The Quake 2 remaster has arrived to kick off Quakecon 2023

Quake 2 remaster artwork
(Image credit: Bethesda/id Software)

The long-rumored Quake 2 remaster has arrived and features a whole bunch of content. It's out now on PC, the major consoles - and has also come to Xbox Game Pass.

Like with 2021's remaster of the original Quake, the release includes the base game and a smattering of content to offer a fulsome package of shooter goodness. It includes the game's original expansions (The Reckoning and Ground Zero), and a brand new expansion from id's sister developer (also under the Bethesda umbrella) Machine Games called Call of the Machine. Oh, the entire Quake 2 64 campaign is here as well for those who never got to experience one of the game's quirkier ports.

Offering brand-new content for a game that was originally released 26 years ago makes the package an incredibly tempting proposition and is likely to draw many existing fans back, and new ones in. With this new expansion on top of the original two, you'll get more than 60 extra campaign levels and more than 20 multiplayer maps. What's more, you can play all the campaigns in co-op - online or split-screen - so can reminisce and enjoy the game with friends as well.  

And on top of the game and expansions, the remaster offers numerous upgrades, enhancements, and improvements that bring it nicely into the 21st century. With Nightdive Studios (who have a long history with retro remasters and remakes - see System Shock from earlier this year) at the helm, players can look forward to 4K resolution, new accessibility options, improved animations and gore, enhanced lighting, and much more. The original soundtrack is still there though, and still bangs.

You can pick up the remaster right now on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC via all the major digital storefronts, and won't cost you that much either - it's selling for just $9.99 / £7.99. Which is a bargain for one of the best FPS games from the days of yore.

If you're after something from a different genre, then check out our guides to the best RPGs, best horror games, or the best racing games for something different.

Rob Dwiar
Managing Editor, TechRadar Gaming

Rob is the Managing Editor of TechRadar Gaming, a video games journalist, critic, editor, and writer, and has years of experience gained from multiple publications. Prior to being TechRadar Gaming's Managing Editor, he was TRG's Deputy Editor, and a longstanding member of GamesRadar+, being the Commissioning Editor for Hardware there for years, while also squeezing in a short stint as Gaming Editor at WePC just before joining TechRadar Gaming. He is also a writer on tech, gaming hardware, and video games but also gardens and landscapes, combining the two areas in an upcoming book on video game landscapes that you can back and pre-order now.