For all you frag'n folks out there who weren't already aware, you'll be very glad to know that Activision have made sure their latest blockbuster title "Quake 4" has covered the lands far and wide prior to launch day, making its way onto store shelves for you to swipe up a copy and get right into the action. So what're you waiting for peeps? go snap up your copy pronto and let the bloodshed commence!

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Oct 18, 2005 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ -- The Global Defense Force has been given the green light to invade the Strogg home planet as id Software(TM) and Activision, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) announced today that QUAKE 4(TM) for the PC has shipped. The long-awaited sequel to QUAKE II(R), QUAKE 4 enlists gamers in the role of Matthew Kane, a member of the legendary Rhino Squad, to penetrate deep into the heart of the Strogg war machine and engage in a series of heroic missions to destroy the barbaric alien race. QUAKE 4 for the PC is available at retail outlets nationwide for a suggested retail price of $49.99. Additionally, fans can purchase the QUAKE 4 Special DVD Edition for a suggested retail price of $59.99, which includes QUAKE II, the QUAKE II expansion packs, and exclusive behind-the-scenes content. Both versions carry an "M" (Mature) rating by the ESRB.

Need reassuring that the game is worth your hard-earned pennies? Well then, why not check out some reviews and feedback on the game. Phoronix have a quick intro on its arrival to the multiplayer-FPS scene, and AMDZone have run several Q4 benchmarks with an Athlon 64 X2 and Radeon X850XT PE to give you an idea of how it performs on higher-end hardware. Finally, IGN have a fully-fledged review up with the complete rundown, as do PCMag.

IGN:-
October 13, 2005 - As someone who's been playing id software games since the Wolfenstein 3D days, it's been intriguing to watch shooters go from genre diversion to one of the most compelling reasons to play games on a computer. With companies like Epic, DICE, and Valve in the mix, we've been spoiled with a wide spectrum, from awesome single-player, huge multiplayer battles, and last-man-standing tournaments. And with players actually competing for money these days -- some of them earning enough to avoid having to actually work for a living -- the FPS has become a force to be reckoned with. Id Software has been there the whole time, particularly in multiplayer. For Quake 4, they handed the reins to Raven, who themselves have worked with id and its engines for over ten years now. These guys are no slouches, and the production values of Quake 4 prove this beyond a doubt. The game has a good share of "gee whiz" moments, with huge monsters, huge explosions, and huge vistas. You'll see some things that Doom 3 didn't indicate its engine was capable of -- some of which we saw in the Prey E3 demo video. And multiplayer has that same feel we've come to know from Quake: hectic, chunky, and bombastic. However, in the long run, the game is not quite what we've come to expect.