An immersive storyline and beautiful graphics ALMOST make this game perfect. There are flaws, though.
With Quake 4, the legacy goes on. One of the most powerful engines behind the game is the storyline. Everything you do in the game has a reason, in Single Player mode. I will only be reviewing Single Player because I have not had enough experience with the Multiplayer in Quake 4. The game begins with a war for the survival of humankind. The protagonist of the game, Kane, is the character you control. In a planet-wide battle, the ship carrying you and the rest of Rhino squad is shot down. Miraculously, you and a few others survive. The look of the game is truly epic; it really does feel as if you're in the heat of battle, but at times there could have been more enemies to deal with in the outside areas, to give the game a sense of real chaos (as it is set during a war, after all). The idea to have different squads in the game add the realism that is prominent in Quake 4. You'll be fighting alongside members of the Viper squad, the Badger squad, and the Venom squad, among others. Another great aspect of this game is the voice acting. The superior officers and their voices give a real sense of command. Medics, on the other hand, will be slightly more soft-spoken.
The graphics are phenomenal. The Doom 3 engine is used, but id and Raven have opted for a less sinister look in comparison to Doom 3, a very dark game (due to the lack of ambient lighting that give is a very eerie look). The details of the characters are also great. One predominant aspect of the game is it's linear storyline. Although the game is very fun to play, it is also easy in the way that all the objectives are marked out and one will rarely have to look for a long time, as the path is usually marked by having closed doors forcing you to enter through the only open door that, through inference, must lead to the right path.
There are some highlights to the game. Using a Strogg engine to melt an ultra-resistant pane of glass blocking your team from their objective.
All in all, a fun game, albeit a very linear one.