Enemy Territory: Quake Wars ( Windows )

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while "Oppressors", the Strogg equivalent, can deploy tactical shields. Engineers can build automated turrets - either anti-personnel, anti-vehicle, or anti-artillery (shooting down incoming shells) - as well as repair vehicles. Finally, Covert Ops act as the sneaks and snipers of the game. With access to gadgets like radar stations, smoke grenades, and mini-radar devices (for the GDF) and teleporters and remote drones (for the Strogg), the Covert Ops is more based on stealth and intelligence. In addition, there are many vehicles

Objectives are both map and class-based. For example, on one map an engineer might be required to rebuild a bridge so the unit can advance. Later, a cover ops might need to disable a shield generator. More mundane objectives are also available; things like building or destroying deployables (depending on which class you are) rewards the player with experience basically for playing his class right. The maps have a lot of variety, and they cover the whole world - from African valleys to European plains to Japanese sewer systems. Their objectives tend to be simple, but require the coordinated efforts of the team and all its members. Each of the classes gets experience from completing objectives and destroying enemies that carries over a three-level campaign. Leveling up gets you new weapons, increases your class abilities, and your general stats.

The graphics are decent, but even turned up all the way, they're not extraordinary. The sound is less impressive, and sounds really unprofessional. Neither is really a bonus for the game, but they're not really bad enough to distract, either. As a whole, this game has some neat ideas and gameplay, but there are a few little things that drag it down.

8/10.

Enemy Territory: Quake Wars ( Windows )

...

while "Oppressors", the Strogg equivalent, can deploy tactical shields. Engineers can build automated turrets - either anti-personnel, anti-vehicle, or anti-artillery (shooting down incoming shells) - as well as repair vehicles. Finally, Covert Ops act as the sneaks and snipers of the game. With access to gadgets like radar stations, smoke grenades, and mini-radar devices (for the GDF) and teleporters and remote drones (for the Strogg), the Covert Ops is more based on stealth and intelligence. In addition, there are many vehicles



Objectives are both map and class-based. For example, on one map an engineer might be required to rebuild a bridge so the unit can advance. Later, a cover ops might need to disable a shield generator. More mundane objectives are also available; things like building or destroying deployables (depending on which class you are) rewards the player with experience basically for playing his class right. The maps have a lot of variety, and they cover the whole world - from African valleys to European plains to Japanese sewer systems. Their objectives tend to be simple, but require the coordinated efforts of the team and all its members. Each of the classes gets experience from completing objectives and destroying enemies that carries over a three-level campaign. Leveling up gets you new weapons, increases your class abilities, and your general stats.



The graphics are decent, but even turned up all the way, they're not extraordinary. The sound is less impressive, and sounds really unprofessional. Neither is really a bonus for the game, but they're not really bad enough to distract, either. As a whole, this game has some neat ideas and gameplay, but there are a few little things that drag it down.



8/10.

Enemy Territory: Quake Wars ( Windows )

...

while "Oppressors", the Strogg equivalent, can deploy tactical shields. Engineers can build automated turrets - either anti-personnel, anti-vehicle, or anti-artillery (shooting down incoming shells) - as well as repair vehicles. Finally, Covert Ops act as the sneaks and snipers of the game. With access to gadgets like radar stations, smoke grenades, and mini-radar devices (for the GDF) and teleporters and remote drones (for the Strogg), the Covert Ops is more based on stealth and intelligence. In addition, there are many vehicles





Objectives are both map and class-based. For example, on one map an engineer might be required to rebuild a bridge so the unit can advance. Later, a cover ops might need to disable a shield generator. More mundane objectives are also available; things like building or destroying deployables (depending on which class you are) rewards the player with experience basically for playing his class right. The maps have a lot of variety, and they cover the whole world - from African valleys to European plains to Japanese sewer systems. Their objectives tend to be simple, but require the coordinated efforts of the team and all its members. Each of the classes gets experience from completing objectives and destroying enemies that carries over a three-level campaign. Leveling up gets you new weapons, increases your class abilities, and your general stats.





The graphics are decent, but even turned up all the way, they're not extraordinary. The sound is less impressive, and sounds really unprofessional. Neither is really a bonus for the game, but they're not really bad enough to distract, either. As a whole, this game has some neat ideas and gameplay, but there are a few little things that drag it down.





8/10.

Enemy Territory: Quake Wars ( Windows )

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also has different vehicles and special abilities that create a well-balanced, yet diverse playing experience.

The teamwork in Quake Wars is much more intuitive and easy to comprehend than BF2's. The objectives are clearly laid out, and you can choose which objective you want to pursue. It is also made clearer by the fact that the objectives are typically connected to your class, which creates distinct roles for every character and ultimately facilitates teamwork because everyone knows what they're supposed to do.

There is also a great element of strategy in this game. Where you drop your defense-turrets, how and when you call in artillery strikes, etc. make the game feel somewhat like an RTS. There is so much depth to the gameplay.

