Quake 4

I got to play Quake 4 the other day. It's well made, better than Doom3. I thought the levels were better, the lighting is certainly better thought out, they actually use shadows to make it a little scarrier. The classic joke of a small enemy making a big spooky shadow appears, it's not until you get closer that you realise!

It's a dark (mood) gorry game, but not too much, in my opinion. There are blood stained floors, after a monster has dragged a fellow companion away, which you just so happened to be in time to see, but too late to do anything about! Then there are dead soldiers littering the levels. Some are nailed to the wall or in contraptions being electrocuted with a thunder bolt type gun, which you later pick up. Some humans are in mechanical contraptions with their limbs chopped that make groaning sounds as you approach, some are even headless.
Ok it sounds worse than it actually looks, but It all adds to the atmosphere. Being in enemy territory, the enemy are experimenting on humans or at least trying to convert them to cybernetic "Strogg" drones.

I quite liked the health revitalisers you have on the wall ( a concept borrowed from Half Life I think). It would be good if I could use this concept also. Perhaps have drones, energy clouds or mini-lightning storms on the wall edge to raise the shields. Perhaps if you have no shields (drained or not turned on) then these things will damage your armour!
In Q4 there are other soldiers that will sometimes accompany you to acheive your objectives. There is a medic that can restore your health, if you ask him and a tech guy who can restore your armour. I liked the idea of such things in medal of honour. In MOH the number of health packs the medic dishes out was restricted, in Q4 it doesn't seem to be, although it is only available while the guy is still alive! Also in MOH you couldn't shoot while being 'repaired' by the medic, so you had to pick the right time to ask for his help.