Quake Archives

AppWizard

May 4, 2026

5 Best Video Games Like Half-Life

The absence of "Half-Life 3" is felt by fans of first-person sci-fi gaming, but there are alternative titles that capture similar gameplay experiences. "System Shock 2," released in 1999, is set aboard a starship in the 22nd century where players awaken from cryogenic sleep to find the crew transformed by alien parasites, featuring a partnership with the AI SHODAN. A remaster was released in 2025. "Deus Ex," launched in 2000, places players in a dystopian future as JC Denton, a cybernetically enhanced agent navigating conspiracies and making choices that affect humanity's future. "Quake 4," released in 2005, is a sequel to "Quake II," where players control Matthew Kane during an invasion of the Strogg home planet, focusing on single-player storytelling and refined gameplay. "Crysis," released in 2007, is set in 2020, where a Delta Force unit investigates an archaeological discovery and faces aliens and North Korean forces, emphasizing action and an engaging storyline. A remaster was released in 2020. "Metro 2033," based on Dmitry Glukhovsky's novel, immerses players in post-apocalyptic Moscow, where survivors live in the subway system and face hostile factions and mutated creatures, presenting a survival horror experience.

AppWizard

April 28, 2026

This brutal 95%-rated Postal spin-off is one of Steam’s greatest boomer shooters, and it’s just $1 right now

The Postal series is known for its chaotic gameplay and controversial humor, with the latest release, Postal: Brain Damaged, developed by a new team. This game shifts from the traditional open-world format to a focused first-person shooter style, reminiscent of Quake and Doom. It features absurd humor, modern gameplay mechanics, and nostalgic graphics, while maintaining the series' signature elements, such as the ability to pee on demand. Postal: Brain Damaged is currently priced at / £1 as part of the Build Your Own Adrenaline Bundle from Fanatical, which allows players to select three games for / £3. Other games in the bundle include titles like Blind Fate: Edo no Yami and Sniper Elite V2 Remastered.

AppWizard

April 19, 2026

The Internet Archive has preserved 758 old PC Gamer demo discs you can download and play

The Internet Archive hosts a collection of hundreds of promotional demo discs from PC gaming history, which include unique extras and bonuses. Notable examples include the Quake-O-Rama disc from October 1997, featuring Quake maps and the first speedrun demo file, and a March 2008 disc containing a full episode of Telltale's Sam & Max along with a Duke Nukem Forever trailer. Additionally, a 1994 floppy disk may contain FMV clips with the Coconut Monkey mascot. The archive's cover disc collection, curated by Jason Scott and contributors, includes 758 entries that showcase the history of PC gaming magazines.

AppWizard

April 17, 2026

An oldie but a goodie: John Carmack once told us Quake Arena ‘was my favourite id Software game… always the one that I looked at as a pure game’

In a 2008 interview, John Carmack expressed a deep personal connection to Quake Arena, stating it was his favorite id Software game and considered it a "pure game." He acknowledged that Quake Arena might represent the peak of his design skills, reflecting on his evolution as a designer. Carmack noted, “My skills probably tapped out a decade ago,” indicating he felt he had nothing more to contribute beyond the Quake III level. He highlighted the enduring appeal of Quake Arena, which allows players to experience "pure play."

AppWizard

April 7, 2026

SteelSeries tested its new gaming mouse with a car and dishwasher, but I just played games with it

The SteelSeries Aerox 3 Wireless Gen 2 is a gaming mouse featuring a TrueMove 26K optical sensor with a maximum sensitivity of 26,000 DPI, six buttons, and a switch lifespan of 80 million clicks. It weighs 68g and offers connections via Lightspeed 2.4GHz wireless and USB-C, with a polling rate of up to 4kHz wirelessly and 1kHz wired. The battery lasts up to 120 hours at 1kHz polling rate and up to 200 hours via Bluetooth. It has an IP54 waterproof rating and comes with RGB lighting, a USB-C wireless dongle, a USB-A to USB-C cable, a USB-C to USB-C adapter, and Bluetooth connectivity. The price is .99 / £99.99. The mouse features a unique translucent shell design, water and dust resistance, and impressive battery longevity, but has a shape that may not suit everyone, a slippery shell material, and side buttons that may be overly long.

AppWizard

April 3, 2026

Fill the gaps in your Bethesda collection with Oblivion, Fallout, Doom, and other classics from just $3 each

The Build Your Own Bethesda Bundle from Fanatical offers a selection of games priced at approximately per game, featuring significant titles such as The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Fallout 3, and The Evil Within. Oblivion is highlighted for its unique charm, varied quests, and engaging NPC interactions, often considered superior to its successor, Skyrim. The bundle includes a variety of Bethesda classics, such as titles from the Fallout series, DOOM, Quake, Dishonored, Wolfenstein, and The Evil Within. The opportunity to purchase only desired titles is emphasized, with the bundle expiring on Tuesday, May 5th.

