Choose Quake 4
Choose Quake 4 if it's the newer release (2011) and ships with the modern feature baseline. 1,665 Steam reviews back the pick.
Quake 4 vs Quake II
Quake 4 and Quake II both land in Action on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both are Action games on Steam. Quake II (2007) is 4 years older than Quake 4 (2011). Quake II scores higher on Steam reviews (94.9% positive) than Quake 4 (85.5% positive). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.
Which should you pick?
Choose Quake II
Choose Quake II if you want the Shared/Split Screen, Online PvP, and Shared/Split Screen PvP side of the pairing. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 94.9% positive across 5,432 reviews.
Both Quake 4 and Quake II sit in Action on Steam and both list Multi-player, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Use the side-by-side table for the feature view, or follow the "Games like" links below to see ranked alternatives for either title.
Side-by-side comparison
 Quake 4 |  Quake II | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2011 | 2007 |
| Genres | Action | Action |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Verified |
| Price | 14.99 USD | 9.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 85.5% positive (1,665 reviews) | 94.9% positive (5,432 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Online Co-op |
| Developers | RavenSoft, id Software | id Software, Nightdive Studios, MachineGames |
Side by side
- Both are Action games on Steam.
- Quake II (2007) is 4 years older than Quake 4 (2011).
- Quake II scores higher on Steam reviews (94.9% positive) than Quake 4 (85.5% positive).
- Quake II is currently ~33% cheaper on Steam than Quake 4 (9.99 USD vs. 14.99 USD).
- Quake II has co-op; Quake 4 does not.
- Steam Deck: Quake 4 is Deck Playable, Quake II is Deck Verified.
Quake 4 vs Quake II — FAQ
- Which is better, Quake 4 or Quake II?
- On Steam reviews Quake II scores higher (94.9% positive) than Quake 4 (85.5% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Quake II is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Quake 4 or Quake II first?
- If you want chronology, Quake II (2007) came out before Quake 4 (2011). If neither is a sequel to the other, order doesn't really matter — start with whichever fits your current mood, since both share enough on Steam to make either a reasonable opener.
- Are Quake 4 and Quake II similar?
- They overlap on Action on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.