Editing Quake II (section)

{{Short description|1997 video game}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2023}}
{{Infobox video game
| title = Quake II
| image = Quake2box.jpg
| developer = [[id Software]]{{efn|The enhanced version of the game was developed by [[Nightdive Studios]].}}
| publisher = [[Activision]]{{efn|[[Bethesda Softworks]] published the enhanced version of the game.}}
| designer = {{ubl|[[Kevin Cloud]]|[[American McGee]]|[[Tim Willits]]}}
| programmer = {{ubl|Brian Hook|George John Cash IV<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.quakewiki.net/archives/legacy/interviews/cash.htm |title=An Interview with id Software's John Cash |author=Fragmaster |website=quakewiki.net |access-date=November 15, 2017 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20171115205049/https://www.quakewiki.net/archives/legacy/interviews/cash.htm |archivedate=November 15, 2017}}</ref>|[[John Carmack]]}}
| artist = {{ubl|[[Adrian Carmack]]|Kevin Cloud|Paul Steed}}
| composer = [[Sascha Dikiciyan|Sonic Mayhem]]<!-- Only Sonic Mayhem did the majority of the work, rest of other names are already mentioned in prose -->
| series = ''[[Quake (series)|Quake]]''
| engine = [[Quake II engine|''Quake II'' engine]]<ref>{{cite web |last1=Perry |first1=Douglass |title=THE REAL QUAKE II INTERVIEW |url=http://www.ign.com/articles/1998/12/31/the-real-quake-ii-interview |website=IGN.com |date=December 31, 1998 |access-date=February 10, 2018}}</ref>{{efn|The enhanced version uses the Kex Engine.}}
| platforms = {{ubl|[[Microsoft Windows]]|[[AmigaOS]]|[[Classic Mac OS]]|[[Nintendo 64]]|[[PlayStation (console)|PlayStation]]|[[Linux]]|[[Xbox 360]]|[[Zeebo]]|[[Nintendo Switch]]|[[PlayStation 4]]|[[PlayStation 5]]|[[Xbox One]]|[[Xbox Series X/S]]|[[BeOS]]}}
| released = {{collapsible list
| title={{nobold|December 9, 1997}}
| '''Microsoft Windows'''
| {{Video game release|NA|December 9, 1997|EU/AU|December 12, 1997<ref name="BluesNovEURelease">{{cite web |url=https://www.bluesnews.com/archives/nov97-5.html |title=blue's Quake Rag - Nov. 29-Dec. 5, 1997 News |date=December 1997 |website=Blue's News |access-date=October 2, 2019}}<br>'''Quake II in the UK December 12''': "id CEO Todd Hollenshead updated his .plan to announce that the expected shelf date for Quake II in the UK is December 12."</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=December 11, 1997 |title=White Hot Games for Christmas |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/123003247 |access-date=May 1, 2024 |work=[[The Age]] |pages=75 |quote=''Quake II'' Due Friday!}}</ref>}}
| '''Linux'''
| {{vgrelease|WW|January 6, 1998<ref>{{Cite web |last=Zoid |date=January 6, 1998 |title=''Quake II'' for Linux |url=https://www.bluesnews.com/s/230369/quake-ii-for-linux |access-date=May 1, 2024 |website=Blue's News}}</ref>}}
| '''Mac OS'''
| {{Video game release|NA|July 1, 1999<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bluesnews.com/s/3252/macquake-ii-available |title=MacQuake II Available |date=July 1, 1999 |website=Blue's News |access-date=October 3, 2019}}</ref>}}
| '''Nintendo 64'''
| {{Video game release|NA|July 7, 1999<ref>{{Cite web |date=September 4, 1999 |title=Game Informer News |url=http://gameinformer.com:80/news/jul99/070799a.html |access-date=April 6, 2023 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19990904020418/http://gameinformer.com:80/news/jul99/070799a.html |archive-date=September 4, 1999 }}</ref>|EU|July 1999<ref>{{Cite web |title=''Quake II'' |url=http://www.chipsworld.co.uk/detProd.asp?ProductCode=0334 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030524054331/http://www.chipsworld.co.uk/detProd.asp?ProductCode=0334 |archive-date=May 24, 2003 |access-date=May 1, 2024 |website=Chipsworld}}</ref>}}
| '''PlayStation'''
| {{Video game release|NA|October 5, 1999<ref>{{Cite web |date=January 18, 2000 |title=PSX Nation: News |url=http://www.psxnation.com/news/100599f.shtml |access-date=May 15, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000118172823/http://www.psxnation.com/news/100599f.shtml |archive-date=January 18, 2000 }}</ref>|EU|October 1999<ref>{{Cite web |title=Quake II sur PSone |url=https://www.jeuxvideo.com/jeux/playstation-ps1/00002869-quake-ii.htm |access-date=May 15, 2023 |website=[[Jeuxvideo.com]] |language=fr}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=''Quake II'' |url=http://www.chipsworld.co.uk/plalist.asp?currentPage=3&Category=Shoot+em+Up |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010427090122/http://www.chipsworld.co.uk/plalist.asp?currentPage=3&Category=Shoot+em+Up |archive-date=April 27, 2001 |access-date=May 1, 2024 |website=Chipsworld}}</ref>}}
| '''Xbox 360'''
| {{Video game release|NA|November 18, 2005|EU|December 2, 2005|AU|March 23, 2006<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jastrzab |first=Jeremy |date=February 27, 2006 |title=Updated Australian release list, 27/02/06 |url=http://palgn.com.au/article.php?id=3975 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090111225155/http://palgn.com.au/article.php?id=3975 |archive-date=January 11, 2009 |access-date=May 1, 2024 |website=PALGN}}</ref>}}
| '''Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S'''
| {{Video game release|WW|August 10, 2023}}
}}
| genre = [[First-person shooter]]
| modes = [[Single-player]], [[Multiplayer video game|multiplayer]]
}}

