Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars Preview

[D-Bone]

This past week I had the opportunity to preview the latest build of Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars, the upcoming game by Splash Damage and id Software. In attendance at the showing were Paul Wedgwood, the owner and creative designer of Splash Damage, Marty Stratton and Steve Nix of id Software, and various members of Activision, the game's publisher.

The first new level shown at the event was Sewer, one of three maps along with Canyon and Volcano that make up the Pacific Campaign. The premise of the level is that the Strogg have setup a base in the sewer for launching an underground assault into a nearby city. The GDF's objective is to infiltrate the sewer compound and hack the sewer controls, flushing the Strogg out before they can overrun the city.

This was the first time anyone not under a nondisclosure agreement has seen the level. Paul explained that the game was designed so that each level is a beat in the story line of the Strogg invasion. The plot drives each level in ETQW, determining its geographical location, look, feel, and tactical objectives. These are the qualities that give each level a uniqueness that the developers hope will help give gamers a memorable experience while playing the game.

Read More: http://www.quakeunity.com/article=22

[D-Bone]

Here is another small preview from 1up, they also have some good screen shots...

Source: http://www.1up.com/do/previewPage?cId=3158428

Spend just a few minutes with Enemy Territory: Quake Wars, and you're sure to draw a few comparisons to the Battlefield series. Splash Damage, co-creators of Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory, has found a way to add to the formula of objective-based shooters. You're compelled to grab the next objective point, because you must in order for you to complete your underlying mission goal. Where Battlefield centers on wiping your enemy off of the map, ETQW throws you into a goal-oriented mode, and puts the whole of the Quake universe behind you to achieve your goals.

The one big thing we were hoping to get our eyes on at a recent press event was ETQW running on 360 or PS3, but neither console was in sight. We had a chance to squeeze some information about these versions out of lead designer Paul Wedgwood -- but not much. So far we know it's going to be the same as the PC game. We can also expect console specific items, like Xbox Live Achievements, but that will be about as different as it gets. Speaking of different, there will be a SDK that follows the PC retail release so the mod community can get right to work on finding new ways to push the Doom 3 engine.

Our favorite experience during our hands-on time was working with the Field Ops and the Oppressors to deploy units to the battlefield, especially when we were on the defensive. A well placed turret can make a pretty terrible day for your opponent, and fill you with a great deal of gleeful exuberance at their expense. The nod to this experience goes towards the detailed map designs that allow you to extract that much more visceral enjoyment from these small victories -- or objective setbacks depending on which side you're on.

There is one feature -- and we can't figure out if this is good or bad -- that gives your weapons the ability to destroy any vehicle in the game. The good part of this is that if you're facing off with a tank, and you don't have an anti-tank weapon in your arsenal, you're assured that your machine gun can get the job done if you have enough bullets. The downside to this is that it removes the "oh shit, a tank" factor in the game -- those moments in Battlefield 1942 when a tank comes around the corner and you say to yourself "oh-shit, it's a damn tank." That feeling of imminent doom is lost and replaced with suspended realism, allowing you to believe that if you see it, you can destroy it. It's up to the individual player to determine if they will enjoy this feature in Quake Wars, or find a way to lambaste it.

We've covered a lot of the game mechanics before in our GFW preview, so you could read up there to get a refresher on some of the other features Splash Damage is packing into Quake Wars. With the wide array of balanced classes, weapons, and objective-based maps, ETQW is looking to own the objective-based online shooter genre later this year.