After 25 Years, Quake 1 Gets Major 'Horde' Mode Update

Ars Technica reports:

Months after the first-person-shooter classic Quake got a major 25th anniversary re-release, its modern handlers have returned with an update that exceeds all expectations. Thursday's new 770MB patch on all platforms (Xbox, PlayStation, Switch, PC) adds an entirely new co-op combat mode, and it officially opens the game's mod floodgates for players outside the PC ecosystem.

The uncreatively named 'Horde' mode works much like a mode of the same name in Gears of War. Instead of progressing through a level from start to finish, players are expected to hunker down inside a somewhat circular arena and then contend with hundreds of enemies spawning from all sides. Kill a full 'wave' of foes, and your team will get a moment to breathe, replenish health and ammo (or argue over who gets to use it), and do it all over again.

For the sake of Quake's first-ever official co-op mode (beyond the campaign, which always supported co-op as an option), Bethesda support studio MachineGames has whipped up four brand-new battling arenas, which are pictured above. Each includes at least one 'silver key' door, which is full of more powerful weapons and is gated until players earn a key by defeating a tougher 'boss wave' of foes. Get through nine enemy waves, and your team gets a 'gold key.' You can either exit the level at that point or stay and keep fighting increasingly tough foes until your team dies.

In addition, Quake now has a new 'add-on' menu, and this week's patch gives it an option for playing the foggy 2012 Quake mod 'Honey.'

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