Enemy Territory: Quake Wars (Xbox 360)

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Without a true single-player campaign, you would expect there to be a silly amount of maps and multiplayer game types, but that's not the case in Quake Wars. For your $59.99, you get 12 maps that feature the same objectives each and every time. As grand as the objectives sound--plant the explosives, hack the computer, construct the giant laser--they all boil down to the same thing. You choose the appropriate class, run up to the objective, hold down the action button for 20 seconds, and then repeat. Quake Wars has plenty of great moments provided you're playing with a good team, but with the game costing significantly more than the PC version, there really aren't enough to justify the price. Instead, the player count has actually been reduced from 32 on the PC to 16 on both consoles, the graphics are nowhere near as sharp, and there's not even a mission briefing to describe what you're doing and why. For an eight-month-old game, this is a complete rip-off. You're better off playing on a PC with a USB controller.

It's interesting that id chose two different developers for the separate console versions. Other than shooting and running, everything is controlled differently. Both versions handle relatively well, although true shooter fans will want to turn off the auto-aim, which is so sticky that it should be renamed "FPS for dummies." Between the two console versions, the 360 iteration has a slight edge. The colors are not as sharp, but the menus are much more streamlined, which helps you change class and spawn points on the fly. On the PS3, you have to navigate through different screens using a combination of shoulder buttons, which is not something you want to do in the heat of battle.

Quake Wars boasts extensive stat tracking and a persistent ranking system, but you'll have to hunt to find it. Only on the online leaderboards will you discover that you've ascended to the rank of, say, second lieutenant, and that your preferred weapon is the Strogg accurized lacerator. During each battle, you'll earn experience points from secondary objectives such as capturing spawn points or blowing up enemy radar stations. When you accumulate enough XP, you'll unlock extra weapons and proficiencies such as faster sprint and smaller weapon spread. Unlike in Call of Duty 4, these upgrades are not persistent and are reset after each campaign, which lasts for only three maps. This is unfortunate because the two development teams missed an opportunity to add some kind of character customization, a standard feature in any good FPS these days.

Though Quake Wars was by no means a gorgeous game on the PC, it absolutely flounders on both consoles. Textures and lighting are not much better than PlayStation 2 and Xbox standards, and effects are completely underwhelming. An orbital laser strike should rattle your screen with fire and brimstone, burning enemy corpses to a T-for-Teen crisp. Instead, the Strogg dark-matter cannon makes it look like the aliens are firing a giant orange flashlight. The environments are massive, yes, but the structures are uninspired and appear to be designed by Soviet cold-war architects. There's none of the lived-in look you would expect to see in an African village or war-torn European city. Walls are blank. Textures are flat. Explosions are soft. At least there is great draw distance so snipers and pilots can rack up kills from across the map with a great shot. The sound is also mediocre, thanks to the repetitive, raspy voice commands from both the Strogg and GDF alike.

In terms of value alone, it's difficult to recommend Quake Wars. You'll love the giant sandbox filled with such distinct classes, high-tech weaponry, and attack vehicles. But when limited to only 16 players on just 12 maps, the gameplay is one-dimensional. Next to so many solid console shooters that feature persistent upgrades and customization, along with a variety of multiplayer game modes in addition to a single-player campaign, Quake Wars is incredibly shallow. If you're an online shooter fan who has a good group of friends to play with, give Quake Wars a try...on the PC.

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Enemy Territory: Quake Wars (Xbox 360): $18.59 - $58.99

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