Quake 3 changes the formula of the previous two games by making the whole game that of an arena-based shooter with a specific number of kills and opponents on each level. As well as the one player mode with set tiers, fights and bosses there is a multiplayer mode, which is exactly the same to play except with your friends. What makes Quake 3 Arena so great is the online play and the option to hook up a keyboard and mouse to your Drea.cast. The game was originally ported from the PC to Dreamcast by a company called Raster Productions who have done a sterling job, insuring the game looks great and run smoothly. Although when the Dreamcast’s sales dropped the game was ported over to the PS2.

Gameplay: 9/10
It’s easy to get into and play. You set the controller up as you wish with the custom buttons setting and off you go. The single player game starts out with an easy arena where you have to kill a single, dumb bot five times. If you’re not used to the controls then this serves as an excellent introduction where you would usually be shot to pieces the A.I. character simply runs about until you have worked out the mechanics of moving and firing, then you can kill it. Quake 3 runs at an amazing pace and there is no hint of slowdown. Aiming is precise thanks to the cross hair and medium sensitivity digital stick that can be used to turn and look. Playing in the multiplayer mode can be great fun, but the limitation of four players is a bit of an annoyance. The best thing to do would set up a game with two human players and two bots, make the bots difficult then have a team game with humans Vs the computer. By far the best mode is online play, this can be great fun if you have a keyboard and mouse, but frustrating if you are crap. There are usually only a few gamers on the servers and they are veterans so will easily whip you.

Graphics: 8/10
The arenas and the players that fight in them are detailed but the characters seem to display more polygons than the environments. Some of the weapons like the rocket launcher show a great smoothing effect but other than that the arenas seem too blocky and unnatural. Effects are top notch and display some nice explosions and bullet damage. When an enemy is hit the claret spills quite readily but there is not as much gore displayed here as in Soldier of Fortune and any mess gets cleaned up magically when the player re-spawns.

Sound: 8/10
Music quality is above average but the sound effects are superb. All the weapons fire off their projectiles with the realistic effects. Unfortunately when playing online, because you have a narrowband connection there is lag. You can fire your weapon then a half second later you heat the blast. It doesn’t sound like that much of a delay but it is noticeable and spoils the fragging action somewhat. There are quite a few tracks to accompany the action but they aren’t anything you would listen to out of the game. The tracks are mostly rock/electrical music and nothing special.

Replay Value: 8/10
In the one player game there are five tiers each containing a number or levels to play through. Some of the later levels, such as the boss fights at the end of the tiers can be difficult and will leave you stuck. But eventually you will prevail. But because it is an arena game there is not real story so progressing is more boring since you are not given a real reason why you are fighting or what the point of succeeding. All the levels have the basic aim to kill the most opponents and come out in first place. You are however rewarded with a mini maze game to play on your VMU each time you complete a tier. Manage to get to the center and you can unlock one cheat. The real gaming value is found in the multiplayer mode where you can take on three bots on any of the levels you have unlocked and set the different aspects of the game: frags, time, teams and other options.

Overall: 8/10
Quake 3 is the best arena game around, beating the tiny levels found in Outtrigger. But if you prefer a normal FPS where you kill weak enemies and advance through different levels then Quake 3 might not be for you.

Buy it or leave it?
You should buy it if you want a good arena based shooter or a good multiplayer game. The graphics are good looking by console standards. Plus you have to experience online play on the Dreamcast, and on what better game than Quake?