i still value quake 2 as one of the best games ever made. the problem with sequels like doom 3 and quake 4 is what i call the "star trek phenomenon", the old fans feel betrayed because the franchise develops and gets better grafics, a new story line, new / other characters etc, while the new gamer generation only appreciates the good looks of those games, and don't identify with it too much. they want to see some up to date features, and action. see, car/tank driving and shooting turrets has never been a part of the quake franchise, but since far cry 1, it's an unwritten rule that every damn shooter needs a bloody car in it to be cool and have something on the feature list to brag about.

i still love to play quake 3 online, even though it's almost a decade old. if i ever had to make a shooter, i would have exactly 3 weapons: a rocket launcher, a shotgun, and a plasma rifle. maybe if i were better with it, the rail gun. the key to an action game is the action, that's what many popular "adventure-shooters" don't get, take bioshock for example. huge feature list, impressive grafics, story, new scenario. i liked it, but i won't play it twice. it was interesting, but it didn't draw me in, make my hands sweaty or my heart beat faster. it was a nice trip underwater, but that's about it. where has the action part been? shooting the always-the-same splicers, being revived while attacing those protector monsters? no. that was one encounter per minute, at max.

a series that grasps the concept of action and first person shooting quite well is serious sam. and i bet it sells pretty well. yes, you have cars and vehicles, but they do not interrupt the gameplay, it's just another weapon combined with a faster movement.