(andPOP) - So many first person shooters out there require little more than aiming and shooting as quickly and as accurately as possible. Only now with the mainstream use of headsets for in-game chat do team based strategies begin to form with planning, organizing and executing big number maneuvers online.
Thanks to Splash Software and ID Games, Quake is the next franchise to get the Enemy Territory makeover. Introducing the sensibly named Enemy Territory: Quake Wars, the newest in this series of team objective based first person shooter (FPS) titles. If you remember the Return to Castle Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory game and the way it worked a few years back, you will more than likely recognize some mechanics and game play styles in this edition.
Two teams enter the battlefield, one comes out alive, GDF vs. the Strogg. Picture any WWII game in which there are allies against axis and you have the basic scenario behind Quake Wars, with Quake themed players, weapons, vehicles, and objectives. Did he say objectives? That’s right, this game isn’t always about killing the most players on the opposing team, but rather completing the map specific objective like capturing an area or destroying a station or two. As either side you select your player class from GDF engineers to Strogg aggressors (10 classes total, 5 for each side) and earn experience points in the game to improve your player skills and help your team beat the opposition. If you think you can make it grabbing the biggest ride you find and plowing through the enemy gates, think again. With each class having capabilities specific to their style of game play, it’s obvious that it will take a wide range of classes working together to take down enemy defenses, keep vehicles out of enemy grasp and achieve the objectives. This is truly a game you cannot win without the help of your teammates.
Controls are the average FPS run of the mill deal; mouse to look around and aim, keyboard to move, jump, sprint, select weapons and ride on vehicles. Each class has their own set of weapons which could include pliers to build structures, binoculars, mines and specific weapons depending on the type of class you are. The map layout and objectives in campaign mode are usually well planned out and consist of multiple stages in which different objectives must be met before continuing, giving the feel of a more realistic war. Rounds can last a long time if teams are evenly matched and can sway back and forth intensely. At the beginning of each match, objectives are announced, and a set of ‘waypoints’ pop up on screen telling you where you should be heading and who is needed to do what at each objective point. I find this icon system takes away from getting into the game’s sense of believability, but at the same time gets you right into the action with less time needed to prepare.
The graphics in this game are reasonable. Landscape detail can seem amazingly beautiful and crisp at times, but on other maps there really isn’t much detail the developers could have put onto a gray wasteland. The player and vehicle models are also pretty thorough, but suffer from choppy movements-this takes a little away from the futuristic prettiness of actually enjoying players’ natural motion. Regarding the rest of the graphics, explosions, lasers and bullets are nothing fancy or exciting to see but enough to get the job done. In terms of the audio quality, or lack thereof, it feels like Quake Wars only offers what’s needed: bland walking and vehicle sounds, the basic pow-pow of guns from 5 years ago, and preset vocal commands. The sound is so underwhelming that putting on some music usually makes playing this game more exhilarating.
If you’re the type of gamer that doesn’t play well with others, you can also play offline using bots of varying difficulty and numbers, set them to complete objectives with you or against you, or set them to just fight leaving all the glory for you to accomplish. At least with the bots you know what to expect and don’t have the random player going in messing up the whole team dynamic. There are 12 maps to play on and with most FPS games this is usually more than enough to keep the average player busy for a long time. This title can be picked up as the standard version or the limited edition copy complete with a bonus disc, a really useful little card explaining the objective icons and default key layout, 10 jumbo collectable trading cards, manual, coupons and advertisements. Enemy Territories will also be available for the PS3 and XBOX 360 in the near future.
Graphics: 3.5 / 5.0
Gameplay 4.0 / 5.0
Sound 3.0 / 5.0
Replay value 3.5 / 5.0
