Virtual murder is better than the real thing with "Quake II"

Ever had one of those days when you just wanted to go kill someone?Don’t. Not only can it get you thrown in jail, but it can get kind of messy. There is an alternative: plop down about $60 for “Quake II Quad Damage,” and start relieving some of that tension.The core of the “Quad Damage” pack is the actual “Quake II” game.”Quake II” is the typical shoot-`em-up game that has made its creators, id Software, famous. While “Quake II” is far removed in looks and technology from id`s original first person shooter, “Wolfenstein 3-D,” the basic idea is the same: walk around and blow up a lot of stuff. Occasionally, there’s a small puzzle to solve so you can get to the next level and kill more monsters.The best parts of “Quake II” are the incredibly detailed graphics and easy game play. Most doors open automatically or after pressing a button, freeing up a key for other uses.There are a few downfalls. One thing that is quite bothersome is the lack of jumping ability. Most gamers have come to expect characters that have at least the physical abilities of the average human, but “Quake II'”s character has a serious problem jumping more than a foot off the ground. It’s quite disturbing, especially with all the goodies that are just out of reach.Another problem is the difficulty of the enemies early in the game. One of the most difficult enemies to kill begins appearing regularly early in the second level, before most of the good weapons are available. If “Quake II” doesn’t have enough weapons or bad guys, the two extra mission packs should provide you with the necessary carnage and artillery.Unfortunately, that`s about all the mission packs provide. The weapons aren’t original. Some, such as the chainsaw, seem to be flashbacks to “Doom” and other earlier games. The monsters, too, are mainly mutated “Quake II” monsters.In the first mission pack, “Ground Zero,” even the scenery is just rehashed from “Quake II.”The second mission pack, “The Reckoning,” does offer some unique scenery and a few unique creatures, but still doesn’t do anything different with the “Quake II” theme.The real thrill of this package is the fourth disc, “Extremities.” “Extremities” is a compilation of levels, creatures and weapons created by “Quake II” players. While all the other discs in the package offer new additions for multi player playing, “Extremities” is aimed specifically at multi player death fests. These death matches offer all the joy of slaughter from “Quake II” with the added intelligence of real-life players. Of course, everything on this disc can be found on the Internet for free.All in all, “Quake II Quad Damage” takes the typical shoot-`em-up game and adds enough levels to help you forget even the most stressful day. The package is fun to play, and will get out any residual anger, but all the graphics make it hard to play the game on the average college student’s computer. If you don’t own at least a 266mhz Pentium II, you’re better off buying a $5 copy of the original “Quake” and relieving your stress that way.