The Quake mod AQtion Quake 2 is on Steam as a standalone release, making it for the first time since the FPS game mod came onto the scene in disc form back in 1998. AQtion’s creators credit it as the game that inspired Counter Strike, itself originally a spinoff mod from Half-Life. AQtion is free on Steam, as you’d expect from most mods, and it comes with a host of modes and features. While the mod is likely much as you may remember it from years ago, it’s likely to keep changing., AQtion Quake 2 is also on GitHub as an open-source project anyone can contribute to.
The development team originally made AQtion Quake 2 soon after Quake 2 released at the end of 1997, as they wanted a faster-paced experience closer to what you see in action movies. You can hardly call Quake 2 plodding, but there’s no denying AQtion achieves its goal of creating a more thrilling experience.
The mod features six modes, including the classic Deathmatch, along with Team Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, Espionage, and a robust Teamplay mode. Despite the emphasis on multiplayer in AQtion, these modes can all be played offline as well against a set of bots whose behavior you can customize to suit your needs.
AQtion Quake 2 gives you a deadly set of weapons to play with in these modes, from grenades and a shotgun to a combat knife, sniper rifles, and even a handcannon.
While a standalone release for a nearly 30-year-old Quake mod may seem random, it’s just the latest development in the game’s vibrant mod scene.
Fans are in the process of development a Doom and Quake crossover mod that merges enemies and maps from both games, while Nightdive, the studio behind porting Doom 64 to PC, is pushing for a proper Quake remaster made in Unreal Engine.