History VideoGame / QuakeII

* InNameOnly: Zigzagged. The story has no relation to the [[VideoGame/QuakeI first game]] whatsoever. However, the gameplay and weapons all remain the same with some new ones added in. A lot of the Strogg are also based on the enemies of the first game.

** If that wasn't enough, the 2023 Remaster allows for scenarios where you can end up carrying *all of the above arsenals*, alongside the newly-resurrected Disruptor.

* HyperspaceArsenal: The PlayerCharacter can carry the blaster, the standard and super shotguns, the Machinegun, the Chaingun, the Hyperblaster, the Grenade and Rocket Launchers, the [[SniperRifle Railgun]] and the [=BFG10K=]. All at the same time. And that's not counting their inventory, which can comprise utilities such as a silencer, powerups that [[QuadDamage amplify damage]] or negate environmental damage and/or ''[[NighInvulnerability all]]'' non-pit/void-based damage. Furthermore, ''The Reckoning'' also adds Traps, the ricocheting projectile throwing Ion Ripper and the multi rocket launching Phalanx Particle Cannon, while ''Ground Zero'' adds the electrical [[UsefulNotes/NikolaTesla Tesla]]) mine traps, the [[LightningGun Plasma Beam]], the [[ArmorPiercingAttack armor-piercing automatic ETF Rifle]], the Proximity Mine Launcher, and a {{Chainsaw|good}}. Phew.

On December 22nd, 2001, the game went [[UsefulNotes/FreeLibreOpenSourceSoftware FOSS]] with the release of [[https://github.com/id-Software/Quake-2 the entire source code]] for the main game and the CTF addon under [[https://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/gpl-2.0.html the GNU GPL v2.0-or-later (v2.0+) license]]. This led to the game being improved in many ways, with some of the most notorious source ports being [[http://www.markshan.com/knightmare/ kmquake2]], [[https://moddb.com/mods/quake-2-xp Quake 2 XP]], [[http://yamagi.org/quake2 Yamagi Quake II]] and [[https://skuller.net/q2pro/ q2pro]]. It also led to several games being developed using the engine as a basis such as ''VideoGame/AlienArena'', ''VideoGame/{{Warsow}}'' and ''VideoGame/{{Quetoo}}''.

On August 10, 2023, during ''[=QuakeCon=] 2023'', Creator/NightdiveStudios, id, and Bethesda released [[https://youtu.be/cyxBE163n20 a remastered version of the game]] for Platform/XboxOne, Platform/XboxSeriesXAndS, Platform/PlayStation4, Platform/PlayStation5, Platform/NintendoSwitch and Platform/MicrosoftWindows, the lattermost being released as a free update to the game's existing Platform/{{Steam}} release. Much like Nightdive's previous ''VideoGame/QuakeI'' remaster, it includes updated graphics, multiplayer bots, a new UI, gameplay fixes, restores a lot of cut beta content, both Mission Packs integrated, an included port of the Nintendo 64 campaign, and a new expansion episode called ''Call of the Machine'', developed by Creator/MachineGames, that introduces the Gunner Commander and restores the previously cut weapon Disruptor, as it was meant to appear in ''Ground Zero''. A port of the Platform/PlayStation campaign is set to be released as a free downloadable addon on [=ModDB=] on a later date. And much like previous Quake offerings, the source code for the game logic, released under [[UsefulNotes/FreeLibreOpenSourceSoftware the GPLv2+ license]], can be found [[https://github.com/id-Software/quake2-rerelease-dll on Github.]]

** The August 10th 2023 remaster (free for all original owners of the game on Steam) is a true remaster in the same vein as the ''Quake 1'' remaster from a couple of years prior, updating the game to run on modern systems and modern resolutions[=/=]refresh rates, with some modern polish in terms of lighting and effects, subtle higher-res textures and models (though staying true to the game's original retro appearance), as well as optional gameplay improvements such as hit markers and a waypoint marker. It includes the base game, both mission packs, a port of the Nintendo 64 campaign, and a new campaign, ''Call of the Machine'', by Machine Games. Unlike the ''Quake 1'' remaster, the ''Quake 2'' remaster makes moderate changes to gameplay in the form of additions to the enemy A.I., giving them new moves and attacks (some of which are either DummiedOut code or back-ported from the expansion packs).

* {{Bowdlerization}}: In the 2023 remaster, all health items with a red cross are now colored with a green cross instead.

* Later updates to the game introduced eight Deathmatch-exclusive maps and the multiplayer-oriented ''[[CaptureTheFlag Threewave CTF II]]'' mod. It works as you expect: two teams have a base, and each base has a flag. Both teams compete to capture the enemy's flag while avoiding theirs being captured. The mod also features the Tech Powerups[[note]]formerly Runes in the original ''Threewave CTF'' mod for ''VideoGame/QuakeI''[[/note]], powerful artifacts that grant a semi-permanent bonus to their carrier which lasts until they die or drop the Tech.

