The Strogg, cybernetic creatures built of flesh and metal and following the orders of their leader, the Makron, have come to Earth to strip it of its natural resources, including man. The GDF seek to protect Earth and its people.

Quake Wars contains no single-player mode as such, much the same as Battlefield 2, but unlike Battlefield the story isn't just told through single missions but through smaller campaigns, a series of three map scenarios strung together that tell the tale of a certain part of the world. The maps and objectives are varied enough that you will never get bored. From destroying a reactor on White Island, to breaching a Strogg warpgate in Africa, to destroying their control tower in Antarctica, there's something for everyone. Each of the maps has specific dynamic; that is, one team will always be the defending team and the other will always be the on the offensive which some people have argued creates balance issues. But when played in series through the campaign mode, any concerns are put to rest as everyone gets a turn on each side.

Built from the ground up as a multiplayer experience, one would expect the single-player to be limited but Quake Wars has a variety of options for the player who wants some quick offline action. The player can choose gametype, either campaign, a single map or a timed fight which pits the player against the clock. The usual assortment
of options can be customised as well, including the number of AI players and the difficulty level. The AI is truly intelligent. On Medium they can be a challenge to even a veteran of the genre. The AI completes objectives efficiently, lays mines and traps for opponents and works together as a team to overcome the odds.

Each side has a selection of five classes and these classes mirror the other side's, with a few small differences. The Strogg have a heavy weapons basic soldier class in the form of the Aggressor. The Technician supplies and heals other Strogg infantry and can create spawn points from bodies of fallen soldiers. The Constructor, as its names suggests, builds defensive turrets, defuses charges and repairs vehicles and is deployable, which we will get into a little later. The Oppressor and Infiltrator are the Strogg's specialist classes, the former able to call down massive attacks and the latter able to steal enemies' identities to sneak into enemy territory and hack into objectives. Their GDF counterparts are much the same. The Soldier is the basic infantry class, the Medic heals troops, the Engineer plays the same role as the Constructor and the Field Ops and Covert Ops are the counterparts of the Strogg specialist classes - with the exeption that the Field Ops is the resupply class for the GDF.

The game works like this: once in the warm up zone players choose their first class, get time to review their first objective and when the countdown ends the game is afoot. One team will be in control of most of the map which is divided into territories from which the game gets its name, corresponding to major objectives. This team's objectives will primarily be defensive in nature, for example holding a certain point for a length of time or reinforcing a position. The other team will be set as the offensive team and will slowly complete major objectives bringing territory under their control until that team wins or time runs out and the defensive team claims
victory. Each class during this hectic battle is given special missions. At the mission screen the class that is needed for the current major objective has a star beside it; while it's important to have some team members as this class, it's also essential that others take on different roles as each class is given non-major missions to complete that make objectives much easier.

This is Quake Wars' strength. Where other games in the genre will allow you to choose a class and run rampant, Quake Wars makes sure you have a specific purpose on the battlefield at all times. The experience system reflects this; instead of rewarding players based on kills alone, an XP system is used: players receive 1xp for killing an enemy player but may receive 5xp for creating a minefield, deploying a shield or capturing an outpost. This one mechanic alone goes a long way to helping Quake Wars avoid the one man army syndrome that other titles in the genre suffer from. The XP system is used to level up to higher ranks during the game or campaign and gain extra weapons and abilities on the way although these bonuses are limited to just that campaign or map. The other gameplay mechanic that sets the game apart is the use of deployables. Each class has a certain set of turrets and cannons they may deploy on territory their team currently controls. These range from anti personnel and anti vehicle turrets to the Strogg dark matter cannon which can be fired at long distance using a targeting laser to obliterate enemy fortifications. This allows players to set up their own defensive positions at will and allows them to think strategically to defend their territory or to help advance into the enemy's.

If this is all beginning to sound a bit complex, think of it this way: titles such as Battlefield 2 are like a game of rugby, but Quake Wars is more like a game of gridiron, where each play is planned in advance, every member of the team knows exactly what happening and supports one another in the execution of the plan and although the quarterback is the one man holding the ball at the start, success or failure depends on every member of the team. The multiplayer game plays exactly like the single-player version and has the same system of match and campaign persistence, although on top of that playing on a ranked server will allow you to rank up globally and gain various medals so others will recognise your level. The game also boasts a replay feature for those players who wish to hone their skills or those just wanting to relive that epic headshot.

On top of this, Quake Wars has a built-in mod interface so players build mods for the game that can easily be incorporated into the game, allowing for creative
individuals to try their hand at delivering other gamers new experiences using the engine. Overall, Quake Wars is a solid team experience, and as such caters for the online gaming crowd so if single-player is more your style you may want to look elsewhere for your fix but if you need your online team shooter infusion then look no further than Enemy Territory.