Enemy Territory: Quake Wars

Gaming joy at the bottom of a bowl of Strogg.

Injections of greatness are sparse in the FPS genre, but Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory was (and still is) a shining example of how a first person shooter can be done cleverly, and well. When developer Splash Damage announced it’d be taking the best bits of Wolf ET and splicing them into the Quake universe, everyone held their breath and waited. Now the wait is over, and what’s been unleashed in the form of Enemy Territory: Quake Wars is majestic indeed.

The game centers on the invasion of Earth by the evil denizens of Quake 2 fame, the ‘Strogg’. These warmongers - having yet to learn the pros of horticulture and recycling - prefer to find worlds rich in life and bleed them dry. Earth’s GDF (Global Defense Force) is mobilized into action forming the basis for a team FPS showdown. Insinuating Quake Wars is simply Wolf ET with a sci-fi setting would be a cheap shot to take, not because it’s far off the mark, but because it belies the work gone into crafting a 12-map strategic shooter with enough individual flair to surpass rather than just emulate its predecessor.



Like Wolf ET, maps are won by completing objective-driven missions, while the opposing team defends. Each objective requires the individual skills of one of five available classes (Covert Ops, Field Ops, Medic, Engineer and Soldier) while vehicles, deployable artillery and the ability to steal enemy identities all play an integral role. From time to time, secondary tasks are also flagged on your HUD when appropriate. Objective completion awards experience points to individuals who can unlock better weapons or physical abilities which are wiped after each match (in the case of campaign mode, after a three map stretch).

Visuals are driven by a modified Doom 3 engine which now renders stunning outdoor areas with ease. With smooth framerates on even modest Geforce 6 or 7 series cards, Quake Wars spits out detail while asking for only modest PC specs. The only gripe is some maps suffer perpetual ‘Doom 3’ darkness, sans available flashlight.



One of Quake Wars biggest attractions – factions which are unique beyond cosmetic differences – also presents its biggest flaw. Choosing GDF or Strogg results in a wildly different gaming experience, with the aliens coming out clear winners. It’s not that the Strogg are more powerful; it’s a question of the fun factor. There’s little incentive to choose the GDF suite of standard tanks, jeeps and rifles, when you can suit up as the Strogg and take a ‘Cyclops’ mech-warrior onto the battlefield to wreak havoc. The Strogg Field Ops class can’t drop ammo packs for teammates, but instead gets a personal shield that can be deployed to protect themselves or others. Strogg Medics procure energy for allies weapons and health by sucking it from the bodies of fallen foes, using similar techniques to create spawn points out of dead GDF soldiers; all this while the Strogg aren’t busy flying around in jetpacks which the GDF don’t have access to.

Despite this nagging flaw, Quake Wars is multiplayer elegance. Pretty to look at and backed up by a strong team emphasis and varied play styles. Loads of fun, whether you’re launching super weapons from hilltops or dodging frontline firefights to escort allies, Quake Wars looks set to scoop up hordes of FPS fans into its maw. Just a shame we can’t all be Strogg.