Graphics: The sum of the graphics equals id Software’s cutting-edge engine plus Raven Software’s trademark visual splendor divided by the power of your hardware. You do the math. It is important to remember Portal of Praevus uses Quake technology, and hence does not feature any of the graphical enhancements of Quake 2. While I missed the colored lighting, and many of the effects, such as explosions, are still sprite-based, the game contains a broader color pallet, and avoids the mind-numbing effects of endless grays and browns. You can also forget about trolling down empty, barren halls; gorgeously sculpted statues populate the levels, frighteningly detailed paintings grace the walls, and over 600 beautiful new textures give vivid life to the environments. For those who do not have a 3D graphics accelerator that supports OpenGL, the game still offers an attractive software version that contains nearly all the keen effects, including transparent water. I am going to go out on a limb here and contend the software version has an alluring grittiness missing in the polished and precise rendering of the accelerated version. On another positive note, the game is forgiving with respect to system requirements; if the original played acceptably fast on your system, the add-on will do equally well. Finally, what I find most impressive about the look of the game is how it is filled with movement. Once, I was dealt a death blow by a Skull Wizard, who sent me reeling backwards into a pool of water. As I floated there contemplating revenge, I noticed the movement of the water, through which I could see the wizard breathing, his chest rising and falling. Above him, flags moved with the wind, and higher still, clouds soared quickly along multiple planes, creating an unsettling urgency. The graphics and other creative touches do an admirable job of modeling a living, breathing world, given the boundaries of current hardware and software technologies.




Interface: There is no autoplay on the disc, which would have proved helpful; nevertheless, the installation program ran without incident, and automatically updated my old version of Hexen 2. All the interface amenities of the original Quake engine are present, making the game a configuration powerhouse. With the console, you can literally reprogram the gameplay according to your preferences. Although you can easily customize the controls using the menu system, some players prefer to set key bindings manually. Additionally, there are hundreds of commands available in the console, enabling you to create macros that perform multiple actions with the press of a key. For example, before confronting Praevus, I created the ability to use a Tome of Power and increase my health and mana with the press of a single key. This is especially helpful in deathmatch, when fighting a fistful of keys could mean losing a battle. Because of the rich inventory system, winning a battle often requires strategic use of the proper items, and the less time spent reaching for various keys, the better. However, this does raise the issue of overall simplicity and ease of use. Quake 2 made important strides by providing an enhanced menu system, allowing players to make additional changes without resorting to the console or, worse, command line. For instance, to change the graphics resolution of Portal of Praevus, I had to exit the game, then reload from a DOS window after manually typing the desired height, width and bits-per-pixel. I openly admit I have been spoiled by the ability to change and experiment with the graphics resolutions while playing Quake 2, and found this process tedious. Still, the title makes the best of the available technology, and many commands are readily available through the menu system or by using the function keys. Regarding gameplay, nothing can be simpler than the finely-tuned control system of a properly developed 3D title, and that is what this technology is all about. The game effectively removes players from the controls and places them directly in the heat of battle. Thoughts are instantly translated into action without concern for the controls, and that, my friends, is the way it should be.




Gameplay: The gameplay is solely focused on intense, nail-biting action, and the results are spectacular. The sometimes frustratingly obscure puzzles of the original have been replaced with simple objectives, such as finding an article or completing a set of actions that allows you to progress to the next level. One representative sequence requires the player to complete three trials, those being the trials of the mind, body, and soul, before advancing in the game. To clear your thoughts, you must find the Incense of Enlightenment and place it on an altar; to cleanse your soul, you must locate the Oil of Anointment and proceed to a pool of purification; and to pass the trial of the body, you must defeat a series of increasingly brutal creatures. Only then will you be able to enter a pillar of fire and obtain one of three jewels needed to progress to the next level. It may sound complicated, but everything can be gathered with fleet-footed assuredness, and the sequence plays out quickly with no tension-killing breaks in the action. The game contains one mildly puzzling brain-buster involving prayer wheels and cryptic symbols, but even that enigma can be easily solved by searching for and finding the necessary clues. The itty bitty switch hunt has also been abandoned in favor of keeping players fighting. While some players may be disappointed by the lack of involved puzzles, and this design approach offers little real substance beyond the traditional key and door metaphor, the gameplay is wholly appropriate for an action title, and among the most breathtaking in the series. I should mention the speed of Internet-based multiplayer games is still a tough call, and depends heavily on your connection. Hopefully, a final version of HexenWorld, which increases the speed of multiplayer games considerably, will be available soon after the mission pack is released.