'''''Quake II''''' is a 1997 [[first-person shooter|first-person shooter game]] developed by [[id Software]] and published by [[Activision]]. It is the second installment of the [[Quake (series)|''Quake'' series]], following ''[[Quake (video game)|Quake]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.polygon.com/2012/12/7/3738954/quake-2-turns-15-years-old-today |title=Quake 2 turns 15-years-old today |last=Lien |first=Tracey |date=December 7, 2012 |website=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] |access-date=November 15, 2017}}</ref>

Developed over the course of a year, ''Quake II'' was released on December 9, 1997. In contrast to the first game, which featured a combination of [[science fiction]] and [[fantasy]] elements, ''Quake II'' entirely drops the latter elements and is set during humankind's war against a rogue alien race known as the Strogg, half-mutant half-machine creatures whose homeplanet, Stroggos, is the target of the humans' invasion force. The player takes the role of a space marine (referred to as Bitterman) as he crash-lands on the planet and, being the last survivor of his squad, is tasked with completing a series of missions to cripple the Strogg and end their plans to conquer Earth. The game's storyline is continued in its expansions, including one tying in ''Quake II'' and the first game, and ''[[Quake 4]]''. The game's heavy metal soundtrack was provided by [[Sascha Dikiciyan]].

Besides its single player component, ''Quake II'' also uses a client/server network system similar to that of ''Quake'' for multiplayer. Unlike ''Quake'', where [[hardware acceleration]] was only implemented through later patches, ''Quake II'' was released with native [[OpenGL]] support. ''Quake II'' was also the first id Software game not to be released for the then-deprecated [[MS-DOS]] operating system, rather running natively on [[Windows 95]], with several ports to other systems following afterwards. The source code for ''Quake II'' was released by id Software under the [[GNU General Public License|GPL license]] on December 21, 2001.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.osnews.com/story/438/quake-2-source-code-released/ |title=Quake 2 Source Code Released |last=Loli |first=Eugenia |date=December 22, 2001 |website=OS News }}</ref>

''Quake II'' received critical acclaim on its release, and similarly to its predecessor is generally considered to be one of the [[List of video games considered the best|best video games]] ever made.<ref name=Edge2000>{{cite magazine|title=The 100 Best Games of All Time|magazine=[[Edge (magazine)|Edge]]|issue=80|date=January 2000}}</ref><ref name=GameSpy>{{cite web |title=GameSpy's Top 50 Games of All Time |website=[[GameSpy]] |year=2001 |url=http://archive.gamespy.com/articles/july01/top50index/ |access-date=April 22, 2022 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040604135802/http://archive.gamespy.com/articles/july01/top50index/ |archive-date=June 4, 2004}}</ref><ref name=EW>{{cite magazine|title=We rank the 100 greatest videogames|date=May 13, 2003|url=http://www.ew.com/article/2003/05/13/we-rank-100-greatest-videogames/|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|access-date=March 8, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180309120251/http://www.ew.com/article/2003/05/13/we-rank-100-greatest-videogames/|archive-date=March 9, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> An "enhanced" version of ''Quake II'' developed by [[Nightdive Studios]] was released for [[Nintendo Switch]], [[PlayStation 4]], [[PlayStation 5]], [[Microsoft Windows]], [[Xbox One]], [[Xbox Series X and Series S|Xbox Series X/S]] on August 10, 2023. It includes the original game and its two expansion packs, an episode consisting of the levels from the [[Nintendo 64]] version of the game, and a brand new episode designed by [[MachineGames]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Porter |first=Jon |last2=Parrish |first2=Ash |date=August 10, 2023 |title=Quake II is getting the remaster treatment |url=https://www.theverge.com/2023/8/10/23827253/quake-ii-remaster-price-release-date-features |website=The Verge}}</ref>