Following the introductory level, Quake III continues it's gentle introduction with Arena Gate, another small map set in a medieval castle consisting of two medium sized areas, one exterior and one interior, connected by a small branching hallway. The first area is a large open courtyard with a rocket launcher at its centre flanked by two large stone statues of champions of the arena eternal. Heading indoors you'll reach and pass the roaring fireplace (pictured above) leading to the second area, a large room with a plasma gun and red armour jacket in which some monstrous demonic creature has bitten through a large section of the wall.

This level pits you against a familiar face from the first game in the Quake series, its silent and previously unnamed protagonist, Ranger. Fresh from his battle with the elder gods, the Vadrigar have imprisoned him in the Arena Eternal. With no way back home and unrecognisable from his former self, Ranger is resigned to his fate.

The key items here are the rocket launcher in the outer courtyard, the gold health globe before the fireplace (pictured), the plasma gun in the the hall and the red armour vest. The red armour suit sits in the mouth of the large creature, and running into its jaws to retrieve it leaves you open to attack, but it is also the one of the most helpful items in the level so shouldn't be passed up. The shotgun appears just beside the fireplace, and provides an important audio cue to listen for and predict the approach of enemies running out into the open. The courtyard provides enough cover with it's variegated pillars, statues and supporting structural features, but the interior room is wide open and empty.

Arena Gate works well in most gametypes but is best avoided in team games. It's had a resurgence in Quake Live's Clan Arena (where it reappears as arenagate, formerly QZDM1), but tends to lead to very restrictive trench fights where both teams attempt to smoke each other out from near the central hearth resulting in the side with the least patience (or ammo) losing first.

Arena Gate should need no introduction, and is best suited to what it was undoubtedly built for, duels and small free for alls with 3-4 gamers. The red armour is mostly unnecessary here, so try to control the rocket launcher throughout, running through to the plasma room only when the main courtyard is overloaded.