & frag on.

"PC owners of Quake II, including existing owners on GOG or Steam, gain access to both Quake II (Original) - the untouched and still-moddable version of the game previously released - and Quake II (Enhanced), the new release with improved visuals, new campaign content, enhanced multiplayer, crossplay, controller support and more."

Steam :: Quake II :: QUAKE II RE-RELEASE PATCH NOTES & FAQ

Quake II is Enhanced!

steamcommunity.com

Btw. they also did a "clean up" for some versions of Quake.

 

[QuietBob]

Will definitely be checking this one out!
Two years ago I completed the OG Quake with its expansions, plus a number of popular map packs. I used the community Epsilon remasters, which is perhaps the best way to experience the game today. Curious to see how this newly released Quake II version compares.

 

[Vayra86]

As a kid I was able to play that, now it just makes me sea sick.

I’ve been playing doom 2016 recently, and that largeish classic map was very hard to finish because of it.

Tweak the FOV and you might find a value that matches your stomach
Widescreens did damage this quite a bit, on 4:3 it was all much easier, you simply didn't have peripheral vision in games.

 

[bug]

What exactly is enhanced in this title, if we already have Quake II RTX?

 

[Darmok N Jalad]

I wasted so much time playing Q2 in college. Hours a day on MP. I even made and published 14 MP maps. Glad to see this game is not being left behind!

 

[Chrispy_]

The price is ZERO, if you already owned Quake II. Just load the update & frag on.

It's free for Steam, Microsoft Store, and GOG only - and wasn't available on any of those platforms for the first 21 years after its 1994 release date. Mine were purchased on CD-ROM, and as part of Quake4 on the XB360. Quake II RTX works just fine with original PC-CDROM versions.

I could be wrong, but I think that means that this remaster is only free for people that purchased it after 2015 when it first became available on a digital storefront. It's a middle finger to those of us who bought it at any point in the 21 years prior to it being a digital download.

I guess what I haven't tried is adding my CD-key to Steam to see if that's accepted....

 

[bug]

I wasted so much time playing Q2 in college. Hours a day on MP. I even made and published 14 MP maps. Glad to see this game is not being left behind!

What do you mean "wasted"?

 

[Athlonite]

So I Wonder when we'll see QIII get the goody treatment

 

[bug]

So I Wonder when we'll see QIII get the goody treatment

Imho, Q3 looked kinda cartoonish. It didn't have an atmosphere, like QII, in which a remake would immerse you further.

 

[Darmok N Jalad]

What do you mean "wasted"?

Yeah, I have fond memories of the entire time, and made some decent pals in a just-for-fun clan. We'd do a private server and spend half our time chatting in the console sometimes. Oh, and it was fun if you were the host to randomly change gravity mid-round.

 

[tussinman]

I'm 100% buying this just for the N64 port.

My entire family loved the 64 version but the last seven or eight levels were too difficult to do on the controller.

Would be funny to finally get redemption almost 25 years later

 

[Prime2515102]

Tried this for a bit last night (on PC). Very buggy, crashed on changing resolution, did... funny things: like bring up the start menu, resize my taskbar (which is locked), bring up some other menu off the taskbar that I've never seen before, all this while trying to move (wsad) after changing some settings (I can't remember which ones). This was in fullscreen mode, I'll try windowed later.

Edit: After switching to borderless windowed mode and restarting the game it seems to run fine, for now.

I still don't understand why it unlocked and resized my taskbar. That's the weirdest thing I've ever heard of.

 

[Cheeseball]

So I Wonder when we'll see QIII get the goody treatment

Probably won't since Q3A is (was) technically their eSports FPS arena shooter which didn't have a fleshed out story. Quake Live was technically the upgrade of III.

Quake IV, the story sequel of Quake II should have an enhanced/remastered version in the works.

EDIT: All movement tech (air strafing, bhop, obvious: rocket jumping) still works in this enhanced version too.

 

[Scrizz]

So I Wonder when we'll see QIII get the goody treatment

same. I spent sooo many hours on Q3

 

[MarsM4N]

It's free for Steam, Microsoft Store, and GOG only - and wasn't available on any of those platforms for the first 21 years after its 1994 release date. Mine were purchased on CD-ROM, and as part of Quake4 on the XB360. Quake II RTX works just fine with original PC-CDROM versions.