Finally, the graphics are so nice to look at and the game is playable on older machines (albeit on low settings). However, even if you are dropping the image quality, you'll forget about the graphics because you'll be so immersed in the actual game - which is something many recent FPS games lack!

Enemy Territory: Quake Wars ( Windows )

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have mostly futuristic conventional weapons and vehicles,.. while the Strogg have sci-fi weapons and vehicles. There are airstrikes, artillery, and even the "Hammer of Dawn" from Gears of War is a weapon. I've only played as the humans so far,.. so I can't comment on the Strogg gameplay.

The different classes have more meaning than in BF2,.. as each map is objective based instead of just Conquest(where you hold a strategic point to reduce opposing teams tickets). The objectives make each map more like a campaign mission than just a skirmish. The maps range from bombed out cities to forests to snowy hills to dusty, rocky landscapes with industrial complexes. There are actually large indoor portions of the maps too.

You can deploy different turrets,.. build gun nests, bridges, guard towers. Each team has territory it can capture as it completes objectives and pushes the front-line forward.

The bot AI is adjustable. You can make them dumb like in BF2,.. or you can make them human-like in the options menu.

You can gain experience and move up in rank! As you move up in rank the other teammates who are under your rank will follow orders if they aren't already busy. There are LOTS of orders, commands, and requests. Communication with your team is vital here. It's easy too. Just a click of the mouse wheel brings up a little menu on the right side of the screen that scroll though and click on anything you need to say. The bots ARE listening and will either do as you ask,.. decline,.. or acknowledge.
Also,.. as you gain XP you unlock more than just weapons. You get perks like extra ammo clips,.. larger clips,.. longer sprint,.. higher jumping,..higher health limit... vehicle drops (send me a tank!) and more.

But this is all just feature listing. Let me tell you about my actual playing experience.


In all new games(that are any good),.. there is a certain period of "buzz" that you get at first as your mind and senses are stimulated with new and cool experiences. When I first launched Quake Wars, I picked the Outskirts map and picked the human side. This map is a ruined city with rain and bombed out buildings. It reminds me of something straight out of the Terminator movies. I was following my team mates giving them cover fire towards the first objective.

Suddenly from behind one building came a Strogg air ship that looked like something out of the Matrix. It started blowing the crap out of my teammates and I took cover in a bombed out building that had the roof blown off. All I had was an assault rifle and I opened fire and took cover as it strafed around the building launching missles at me. I emptied a full clip into it and actually took a third of its health down. I then called for back up and some missles came from out of sight and blew the Strogg air ship to pieces. I then got an award in Battlesense or something. It felt like those future war scenes in the Terminator films.

This game is atmospheric. There is a mood with each map.

So ID took the BF2 gameplay and added extra polish, the Quake 4 theme, .. and so much more content and cool things that it does not feel like a knock-off at all. You rarely are just standing at a flag capturing a control point. You're always doing something or helping your teammates do something.

I have yet to notice any bugs or glitches. ID has great standards of quality.

Enemy Territory: Quake Wars ( Windows )

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'shoot em' up' maps where all you do is mindlessly frag each other all day, but rather scenario and objective based conflicts where each team has goals to accomplish throughout the fight. You accrue experience as you play, which in turn, grants you special abilites or powerups the longer you are in a match. Note however, that once your session is done, you lose those special power-ups and begin anew the next time you play, thus keeping the balance between hardcore gamers and beginners to a fairly in check by not allowing the vets to have 'uber' weapons from the start against a bunch of green nooblets. However, the game does keep track of your basic stats (kills, deaths, ratios, how good you are with this class vs. that class, etc.), and awards you medals based on performance and overall accrued experience.
You choose a class to play on your respective team, which though you can play as both sides, they are not mirrors of each other like other multiplayer games. Each side has the same relative 'stock' classes (assault, medic, etc.), but they differ in abilities and though each plays very differently from the next, they are counterweighted so as to give a varying feel, without tipping the scales on one side over the other. You may feel different going into this game if you have a lot of experience playing titles similar to Battlefield 2, because the pace is definitely more hurried (Still slower than Unreal Tournament..but faster than the Battlefield series).
As far as vehicles go, you'll notice that they are not the 'END ALL' juggernauts as they sometimes are in other games. Infantry is quite powerful and can take all the vehicles out given enough time, thus making vehicles tough, but not exposing you to the 'spam fests' and 'uber death machines' you may have been used to in other games. The controls are quite easy to learn and with a few minutes practice anyone can be a reasonably good pilot. They are varied and a blast to commandeer.
In any case, if you enjoy a deep and satisfying multiplayer game (and are tired of the same old, same old), look no further. I couldn't go into as much depth in this review as I'd have liked for lack of time, but needless to say this game has a truckload of variety, tactics, firefights and weaponry to keep you gunning for a long time. Check it out!