Quake Arena Arcade was developed by id Software and published by Bethesda Softworks for XBLA on 12/15/2010 and retails for 1200 ms. The publisher provided a copy of the game for reviewing purposes.

Prepare to experience Quakelike never before, as you fight for ultimate survival on 33 classic maps and in 12 Xbox-exclusive Arenas. The latest from id Software for the Xbox Live Arcade is packed full of many features for all Quake fans to enjoy, as you select from six playable game types to lay waste upon your enemies while using 12 brutal weapons in fighting for the top spot.

So here is what we liked:

MAPS, MAPS, MAPS GALORE: Quake Arena Arcade is packed full of a variety of game levels to Frag the night away from the start. It doesn’t take long for a Quake fan here to feel right at home with a lot of these maps and the varieties of game play available. Some of my favorite maps included multilevel areas to battle and acceleration pads that launch across from battle area to battle area, just be careful to not fall off into the voids though. There is something to enjoy here between either the solo campaign bot matches or an Xbox Live enabled online session for Quake fans here.

Say Hello to my BFG10K and much more: The weapons of old have returned once again in all of their new found glory here in Quake Arena Arcade. Providing multiple options for each warrior as they run around, scarfing up these items of mass destruction is the clear path way to success. They don’t call it the BFG10K for nothing here and its the clear favorite of any old Quake fan from back in the day, but you’ll find quite a number of other weapons to help out along the way as well. Learning their locations and the best combinations is clear to surviving these arena matches.

Great Sound Effects and Music: Crank this game on up and frag everyone that moves here while listening to an inspiring music soundtrack, along with the added arena announcer that helps set the mood and helps to keep all the warriors updated during the games progress.

So here is what we didn’t like:

Visuals are just Ok man: Ok, we are talking about an old school shooter here and yes these graphics & game play is nothing like most of the FPS team deathmatch games that we are use to playing. A number of these game levels do tend to be on the darker side of things and can provide a challenge it targeting your opponent. So when the game talks about supporting HD and Widescreen here, don’t expect to see anything along the level of those other games here. The game does run and plays very smoothly and still pays a great homage to its older PC versions or for a matter of fact, the old Dreamcast systems too.

Insane Run and Gun: Prepare for some insane run and gun action here with plenty of visual sensory overload. With up to 16 players for matching up and on various game levels and game types, there is something to be said about charging into those tiny L shaped hallways and blasting away at non stop. Just frag away and pray that in the end a few of those other players will go down in all that carnage here too.

Its just a Bot thing: The solo campaign has no real depth or story for this overall game here, but what it does provide, is the ability to play through arenas and unlock the various game maps and challenge levels. Expecting more of something along the lines of the old Quake game campaign modes here, then its best to dust off those old PC copies or look towards something like Quake 4 or Quake Wars for any of that type of gaming action. The Bots do work well here and can make up for those times that online play might be hard to find on Xbox Live and it does offer a chance to practice and warm up before hitting those online Arenas, but other than that… their just a bunch of bots fighting back.

Quake Arena Arcade is a refreshing blast from the past and its sure to be a lot of fun for both the old and new gamers here. There is something to be found for everyone here in Quake Arena Arcade, from the standard Free For All game or a Team Deathmatch mode to other game modes like Overload or Harvester if those are more to your liking. Quake Arena Arcade is well worth a try, but we recommend that it has more of a permanent place in your gaming collection and see this as more of a must buy title from the Xbox Live Arcade.

Score: Buy