This fan-made Quake level is bigger than the original FPS' chapters, with brutal difficulty that makes Dark Souls look like Peppa Pig
The Immortal Lock mod for Quake on PC features higher difficulties “intended to be impossible for the majority of players.”
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
What you need to know
Despite DOOM getting most of the love fromBethesda Softworks and its Microsoft parents, I still love Quake after all these years. The 1996 classic was a game-changer for PC gamers, bringing first-person shooters into the third dimension with a new game engine that its developers would eventually outsource and revolutionize 3D gaming in general. One thing Ineverthought about Quake, however, was, “man, this game is too easy.”
Well, too bad because an all-new playable level designed by modderAmelie C. Langlois, also known asComfyByTheFire, deliversThe Immortal Lock, a gigantic custom level for Quake. They promote the horror-themed segmented map as a story-driven experience with “extremely challenging fights” in what might go down as the understatement of the century because this thing is absolutelycrushing, even with a scalable difficulty selection.
Quake (PC)
Grab the legendary follow-up to id Software’s DOOM and jump into The Immortal Lock’s slipgate today.
Buy:$3.49 at CDKeys (Steam)|$4.04 at GOG
The Immortal Lock is a custom map for Quake, not a standalone game. It requires the files from the full PC version and the latest64-bit build of vkQuake, a source port of the original game that improves performance and allows higher framerates, resolutions, and dynamic lighting.
What is The Immortal Lock and how do I play it?
While The Immortal Lock utilizes the same weapons and enemy types from the original Quake files, the enormous interconnected level wascreated by seasoned modder ComfyByTheFirefrom scratch. The intention is to challenge even the most grizzled veterans who have mastered the classic FPS, filling its cosmic horror-laden halls with intricate platforming puzzles and hiding the necessary keys to unlock doors and progress forward.
Through the thin veil of reality, you find only a desolate plane of flesh and despair and a dread voice that beckons your name.
Players are gently encouraged to “play one difficulty lower than you normally would,” which should be enough of a hint of its unforgiving combat and relentless pitfalls dotted around its avenues of cosmic horrors.
Quick-saves are your friends in The Immortal Lock, just as they were back in the late ’90s before autosaves and regular cutscenes would save you from too much repetition. I spent a few hours getting acquainted with the surprising amount of interwoven story elements, mostly found as dropped notes from dead NPCs, andas a massive boomer shooter addict, I’m beyond hooked. Check outthe trailerfor a taste of its themes.
Installing The Immortal Lock on a Windows desktop or gaming laptop is about as simple as it gets. It doesn’t require mod managers or a particular load order, only a legitimate copy of the game fromSteam,GOG, or elsewhere. First, you need to install the original Quake and the vkQuake source port.
You could open vkQuake.exe at this point to test how the original Quake runs on your hardware. While it’s a retro classic, vkQuake does enhance the engine with dynamic shadows and other visual luxuries, so it’s worth checking that your PC is comfortable running the base game first. Now, let’s install The Immortal Lock.
Alternatively, if the ‘Mods’ option appears in your main menu upon launching Quake, you should be able to select ‘immortal’ from there, and it achieves the same outcome. Congratulations, you’re about to jump into the pits of a secret research facility in.. Finland. Enjoying the mod? Let me know in the comments.
Does it run on Steam Deck?
Yes, but it’s far from perfect. While there is a native Linux port of vkQuake that handlesSteam Deckcontrols without issue, the sheer enormity of The Immortal Lock causes some frame rate drops on Valve’s handheld. Dropping the resolution to its bare minimum doesn’t seem to affect the bad frame pacing in more demanding areas, but locking the maximum to 40 FPS can help with a smoother experience.
However, when you reach areas with a screen full of active projectiles (and there are plenty of those), you’ll likely struggle to hit all your shots with perfect accuracy, as the mod demands. If you have aWindows-based ASUS ROG Ally, you might have a better experience, but it is at least ‘playable’ on the Steam Deck, at least byValve’s verification standards. I tested both the vkQuake-1.31.0.appImage for Linux and vkQuake-1.31.0 x64 binaries for Windows withProton Experimental, and both performed about the same on Steam Deck.
Ben is a Senior Editor at Windows Central, covering everything related to technology hardware and software. He regularly goes hands-on with the latest Windows laptops, components inside custom gaming desktops, and any accessory compatible with PC and Xbox. His lifelong obsession with dismantling gadgets to see how they work led him to pursue a career in tech-centric journalism after a decade of experience in electronics retail and tech support.
