Imagine being able to play four new Quake episodes.

What the Dwell?

Dwell, an ambitious project for Quake, is a four-episode mega map pack put together by a team of over ten members who share a deep love for Quake. Despite currently being incomplete, with only two of its four episodes released, the project has drawn attention due to its intricately designed maps and attention to detail. The single available episode, set in an Egyptian-themed landscape, presents an impressive array of challenges and design masterclass. The team behind Dwell has poured meticulous care into creating the textures and models necessary for the thematic swap, evident from the moment players encounter the structures and enemies.

The initial experience of Dwell, starting from a difficulty-selection map and leading to a ruined laboratory, might come off as underwhelming. Players might be initially put off by the large team size, the unfinished state of the mod, and the first level seeming like a slow-paced reiteration of previous Quake levels. However, the game quickly disrupts these expectations by offering challenging encounters, like facing a shambler at the exit gate armed with minimal weapons, which forces players to show their mastery of the game’s mechanics.

One of the key principles of Dwell is that it expects players to perform well, as it’s a mod released two decades after the original game. The game’s difficulty increases consistently but satisfyingly, and just when players think they need a change of pace, they are often offered a reprieve or a new weapon. The following levels are impressively designed with well-rendered textures and creative map design, offering a captivating experience. The game’s visuals and set pieces continuously evolve, transitioning from sunny sands to gore-drenched depths, and then into vast blackness filled with sacrifice chambers and Chthonic rituals.

A common concern is whether Dwell might end with a whimper rather than a bang, as many Quake mods do, given their lack of big final boss-type enemies. However, Dwell promises that every episode of the pack will feature its unique end boss to fight against. The first boss in Dwell, known as “The Warden,” is a formidable adversary, requiring players to have a complete understanding of Quake’s mechanics. This boss challenges players with deadly projectiles and a horde of foes to beat before they can face him.

Dwell serves as a beacon demonstrating that as long as a game has a thriving community, it’s never truly dead. Even though the Quake series hasn’t seen a main series release since 2005, the community’s efforts, exemplified by projects like Dwell, keep it alive. If the current work by the Dwell team is any indication of what’s to come, fans of the series have much to look forward to.

#Quake #episodes #boomer_shooter