''Quake II'', the follow-up to ''[[VideoGame/QuakeI Quake]]'', is a FirstPersonShooter and the second entry in the ''VideoGame/{{Quake}}'' series. It was developed by Creator/IdSoftware and published by Creator/{{Activision}} on December 9, 1997. It runs on Id's own [[MediaNotes/GameEngine IdTech 2]] engine.

** It's also the fate of their human prisoners of war, as the Strogg have messed with them in such a fashion that they will be forever in utter agony, leaving you to [[MercyKill kill them]] to [[VideogameCaringPotential release them from their torment]].

* ArtEvolution: The enhanced models in the 2023 remaster cover a lot more content than the original ''Quake''[='=]s did, including models from the expansions.

** It also adds ''VideoGame/Wolfenstein3D''[='=]s Machinegun and Chaingun, replacing the previous game's Nailgun and Super Nailgun as the standard issue weapons.

--> (from the HTML manual) ''"The Strogg marked off areas to indicate a one-way passage. Once you leave a unit complex you cannot return."''

* ShootTheMedicFirst: In levels with Medics you have to do this if you don't want to fight the defeated Stroggs again (or, in ''Ground Zero''[='s=] case, facing THOUSANDS of enemies at the time, in the Medic Commander's case). Medics can't revive gibbed corpses though, so you can just make sure to shoot the bodies after you kill your enemies.

* UpdatedReRelease:

* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler: The Masters of the Machine are destroyed, and Shub-Niggurath's connection to the Strogg is severed in what is assumed to be a massive blow. However, it comes at the cost of the lives of several marines, including the station operator, who ends up permanently trapped in a dark void.]]
* BrokeYourArmPunchingOutCthulhu: [[spoiler: Upon taking out the Masters of the Machine the protagonist is rewarded with... [[AndIMustScream being eternally trapped in a black void of nothingness.]]]]

** [[spoiler: In addition to the WhamShot listed below, Shamblers are fought a couple of times throughout the expansion, at one point the unnamed marine in [[Recap/QuakeIICallOfTheMachineOperationDarkestDepths Operation: Darkest Depths]] gets a glimpse of [[Recap/QuakeEpisode1DimensionOfTheDoomed "E1M2: Castle of the Damned"]], the boss of said operation is a giant Shambler who acts as an {{Expy}} of Chthon, the arena where it's fought is similar to "[=E1M7=]: Chthon's House" (With a similar killing mechanism!) and the FinalBoss of the entire episode is [[DualBoss a pair of Shamblers]] known as the Masters of the Machine]].

*** The unnamed marine eventually reaches what appears to be [[spoiler: ancient writing on a wall where [[VideoGame/QuakeI a pair of Shamblers and something resembling Shub-Niggurath]] appear]].

* UpdatedReRelease: The 2023 ''Quake II'' remaster includes a playable version of the Nintendo 64 campaign, likely partially due to the remaster being released on the Nintendo Switch. It is not an emulation of the N64 version of the game, but rather the N64 levels running in regular ''Quake II'', though there have been some gameplay changes to better fit the N64 version (items are used instantly when picked up and cannot be stored in inventory, Power Shield is replaced with Invisibility, there is no way to increase your ammo capacity, and the crouch button has been disabled).

''Quake II'', the follow-up to ''[[VideoGame/QuakeI Quake]]'', is a FirstPersonShooter and the second entry in the ''VideoGame/{{Quake}}'' series. It was developed by Creator/IdSoftware and published by Creator/{{Activision}} on December 9, 1997. It runs on Id's own [[UsefulNotes/GameEngine IdTech 2]] engine.

The technical improvements here were impressive at the time, with colored lighting, higher resolution, smoother graphics and bigger levels that, alongside ''VideoGame/{{Unreal}}'', [[KillerApp spurred the widespread adoption]] of early [[UsefulNotes/GraphicsProcessingUnit hardware 3D accelerators]]. Much like other games of its time, the engine of the game powered up other games of its time, including ''VideoGame/SiN1998'', ''VideoGame/{{Anachronox}}'', ''VideoGame/{{Heretic}} II'', ''VideoGame/SoldierOfFortune'', ''VideoGame/KingpinLifeOfCrime'', ''VideoGame/UFOAlienInvasion'' and, most infamously, ''VideoGame/{{Daikatana}}''. Even Creator/ValveSoftware used the engine during the early days of ''VideoGame/HalfLife1'' until they ditched it for an in-house replacement called [=GoldSrc=]... which is a SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute of this engine and the engine that ran ''VideoGame/QuakeI''.

* ATeamFiring: Enemies aside, the Machinegun has recoil-induced muzzle climb, forcing you to fire in bursts and "walk the burst"[[note]]aim lower than where you want your shots to hit[[/note]], or offset the clib with mouselook. The 2023 remaster scraps this nuisance.