So did the porting process go according to plan? In a word: no. In two words: hell no!

What went wrong, you ask? Unfortunately, pretty much everything. The core game is still in place. You hop online, take up arms as one of five different classes for either the human Global Defense Force or alien Strogg and go to war against the opposing faction with your fellow comrades. During a match, one team attacks while the other defends, and it’s up to the attacking team to work together and complete three or four successive mission objectives within the provided time limit while the other team does everything in its power to thwart your efforts. One map, for example, you must first construct a generator, then infiltrate the enemy base and destroy a vault door to then access a console to insert a disc into and transmit the data. There’s an exciting progression to this play structure that keeps the action focused and intense.

The team-oriented, mission-based matches provide a fantastic change of pace from the typical online shooter modes like deathmatch, capture the flag and zone control, the 12 available maps are massive and laid out nicely, the class system is diverse and incredibly well balanced (though I wish the in-depth reward and proficiency upgrade system was persistent), and the gunplay is thoroughly enjoyable. Seriously, everything about the core of the game exudes excellence.

But in the transition from PC to console, all this good gameplay has been crushed by numerous design concessions and game-breaking performance issues. For one, the 32-player limit of the PC version has been halved to only a max of 16 players, which makes battles on the huge maps less chaotic in comparison. Secondly, the load times are almost unbearable at times, even on the PS3 after a mandatory HDD install. Thirdly, the graphical quality has been significantly compromised. Much of the texturing, animations and level geometry isn’t a whole lot better than that of a last-gen PS2 or Xbox game. It quite literally looks like the PC version running on its lowest possible settings, and even that is a generous comparison.

And finally, even with the visual downgrade the game engine struggles to keep up. When played offline against bots (that’s all you can do single-player by the way, there is no story campaign of any kind) it runs smoothly, but online the frame rate is abysmal. There’s a constant jitteriness about the game that throws off your timing and ability to aim with any sort of consistency, and for an online shooter that’s simply unacceptable.

Somewhere deep down there is a great game to be found in Enemy Territory: Quake Wars, last year’s original PC release proves that point quite clearly. But unfortunately the quality of the PC version didn’t translate over to the PS3 and Xbox 360, leaving console gamers with two terribly shoddy ports until hopefully Nerve Software and Underground Development can put a couple of patches together to get the game running properly. With so many stellar online console shooters out there right now (Metal Gear Online, Frontlines: Fuel of War, Warhawk, Battlefield: Bad Company, Call of Duty 4, etc.), Quake Wars is completely forgettable and simply not worth your time. Do pick up the PC version, though. You should be able to find it for as low as $30 nowadays, which is half the price of the far inferior console versions.

Pros:
+ Solid shooting model makes killing foes satisfying and fun
+ 12 huge, well-designed maps
+ Mission-based play style brings something different to the online shooter landscape

Cons:
– Technical flaws, particularly a choppy frame rate, cripple all positives the game has going for it
– Ridiculously dated graphics; looks like crap compared to the PC version
– Pointless single-player mode
– Lack of persistent upgrades and a generally unsatisfying ranking system

Game Info:
Platform: Reviewed on PS3, also available on Xbox 360
Publisher: Activision
Developer: Underground Development (PS3), Nerve Software (Xbox 360)
Release Date: 5/27/08
Genre: FPS
Players: 1-16

Okay, I must’ve really missed a release date announcement regarding the console versions of Enemy Territory: Quake Wars, as both the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions have launched at retail this week. I knew they were coming this year, but had no earthly idea they were coming this soon. So color me very, very surprised.

Quake Wars‘ PS3 and Xbox 360 versions are available now for $60 at a game retailer near you. If you missed it on PC last year, you’ll definitely want to give it a look on your console of choice.

Earlier this week, I was greeted at my doorstep by a Limited Collector’s Edition copy of Activision, id Software and Splash Damage’s hot new multiplayer shooter Enemy Territory: Quake Wars (accompanied by a thick Brady Games strat guide for the game as well), so I figured I’d go ahead and present a quick inside look at the contents of the LCE in case you’re still on the fence about which edition to get.

For the extra 10 bucks, the LCE comes with a set of 10 limited edition collectible art cards and a bonus DVD containing art galleries, trailers, ringtones, music tracks, IM icons and a fansite kit, all tucked neatly away in a nice slipcase box. The pics I’ve taken don’t quite do the cards and box art justice (sorry about the blurriness and glare in some of the shots, my camera isn’t the greatest…), but hopefully you get the idea that the artwork really is very cool.

All in all, I’d say the LCE is worth the additional cash. I’m not completely blown away by what’s on the bonus disc, but the art cards are great collectibles compared to items I’ve seen in collector’s editions for some other titles, and the special edition packaging definitely looks nice stacked alongside other game boxes. As for the game itself, I still haven’t had a chance to load that up yet, but plan on digging into it hard over the coming weekend. Once I’ve logged some heavy hours into it I’ll report back with a review. For now, enjoy the LCE snapshot tour!

”Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars is a new and unique approach to multiplayer combat. It combines team objectives with distinct player classes, cutting edge graphics, cool vehicles, and powerful deployables,” said id Software CEO, Todd Hollenshead. “Whether your thirst is for the savior or domination of Planet Earth, Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars is there to quench it.”

“Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars represents Splash Damage’s first full retail game and it would not have been possible if it weren’t for the support of id Software, the incredible investment on behalf of the team members over these past four years and the dedication of such an active community around the Demo and the Betas,” said Splash Damage Owner and Creative Director Paul Wedgwood. “We really can’t thank fans enough for their incredible support and getting us this far. We can’t wait to see the game on store shelves!”

“After months of testing, tweaking and balancing Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars, I’m pleased to finally be able to say ‘It’s Done!’” said id Software CEO Todd Hollenshead. “We’ve had a ton of fun getting the game ready for the masses and I’m looking forward to seeing the massive battle for the top of the online leaderboards begin!”

“The opportunity to develop Enemy Territory QUAKE Wars has been mind-blowingly cool!” said Splash Damage Owner and Creative Director Paul Wedgwood. “The passion and effort put in by our team at Splash Damage, combined with the amazing direction and mentoring we’ve received from id Software has lead to an award-winning game that we’re incredibly proud of. Our team can’t wait to join fans across the globe to fight in Earth’s battle for survival!”

Immediately after I finished posting today’s news regarding the launch of Public Beta 2.0 for Enemy Territory: Quake Wars, my inbox lit up with an announcement confirming the game’s official release date. From QuakeCon 2007, id Software and Activision have just revealed that the PC version of Enemy Territory: Quake Wars will storm retail shelves on September 28th in Europe and October 2nd in North America.

Enemy Territory: Quake Wars is also in development for the PS3 and Xbox 360, but no new release details for either of those were disclosed.

New Map: Valley (temperate climate, GDF-offensive map)
Wider Access: All current ETQW Fileplanet Beta participants, plus an additional first-come/first-serve 20K participants will be eligible to join

New Features:
– Offline play against the computer mode added
– Improvements to bots, game physics, audio and game interface
– Punkbuster added
– LAN game support added
– Player statistics tracking and leaderboards added at http://stats.enemyterritory.com
– Unranked server support included

Head over to fileplanet.com to register for a beta key. And check out these new screenshots that have just been released today.