AppWizard

March 31, 2026

Super Meat Boy 3D has no vibe

Shaun Prescott, an Australian editor, discusses his experiences with the action platformer genre, focusing on Super Meat Boy 3D and its predecessors. He recalls how Super Meat Boy reignited his passion for the genre in 2010 after purchasing a secondhand Xbox 360. While Super Meat Boy remains a beloved title, it has become less central to his gaming thoughts, and he found Super Meat Boy Forever disappointing due to its autorunner format. Super Meat Boy 3D features themed levels but lacks a cohesive narrative and has an unappealing color palette. Despite these visual shortcomings, the gameplay mechanics are well-translated from the original game, although some levels are frustrating due to trial-and-error gameplay. Prescott's interest in Super Meat Boy 3D wanes as he progresses, feeling detached from the game's world, though it remains a competent entry for completionists in the action platformer genre.

AppWizard

March 29, 2026

Forgotten FPS sequel Heretic 2 gets a ‘reverse-engineered sourceport’ that fixes bugs, improves the framerate and adds ‘lots of cosmetic improvements’

Classic boomer shooters Heretic and Hexen have been made more accessible for PC gamers by Nightdive Studios. Hexen 2 is available for purchase on Steam, while accessing Heretic 2 requires obtaining a boxed copy. Heretic 2, released in 1998, is a third-person action-adventure game that received positive reviews for its level design and 3D action. MaxEd on GitHub has created a reverse-engineered sourceport called Heretic2R, which enhances the game with features like widescreen support, unlocked framerate, improved map loading times, and cosmetic improvements. To use Heretic2R, players need the original Heretic 2 game data updated to version 1.06. The potential for a future rerelease of Heretic 2 exists, as both it and Hexen 2 were published by different companies now under Microsoft.

AppWizard

March 11, 2026

The best FPS games of all time, from a PC gaming veteran

First-person shooters (FPS) have captivated gamers since the early 1990s, with influential titles shaping the genre. - Wolfenstein 3D: Developed by id Software, released on May 5, 1992, for PC (MS-DOS). It established core gameplay with real-time movement and first-person perspectives. - Quake: Developed by id Software, released on June 22, 1996, for PC (MS-DOS, Windows). It transitioned FPS from 2.5D to true 3D rendering, enhancing gameplay speed and introducing vertical aiming. - Half-Life: Developed by Valve, released on November 19, 1998, for PC (Windows, Linux, Mac). It integrated storytelling with gameplay, featuring a silent protagonist and advanced AI. - Counter-Strike 1.6: Developed by Valve, released in September 2003 for PC (Windows, Mac, Linux). Originally a mod for Half-Life, it emphasized teamwork and strategy in competitive gameplay. - Halo 2: Developed by Bungie, released on November 9, 2004, for Xbox and PC. It introduced new perspectives and moral complexities, with a strong online multiplayer experience. - Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare: Developed by Infinity Ward, released on November 5, 2007, for PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. It transformed military FPS with a cinematic approach and persistent progression in multiplayer. - Left 4 Dead: Developed by Valve, released on November 17, 2008, for PC and Xbox 360. It focused on cooperative gameplay against zombies, featuring a dynamic AI Director. - Battlefield: Bad Company 2: Developed by EA DICE, released on March 2, 2010, for PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. It featured large-scale combat and destructible environments, emphasizing squad cooperation. Other notable FPS games include GoldenEye 007, Titanfall, and Bioshock, contributing to the genre's diversity and appeal.

AppWizard

February 24, 2026

Ambitious developer showcases slick triple-level Quake-like game stored in tiny 64KB executable — every game asset tucked inside what could be a ‘rounding error’ in modern app payload terms

Developer Daivuk has released QUOD, a 64KB 'boomer shooter' similar to Quake, featuring 3 levels, 1 boss fight, 4 unique enemies, 4 weapons, and power-ups. The entire game, including textures, sounds, music, and animations, is compressed into the 64KB file. Daivuk demonstrates the game's development in a video, discussing optimizations that reduced the file size by an additional 2KB. The game requires modern hardware, with minimum specs of an Intel i5 or equivalent, GTX 770 or equivalent, and 8GB RAM. QUOD can be downloaded and launched quickly. Today marks the 30th anniversary of id Software's Qtest demo of Quake, which was released on June 22, 1996.