Reviewed July 25, 1999
Id Software's Quake franchise has been revolutionizing the gaming experience for a few years now, and the latest in the series wows gamers everywhere. But only those who have the right hardware to run the demanding Quake 3: Arena. The exciting test version of this game runs well enough on my PC at 1024x768, but the 6-month-old hotrod just doesn't seem as zippy anymore when playing Quake 3.

Not that Quake 3 is any less exciting. The fast-paced test version includes two maps. One is a regular corridor shooter, while the second has players bouncing around on a platform in space. I much prefer Map 1 for Internet play, since the action is slightly more relaxed and there are actually places to hide out. The test version is multiplayer only, by the way, but the full release will have a single player mode. Quake 3 is just as exciting, if not more so, than its predecessors. The multiplayer options are pretty much the same, and the biggest thing that sets apart Quake 3 is its much improved graphics. You just have to see it to believe it, so go check out some screenshots at the Quake 3 site, and download the test while you're at it.

I have only two complaints about Quake 3. First, the Internet play needs some major optimizations. On really good servers, I will only lag out 10 percent of the time. On average servers, it's more like half the time, and some servers are even worse. It wouldn't be any huge problem if my opponents wouldn't frag me 50 times when I'm completely helpless. Yes, there continue to be cheap people who kill you when you're talking or lagged out.

My second complaint about Quake 3 is that it's too addictive. I had to uninstall it so I could actually get some work done. It's that good. Quake 3 deserves 4.5 of 5 stars.