Game Review 01 - "Enemy Territory Quake Wars" - Rating: 10/10 - LAN

I play a lot of games. Maybe not as much as some people out there, but enough that I could do some seriously awesome reviews.

So why not steemit?

Quick Facts

Enemy Territory Quake Wars is my favorite game of all time. (and I'm not even biased.)
It's a team objective based first person shooter. (Which means that it doesn't have a deathmatch mode)
It came out in 2007. (Which means that it had to compete with Halo 3)
It's cross platform (Windows, OS X, Linux, Xbox 360, Playstation 3) though I'll mostly be talking about the Windows version.

Pros

• It comes with server software, so you can host your own server (and play with friends!)
• DRM-Free! You can use 1 disc for all your friends without doing anything fancy.
• There is an SDK so you can make your own maps and mods! Link here!
• 5 class characters per side (Human and Strogg) that each play very differently, and can complete different kinds of objectives

Cons

• Learning curve is a little bit higher than average
• The master servers were taken down so you can't matchmake online anymore. (Can still play with friends)
• Control scheme could be better. (Mostly grenades and melee knives should have their own keys instead of being separate weapons, and flying controls should be more intuitive)
• Controller support for the windows version is very lacking, and basically unplayable. This isn't a problem if you play with a mouse and keyboard though.
• Only 12 maps by default, so if you get tired of the same maps, you might get tired of this game.

What I personally like about it

• I like games where you can try things thinking, "I wonder if this will work" and it does. ETQW has this in spades. One of my favorite examples of this is paratrooping. While in the air falling, you can press a button to deploy a parachute, softening your landing so you don't take damage. You can also jump out of air vehicles. Therefore, paratrooping works like a charm. Have one pilot fly your team to the target zone, jump and deploy parachutes.
• I really like the NPCs in this game. The game provides you with a number of quick chat options that are coded to voices in game. The NPCs actually use these quick chat options. If one of them heals you, and you thank them, they'll reply with an "Oh, you're welcome!"
• Every level is extremely detailed, and built to reward strategy. Most bulidings can be entered and used in some fashon. (sniping from a second story window is pretty sweet)
• The lack of DRM makes this game perfect for LAN parties. You can have 32 players on a server, so 16v16 is totally possible.
• There's an EXP system with rewards, but it isn't annoying like many more recent games. Instead, rewards last for the current Campaign (set of 3 maps in sequence) only. When you start a new Campaign or Objective match, rewards are reset so everybody is on an even playing field.
• Built in voice chat that's actually pretty good, but I'd use Mumble instead because ETQW is on their positional audio support list. (You hear your friend's voices based on where their characters are in the game)
• Support for 1080p, 60fps, and surround sound. (All PC games should have this, but I'm glad this one does.)

In any case, this is a really fun game.
You can buy it on amazon for pretty cheap. Link here!
It gets my LAN tag because it works really well as a LAN party game.
Comment if you've played it!

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