I could be wrong, but I think that means that this remaster is only free for people that purchased it after 2015 when it first became available on a digital storefront. It's a middle finger to those of us who bought it at any point in the 21 years prior to it being a digital download.

I guess what I haven't tried is adding my CD-key to Steam to see if that's accepted....

Exactly, only if you got it on STEAM, GOG or MS Store. The article isn't very accurate here. "PC owners of Quake II, including existing owners on GOG or Steam" is suggesting all PC owners would get the update. Bethesda's own statement is more accurate: "Previous owners of Quake II on the Microsoft Store, Steam and Good Old Games (GOG) will automatically receive the new version via a free update."

Btw. your numbers are also very inaccurate. Quake II was released (on the 11th November) 1997 and not 1994 (according to Wikipedia). STEAM release date was the 3rd August 2007 (according to SteamDB). So you had 16 years to pick up the game(s) for hefty discounts, ever recorded low for Quake II was 1,24€/$1,24, the complete Quake Bundle was going for 4,55€/$4,99. So that's not something to go broke about.

But you can try adding the CD key on STEAM, maybe it will work. If not try it out in the Bethesda Launcher. Note: the Bethesda Launcher (download here since it's gone from their homepage) got discontinued, but they allowed you to transfer your Bethesda games over to STEAM. Just follow the guide and see if it works: Sunsetting the Bethesda.net Launcher & Migrating to Steam [UPDATED APRIL 27, 2022]
[Youtube] Bethesda Launcher to Steam MIGRATION GUIDE

PS: if you watch the Bethesda QuakeCon 2023 Stream for around 10 to 20 minutes on STEAM (with the STEAM client) you'll get free drops, 1 animated avatar frame & 4 animated avatars. Animated preview can be seen on SteamCardExchange (just hover with the mouse over it). Note: if the stream is down just try it later, the event ends on the 16th.

Kinda disappointed, the avatar frame is too small and doesn't cover the profile pictures borders. Never seen something like that, lol.

 

[PapaTaipei]

This re release is a nice gift and the quality is outstanding.

 

[Darmok N Jalad]

Probably won't since Q3A is (was) technically their eSports FPS arena shooter which didn't have a fleshed out story. Quake Live was technically the upgrade of III.

Quake IV, the story sequel of Quake II should have an enhanced/remastered version in the works.

EDIT: All movement tech (air strafing, bhop, obvious: rocket jumping) still works in this enhanced version too.

I really liked how they did Q-IV. I never really got into Q3A, at least in online MP. I just did the SP progression against the bots. Q2 was still the better DM game, IMO. I was disappointed in what Q3A was, with no actual story, not even a bad one. Graphics were a step up, in an era where each version was making a decent leap in visuals and effects.

 

[QUANTUMPHYSICS]

Quake 2 was my first PC Game. Playing on a Pentium 2 in software mode until I realized I could bump up to OPEN GL.
The Multiplayer was crazy. I had The phone-line tied up playing over the 56K modem.

QUAKE 4 was a great sequel to Quake 2, but I'm angry we have had no sequel to Quake 4.

QUAKE 2 RTX was "pretty", but the multiplayer was laggy as hell.

This doesn't look as good as RTX Quake 2 and I've heard no mention as to whether or not you can use the remaster with Ray Tracing.

I really liked how they did Q-IV. I never really got into Q3A, at least in online MP. I just did the SP progression against the bots. Q2 was still the better DM game, IMO. I was disappointed in what Q3A was, with no actual story, not even a bad one. Graphics were a step up, in an era where each version was making a decent leap in visuals and effects.

The only problem with Quake 4 is the enemies take way too many hits on higher difficulties. DOOM 2016 got that part right. Quake 4 forced you to shoot the Strogg like NYPD to bring them down.

 

[Remeca]

What exactly is enhanced in this title, if we already have Quake II RTX?

Quake 2 RTX is like a demo of Quake 2. The base game has more content, and now it has even more. Quake 2 RTX doesn't change at all.

 

[Chrispy_]

Quake 2 RTX is like a demo of Quake 2. The base game has more content, and now it has even more. Quake 2 RTX doesn't change at all.

Sounds like you haven't read the manual; When launching the game for the first time, you have the option to play the free shareware version of the game (what you're describing)

To get access to the full game, files from an original Quake 2 installation need to be located during initial installation process.