Sound FX: The sounds are very accomplished, and indicate the level of detail afforded every aspect of the game. Of course, the effects have a powerful, aural impact, and fill the game with informative, well-timed audio cues. Walk past a torch, and you will hear the crackle of flames; stroll outside, and you will be greeted by an eerie, howling wind. When a Knight Archer targets you, you will hear the stretching of his bow, and can respond in kind. Fire in defense with the Tempest’s Staff, and a satisfying pseudo-electric discharge emanates from your speakers. In the distance, unseen creatures growl and snap with disturbing purpose. Like the graphics, the sounds create a vivid sense of life. I must give particular attention to the Acid Rune, which sizzles with striking clarity as it scorches the flesh of its victims. I also like the way the wings of the Demoness flap when she leaps, then stops in mid-air. In this manner, the effects complete the missing visual details. It is just one more thread woven into a tapestry of satisfying gameplay.




Musical Score: The game contains several new CD tracks, each of which generates an effective ethereal backdrop for the carnage. My only complaint is the music is highly derivative of other Raven titles. In fact, the scores for all Raven games since Heretic have sounded alike, with little deviation in style or substance. While the tracks are well-composed and have a deep, sonorous energy, I am weary of this approach and yearn for something fresh.




Intelligence & Difficulty: The bestiary is a tenacious bunch, and the developers have fashioned an extraordinarily challenging set of foes out of slightly above average artificial intelligence. This is accomplished by giving creatures multiple and very potent attacks, and by bestowing upon them expert navigational skills. Too often, the creatures in 3D action games are unable to progress past simple obstacles, such as stairs or a drop in altitude. The demons that possess Portal of Praevus have no such hang-ups, and are capable of pursuing players to the depths of Hell and back, if that is what it takes. The spiders are particularly adept, quickly leaping, skittering, and climbing their way past taxing obstructions for the sole purpose of sinking their fangs into your gullet. Speed is another asset of these astounding creatures, and it makes escaping them nigh impossible. Once, I engaged a Golem in battle, and quickly grew low on health. More interested in surviving than watching his victory animation, I made a mad dash for the far end of the level. Within moments, I had secured what I believed was a safe haven. Suddenly, he bounded around the corner and crushed me with a single blow before I had time to react. It was so…sudden and so…real I screamed and vaulted from my chair. As for their reasoning, it could use a little fine-tuning. True, enemies who use projectile weapons keep their distance, and nearly every creature has been imbued with a set of mildly effective evasive maneuvers, such as ducking and strafing, but you will not detect any of the advanced behavior upcoming games will feature. Not that it matters; the game contains a truly rigorous set of computer-controlled opponents. There is simply no way to avoid combat, nor blaze through levels effortlessly mowing down antagonists. One time, I attempted to duck behind a table for cover from a Knight Archer. Not to be deterred, my persistent adversary stopped firing, walked around the table, and wasted me while I desperately searched my inventory for health. Often, enemies are used in lethal combinations. One deadly situation found me battling a charging Yakman while imps and archers rained death from above. This type of tactically planned, intense combat makes a single-player game well worth playing.




Overall: If you have become suspicious of add-ons due to the glut of second-rate products crowding store shelves, rest assured Portal of Praevus is a first-rate, professionally produced title. Like its predecessor, it offers intense gameplay within a richly interactive and graphically sumptuous environment. Yet it also manages to promote a new and much purer philosophy for the series, one that focuses on action, rather than attempting to blend action, adventure, and RPG elements. This retooling may disappoint those who were drawn to the puzzles and light role playing, yet it has produced a better title for a more specific audience — the action gamer. Raven and Activision have been accused of continuing the series just to sell games, but with titles like this to play, so what? The developers are a profoundly creative group of game artisans, and I am more than thrilled to continue my patronage. As I see it, the only problem they may encounter is running out of humiliating animals into which players can be morphed. Cluck! Oink! Baaa!