During CNET's 10-year anniversary celebration back in 2005, the site posted its Top 10 Games list over the previous ten years. Strangely enough, none of them went beyond 2001, but they included true gems such as Half-Life, The Sims, EverQuest, and StarCraft. However, seated in the fourth position was id Software's "gothic-n-gibbed" FPS from 1996, Quake.
"One of the best-looking games ever to be released, Quake introduced us to true 3D gaming," CNET said. "In conjunction with the ascendance of graphics chip maker 3dfx, with Quake, games became not only three-dimensional, their textures were also greatly improved. Gone were the days of hideous pixelated graphics and simple aim-and-shoot gameplay."
The PC game introduced many elements now used in most PC shooters including the keyboard-and-mouse combo, polygons (although those were using in other titles like Descent), and online deathmatch. The words "lag" and "mouselook" became common gaming terms while "mods" entered the scene thanks to id Software's allowance for end-user creativity, giving birth to Capture the Flag, Rocket Arena, and more.
For PC gamers, it was a golden age when virtual worlds finally left their 2D, pixilated roots and brought players together across the nation. Gamers can now relive some of that classic action at a really low price, as Steam is currently offering 50-percent off its entire Quake Collection. For $15, you can purchase Quake, Quake: Scourge of Armagon, Quake: Dissolution of Eternity, Quake II, Quake II: Ground Zero, Quake II: The Reckoning, Quake III Arena, and Quake III: Team Arena.
Gamers can also purchase each title on an individual basis and still receive a discount. As the offer was originally launched on Friday, there's no indication on when this deal will actually end.
