Quake II Mission Pack: The Reckoning is the first official expansion pack for id Software's first-person shooter Quake II, developed by Xatrix Entertainment and released in mid-1998. It requires the base game and adds 18 new single-player levels, seven new deathmatch arenas, and a cooperative multiplayer mode that supports up to four players. The story follows the protagonist marine as he is dropped back into Strogg territory after the events of Quake II, crash-landing in a swamp and fighting through enemy installations.
The pack introduces three new weapons: the ION Ripper, a ricocheting energy boomerang weapon; the Phalanx Particle Cannon, which fires dual magnesium slugs; and a deployable trap that converts enemies into health pickups. Existing Quake II weapons also appear. New enemy types include the Gekk, a leaping creature that attacks by biting, the Repair Bot, which revives downed enemies, and upgraded variants of existing Strogg troops with new armaments. The expansion also enhances the game's artificial intelligence by increasing infighting among enemy factions.
Upon release, The Reckoning was well received by fans and critics for its inventive level design, new multiplayer modes, and faithful extension of the Quake II formula. It was later followed by a second mission pack, Ground Zero. The expansion is currently available bundled with the base game on digital distribution platforms such as GOG and Steam.
