Quake Champions (2017)

Lore & Background

The game's plot centers around teleportation experiments called slipgates, which have resulted in an unforeseen invasion of Earth by a hostile force codenamed Quake, commanding a vast army of monsters. The player takes the role of a soldier (later dubbed Ranger) whose mission is to travel through the slipgates to find and destroy the source of the invasion. The game is split between futuristic military bases and medieval, gothic environments, featuring both science fiction and fantasy weaponry and enemies. Quake heavily takes inspiration from gothic fiction and the works of H. P. Lovecraft.

Reader's Guide

In single-player mode, players explore levels, facing monsters and finding secret areas before reaching an exit. The campaign is organized into four episodes with seven to eight levels each, including one secret level per episode. The player can save at any time in PC versions and between levels in console versions. In multiplayer mode, players connect to a server and can play co-op or deathmatch modes. Popular techniques include bunnyhopping, strafe-jumping, and rocket jumping.

Did You Know?

• Quake was inspired by a Dungeons & Dragons campaign held among id Software staff.
• The game's music was composed by Trent Reznor and his band Nine Inch Nails.
• Multiplayer Quake was one of the first games singled out as a form of electronic sport.
• The fourth skill level, 'Nightmare', was described as 'so bad that the entry is hidden'.