AI answers are gaslighting me into thinking I'm crazy, but I swear I'm seeing model asset and visual rendering techniques from all three of the games.. Aren't these armor shards from Quake 2, and isnt the volumetric red lighting along the floor in The Haunted Tower (for example) a Quake 3 reference/throwback?

Yes

I'm feeling the same playing through it, especially the armour shards.

I'm not sure that's volumetric lighting, but it does have visual similarities come to think of it.

I think all the MachineGames expansions have tried to progressively unify the Quake aesthetics and form some logic on how or when each are used. It’s a testament to their success that I didn’t make the Haunted Tower lighting connection because it just made sense in context, but I think you’re right that’s what they were drawing from

Volumetric fog was simulated in Q1 custom maps long time ago. As for Q2 armor shards then, yeah, they're Q2 armor shards. But "eagle symbol" similar to Strogg logo existed in Q1 long before Q2. So all these connections are just conspiracy theories. The fact is one & only - Q2 was going to be self-contained game called Wor, and it's called Quake 2 only because id1 management decided to cash grab on the established title. The end of story

In one level (can't remember which, sorry), the noise the computer equipment makes is also taken from Q2

You know what..? I didn't even question the inclusion of the armor shards. I saw them and I was like "oh sweet, armor shards I need those."

Yes there are tons of quake 2 tie ins and strogg logos all over the place. That being said, this dawn of the machine episode is the pinnacle of quake.

They used computer sound effects from quake 2 for example. Had me laughing when I heard it.

In one level there is a dead ranger with a railgun next to him

I know at least of the Q2 connections. John Romero played it on stream and noticed it, too (the armor shards)

Good point, i just feel like the "look" of a lot these levels is trying to invoke Quake 3 intentionally, but I could just want that to be the case. If it were true I would then wonder if there's any Quake 4 here I'm overlooking.

Sure, but I'm talking about what Machine Games is doing with this 30th anniversary expansion.

I played vanilla and mods so much, everything blends together for me siemlessly. Like Ranger, I am lost in my eternal travel from dimension to dimension of this nightmare. Destroying the nightmare machine might help me see some light at the end of the tunnel, but the damage is irreversible. I might be lucky enough to get a new start. But the memories will forever remain.