Enemy Territory: Quake Wars Preview

Enemy Territory: Quake Wars follows a structure similar to the free multiplayer download of Return to Castle Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory, which was released in 2003. You get to pick from 1 of 5 classes which of course have their special abilities. The maps are large and roomy. Before starting it is best to go over your objectives carefully because they are not always straightforward. Some of the objectives need a plan that is executed in stages instead of a simple “do this”. You need to work in a sequence to achieve objectives. This also means picking your crew carefully. For example, on one map you first need to use an Engineer to disable an EMP defense. Then a Soldier is used to infiltrate enemy territory and plant charges. Once you blow apart the gates and go in you need a Covert Ops agent to hack the plant controls.

The objectives are also tied in with the environment of the map and this also decides whether if any vehicles will be available and if yes then what types. Outdoor approaches usually require some vehicles to take out defenses like turrets but most post-infiltration activity is carried out on foot because obviously you are not going to be driving inside a building. The maps also help decide what types of team members you are going to choose. For example, GDF Medics are good at dropping health packs but they work best in close quarters. In wide-open maps the chances of reaching a med pack are very low. You will be gunned down before you make it. These are just some of the aspects that make the gameplay interesting.

The Strogg classes are quite similar to the GDF as far as functionality goes but they are completely different in methods. The Strogg medic is called a Technician and can also drop health packs and revive other team members. However, the revival is not instantaneous and the delay means an increased risk of being taken out by enemy fire. Technicians can also use the revive tool with enemy dead bodies to turn it into a spawn point for limited use. So unlike GDF, spawn points can be close to dead enemies and so the Strogg can recover ground quickly.

With so many actions and counteractions it is only natural that the class you choose is going to heavily influence the way the game plays. GDF and Strogg can both call for anti-vehicle, anti-personnel, and anti-missile help to strengthen their defense or weaken the enemy’s. The Field Ops class can call in the heavier artillery while the Strogg equivalent can call in the same with the Oppressor class.

Turret placement is interesting. The first rule is that you can only plant turrets in areas you control. So there is no danger of enemy turrets spawning in your control bases. You go through the tools and select the kind of turret you wish to deploy, confirm the placement, rotate it to make sure it is pointing in the right direction, and then finish deployment. The interesting part is that a white outline of the turret will be seen by all your teammates before the turret is placed. This is important because the turret rockets down from the sky and crushes anything under it. So it’s nice to know where it is coming down.

The turrets placed by the Engineer (GDF) and Constructor (Strogg) classes work on their own. The Field Ops and Oppressor class turrets need to be given targets. You can look at a target with your goggles and in a few seconds the turret will lock on to it and commence firing.

The Covert Ops class is also a brilliant idea because they can steal enemy uniforms and walk right into enemy territory and stay hidden till they do something enemy-like. As long as you keep you gun in the holster and do not do anything stupid this is the best way to infiltrate. Another powerful feature of this class is the covert kill. You can walk up to an enemy and literally stab them in the back. A one hit kill. This makes for some neat moves when single enemies are guarding turrets blocking your entire team’s progress. Just send in one Covert agent and take out the guard then be on your way. Covert Ops can also install security cameras, use smoke grenades for cover, and so on. Other classes have their own bonus points like being able to hand out ammo, lay down mines, etc. Every class is equipped with a pistol, modifiable grenades, and one main weapon that can be anything from a sniper rifle to a rocket launcher. And any class can climb into any vehicle so there are no special drivers. Anyone can drive anything. Many vehicles also have multiple seats so other team members can climb aboard and shoot while one of them drives.

The various class abilities are not just for completing objectives. Using as many classes as possible increases the amount of experience you get. Increasing experience will level out and give bonus rewards like fast reloads and precise aim or more stamina. Secondary objectives that are optional also help to get more experience points. One thing to note is that experience counts only for a campaign. Once you finish a campaign, your experience is just a stored statistic but in actual gameplay it resets to default. This helps to keep the game balanced. Therefore, there are no “super” soldiers on any side.

The best thing about Quake Wars you will note is that despite all this level of functionality and detail the game plays very fast, almost frantically. Do not assume that you will be playing a strategic game, though you will be using many strategies, because the action is non-stop. The interface also needs praise because without all the icons popping out and telling you what is happening you had be lost. Team play is crucial to survival. Moving away on your own simply means choosing to respawn.

According to Splash Damage the PC version can support 24 players easily. The PC version also comes with customizable bots. The game will also feature downloadable content.