Enemy Territory: Quake Wars

Finally, id Software remembered it had a whole gaming universe for creating a full-featured multiplayer tactical shooter with a sci-fi plot like the popular Battlefield 2142 . The Quake Wars plot revolves around the history of the war of mankind against the technologically superior civilization of the Strogg.

The fighting between mankind and cyborgs was first depicted in Quake 2 and was in fact the plot of that 1997 game title. The game ended with the killing of the leader of the Strogg, but the story then continues in Quake 4 , which doesn’t end in a victory of either side: the war between the humans and the Strogg enters a new phase. All this provided enough background for a shooter that would allow the player to join either of the conflicting sides.

However, the plot of Enemy Territory: Quake Wars does not continue Quake 4 . It is a prequel to Quake 2 . The game also belongs to id Software’s Enemy Territory series like the multiplayer shooter Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory.

The game utilizes the division into classes, which has become traditional for this genre (soldier, commander, medic, engineer, etc.), but unlike most other shooters of its kind, ET: Quake Wars differentiates between the classes of the humans and of the Strogg. For example, a GDF (Global Defence Force) commander can give out extra ammunition to his subordinates, but his Strogg counterpart has an asymmetrical capability to install protective fields.

The restoration of health differs between the two races as well: humans are cured by medics while the Strogg have only one source of ammunition and health – the so-called Stroyent substance the technician delivers to the battlefield. Bringing a killed ally to life takes more time for the Strogg, but they have the opportunity to use human bodies as puppets while the human medics must prevent the capture of bodies and the transformation of allies into enemies.

Although weapons of both races have similar specs, the weapons of the humans require reloading while the weapons of the Strogg do not. But being of an energetic nature, Strogg weapons tend to overheat, which results in a delay effect not unlike with human weapons. With all these differences, the game suggests asymmetry between the teams of humans and the Strogg.

All in all, Enemy Territory: Quake Wars has nothing new to contribute to the online shooter genre. The game looks like a Battlefield 2142 carried over into the Quake universe. Thanks to its high-quality implementation and the developer’s name it has a chance to be a success among online gamers. On the other hand, its time on the throne may prove too short due to the upcoming sequel to the Unreal Tournament series that is promised to deliver an unheard-of level of visuals.