How is Call of the Machine?

[Wig Bang]

The main thread here regarding this remaster and the response marked by the OP as having successfully answered the question made absolutely zero mention of the fact that there's an entire new campaign here.

this isn't just frustrating it's actually unbelievably stupid.

could someone please weigh in on the quality of the campaign and the length and overall nature etc

this is what will inform my potential purchase

[Snobby Hobo]

It's a fantastic expansion in my opinion. The map design is miles ahead of the originals. The maps are very similar to Unreal; open and thematic and looping back into themselves, with some really memorable encounters.

If you enjoy Quake's movement physics these maps are clearly designed with it in mind. You can strafejump across them at terminal velocity without much interruption.

[Revolver Rez]

It looks fantastic and the levels are far more interesting than the originals, but I'm not sold on the boss fights and they could have done more with the Quake 1 connection at the end. Having a couple of Shamblers as the masterminds behind the Strogg is just underwhelming, even though I love what they were going for.
It also seems to get a bit slaughtery for my tastes, but that's something that a lot of retro shooter mods do, so perhaps you'll be used to it.

All in all it's worth it.

[D4NUK1]

It's very cool, it's 7 Marine Operations with a structure like a mini mission.

Most levels (1-6), drops you in a diferent enviorement and every time you start with only the starting weapons, but the levels quickly give you the weapons as the difficulty ramp ups.
Almost all the levels will give you bettwen 40 to 55 minutes counting exploration, and the secret trials.

Include weapons, textures and monsters from the expansions and they are diverse and well put, like mutants on a processing plant, more diferent stroggos in the moon base, etc. So this make the quality of the maps like the better package as it's not as a SLOG like Quake 2 OG Campaing, also almost the levels ends with mini bosses and boss so be prepared.

From a Lore perspective.
From what i understand, the war with the stroggos still goes on, and you are like a marine commander with the mission of researching about the way the strogg are still powerful, mostly the strogg maker, so you as a Commander send 6 Marine to give you Data with the information of the Stroggs (like the runes of Quake 1)

When you have the 6 CD in you power, you can use it to confront the Strogg Makers and maybe see their connections with some past enemies from far far away in time.

It's one of the best custom Quake Expansions (I'm including Quake 1 too) that i played so far.

[BobsRevenge]

It's a highly varied romp that is pretty consistently fun and engaging. It's pretty lengthy, and surprisingly idiosyncratic for a new map pack by a AAA developer, but it seems like there wasn't too much oversight beyond the mappers and it was assembled more like a map jam than a true campaign, although it's tied together well. I'm not sure I like the new lore, but that's subjective.

[randir14]

It's fun, but I think the episode they made for Quake 1 was better.

[NOBLE SIX]

Originally posted by randir14:

It's fun, but I think the episode they made for Quake 1 was better.

I second this. I think they know how to make a good Quake 1 level but Quake 2... I'm not so sure.

[dat_potatoe]

It's six units of like three to six levels each. It can easily take you an entire hour to complete a unit, they're very lengthy.

They also suffer from heavy use of really spongey enemies, which can be a slog. Some will throw you up against tough enemies with weak weapons early too. Feel a lot of people are going to dislike it for that reason alone.

But the level design is solid and has some nice visual variety and memorable segments, for better or worse.

The lore implications I'm not crazy about.

[McCovican]

Very varied, they're quite episodic in that there isn't a consistent design theme running through each of the units. The first one I tried was very... chaotic, and was quite a different experience from the "usual" Q2. Others are more "standard", more tactical. The map design on some of them is just phenomenal though. Darkest Depths is gorgeous.
I will say, I wish they wouldn't use that f*cking laser trooper from The Reckoning though. No wind-up, no chance to dodge, instant lock, instant hit. Meh.
Overall, very enjoyable though.

[Hurykles]

i haven't played all the levels but... from what i've played i kinda.... don't like the connections to quake 1
i would prefer these games to be their own things

also the serious sam-ish enemy encounters are... fine i guess. Not a big fan of laser troops as well. But say what you want but the architecture of all of these levels is top-notch just like with the addtional quake 1 expansion

[PSOCecil]

The overuse of healthsponge enemies makes the maps drag on and on. It feels like the idea of fun combat balance was thrown out the window for Doom-esque slaughter map intentions.
The maps are pretty though.

[NOBLE SIX]

Originally posted by Hurykles:

i haven't played all the levels but... from what i've played i kinda.... don't like the connections to quake 1
i would prefer these games to be their own things

also the serious sam-ish enemy encounters are... fine i guess. Not a big fan of laser troops as well. But say what you want but the architecture of all of these levels is top-notch just like with the addtional quake 1 expansion

Get ready for the the iDCU

[ZERO]

Originally posted by randir14:

It's fun, but I think the episode they made for Quake 1 was better.

Dimensions of the Machine is the best officially released Quake content imo. It was awesome.

[Lanz]

The levels are more linear than the original levels, which is to be expected from MachineGames, if you've played any of their other work. They also violate the unwritten rule of no invisible walls in Quake 2 levels.

[Profugo Barbatus]

Originally posted by Hurykles:

i haven't played all the levels but... from what i've played i kinda.... don't like the connections to quake 1
i would prefer these games to be their own things

Got bad news for you, The Strogg logo was already on boxes all over in Quake 1, in the very original. They've always been linked in some way.

[M.C. Grammajam]

Originally posted by Wig Bang:

The main thread here regarding this remaster and the response marked by the OP as having successfully answered the question made absolutely zero mention of the fact that there's an entire new campaign here.

this isn't just frustrating it's actually unbelievably stupid.

could someone please weigh in on the quality of the campaign and the length and overall nature etc

this is what will inform my potential purchase

good but a little short of great imo. boss fights are probs my least fav thing about the expansion and me personally, i would've preferred more shorters levels with more ideas over very long levels