Quake turns 30 and gets 19 new levels for free
MachineGames has shipped Dawn of the Machine, a free 19-map episode for Quake's 30th, with new enemies, new weapons and persistent upgrades.
Quake shipped on June 22, 1996. Yesterday, during QuakeCon, MachineGames and id Software released Dawn of the Machine: nineteen new maps, a new deathmatch map, a new soundtrack, new enemies, new weapons, a dedicated episode hub, and a price of nothing at all. If you own the enhanced re-release it is an update. It is on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series, Xbox One, Switch, Switch 2 by backwards compatibility, Steam, the Microsoft Store and Game Pass.
The episode is a departure in shape. The previous MachineGames episodes hung their levels off a hub; this one is a continuous campaign with progression that carries. The new toys are the Super Axe, which is the axe with lightning in it, and the Laser Cannon, which ricochets. The new enemies are the Rocket Ogre, the Demo Dog and the Blood Shambler, alongside what Bethesda calls deadly new twists on familiar foes. The stated influences are Lovecraft’s Nyarlathotep, Philip K. Dick and Thomas Ligotti, which is a more literary answer than “we wanted more shamblers” and, from the screenshots, an honest one.
Its available now so check it out.
