The arrival of Quake 2 signalled the end of just about everything else (other games, a social life, personal hygiene) for at least 6 months, as well as being another great leap forward to Upgrade Time for those with non-meaty PCs. Watching the phenomenon blossom is intriguing, though plotting its course is a no brainer. As expected, the online community swung into action from the outset. The existing 7.8 million or so Quake fan/news sites embraced the second coming with gusto, providing up-to-the-minute news and downloads... Quake 2’s long term value has been assured even only a few weeks after its release. There are enough hacks turned editor out there to sink the proverbial ship and the rate of people having a dabble is increasing every day. How long will Quake 2 last? Well let’s just say that if you played every single level, used every patch, made your own levels, played every TC you would be very old by the time you had finished. You would also die very happy.