Slower action? Should have made it a Quake game. I mean they were fast moving games, but it was more focused on battles with a few enemies on the screen at most and with higher HP than enemies in Doom 1 or 2. That kinda slowed things down. Still way faster than most modern FPS games. Still interested in this though. The fact that they are slowing down the action must mean massive changes to the gameplay. Which could be a good thing. I wouldn’t want a third game from id that plays exactly like their previous two. As much as I loved Doom 2016 and Eternal.
Yeah I think they know what they are doing. The game that follows The Dark Age will likely release ~8 years after TAG Part 2, and a return to 2016/Eternal style movement for a Quake reboot wouldn’t feel stale.
I don’t know what I want from a Quake game now though. I have always wanted a barebones game that follows the design of the original in terms of art direction and gameplay mechanics, without the additional fluff that was introduced in the newer Doom games like weapon upgrades, abilities with cooldowns, and resource management, but using new tech. If id was an independent studio, I’d hold out hope that they could put out something that raw, but they aren’t.
It can’t just be a Quake skinned Doom Eternal. Quake needs the movement speed and fluidity, and to be heavily physics based. The grenade launcher is key in Quake… probably the most important weapon to get right. If they were to try and ape the original game, low numbers of enemies that can take a lot of damage and deal a lot of damage would need to make up the core combat framework. I think there’s a viable path forward for the series there somewhere, but I also think it’s financially risky.
A souls or even rogue-like Quake could also work. Something like Returnal maybe, with Ranger trapped in a hostile Eldritch horror universe. Keep the puzzle/maze level design ethos with environmental hazards, platforming, and brutal combat encounters, and cap each dimension with a Cthulhu-esque boss. Bring the double jump and the dash from Eternal and lean heavily into rocket and wall jumping as necessary skills to access secret areas and secret levels. Doesn’t need an elaborate plot or any real exposition. Quake’s strength is in its mystery, isolation, and focus on oppressive atmosphere. Keep the story and lore to text entries like the original game. Doesn’t need a AAA budget or for them to commit the entire dev team to it.
