ETQW

Enemy Territory: Quake Wars was playable on the demo floor and it was nothing short of, well, Enemy Territory. The map we played on featured a Marine assault on a Strogg position. The Marines first had to build a bridge to get their mobile command center across a ravine. With limited cover, engineers had to sneak or run in, while their fellow marines defended them against Strogg infantry that ran across the ravine, and from Strogg turrets and snipers across the gap.

With the bridge constructed, the MCC could cross and it was up to the Strogg to delay it as much as possible through a tunnel it had to penetrate, before it came out and faced the Strogg forward base, which was its objective. From there, the MCC faced a heavy assault from Strogg vehicles and infantry, not to mention frequent artillery strikes. Plodding forward under constant repair from its engineers, it sets up in the base and the spawn point is stolen.

From there, the Marines have to assault and destroy a shield tower. The first task is to get across an open killing field better known as a bridge, and the next is to get to the shield generator, often protected by mines and turrets in close quarters. Should the generator go down, the last task is to rush inside and destroy the final Strogg facility.

The action is very fast, a tempo comparable to the original Enemy Territory, but with a vehicle and air component to boot. The Strogg hover packs permit some incredibly agile movements sure to annoy the enemy, especially since the hover pack has the ability to drop bombs on targets below. For the Marines, their vehicles – especially the tank – provide vital cover for the MCC.

It’s a real relief to see that the vehicles mesh well with the gameplay, and we remain hopeful that the ultimate product will be balanced.