Genre: Multiplayer FPS
Developer: SlashDamage
Publisher: Activision
Free online games are a mixed bag these days. In a lot of cases they are either trying to sell you something or promoting a cause. One notable exception is Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory, a free multiplayer FPS which uses Quake technology and will cost you nothing except the time it takes to download the client. Released in 2003, Wolfenstein: ET is still one of the most popular online shooters available for the PC.
There is no single-player component to Enemy Territory. It must be played online, but, like most FPS games, there is no charge to play. It has a built-in server finder that works okay, and it's also supported by services like GameSpy and Xfire.
Enemy Territory is built around the Quake 3 Arena engine and the graphics reflect this. It's a very good-looking game with convincing WWII settings, nice light effects, and large infantry-oriented maps. The vehicle models are a little crude, but explosions are spectacular enough and it delivers great performance even on older systems.
Aside from being free; it's arguably better than some of the commercial games available in this genre. It offers a great selection of multiplayer modes, including a Campaign mode, which allows players to wage war through a series of linked scenarios. Maps feature an interesting variety of objectives that give the game additional depth, and there are also more traditional multiplayer options such as Last Man Standing.
Like many WWII shooters, you have a number of different classes to choose from. In this case: Soldier, Medic, Engineer, Field Ops, and Covert Ops. As well, each class has a wide range of weaponry at their disposal, so the player gets to further customize their role in the game. This means that every Soldier on a team doesn't have to carry the exact same equipment; one might be packing a machine gun, the next could send in some mortar fire.
There are no user controlled vehicles in Enemy Territory, but there are the usual mounted machine guns that players can use and repair. Taking this concept a step further, special machine gun nests and towers can be constructed by Engineers. Qualified Engineers can also build Command Posts which give their entire team ability bonuses and provide additional health and ammo packs.
Another unique aspect of this game is the experience system. The use of your primary skills in battle is rewarded with experience points, which lead to higher skill levels, better equipment, and ultimately, the rank of General. Your rank is displayed on your helmet for other players to see, and serves as a visible warning of just how dangerous you are.
Spawning is also an unusual mix of things that have come before. In most game modes, you don't respawn immediately, but in waves of reinforcements that are several minutes apart. It's a nicely balanced approach that penalizes players for dying without taking them out of the action for excessive lengths of time. What's more, a skilled Medic can revive a dead comrade on the spot. Only Last Man Standing games use the Counter-Strike method, where everyone spawns at the same time and remains dead until the round is over.
I could go on for a long while about flame throwers, grenade launchers, artillery strikes, satchel charges, enemy spies, lean keys, and other exceptional details that this game brings to first-person shooting. Although it's not quite as cutting-edge as newer games like the Battlefield series, it's still a first-rate game.
Unlike America's Army, which is a subtle recruitment tool, Enemy Territory doesn't even plug other Activision products in the load screen. To top it off, it's a mod-friendly game that is likely to be kept alive by the community for quite some time. Free games don't get any better than this, so before you spend a lot of money on the latest multiplayer shooter, give Enemy Territory a try - you shouldn't have any problem finding a busy server.
System Requirements
- Windows, Mac, or Linux OS. NT not recommended.
- Pentium III 600 Mhz processor or equivalent.
- 128 MB RAM.
- 32 MB OpenGL compliant 3D video card.
- DirectX 8.1 or higher.
- 271 MB free hard disk space.
- 500 MB free hard disk space for swap files.
- 56.6k modem or better Internet connection. Broadband recommended for games with more than 8 players.
Downloads
The Windows client is 270 MB. Linux and Mac clients as well as the server software are also available at most of these sites.
- SplashDamage
- 3D Gamers
- FilePlanet
- FileShack
- Fragland
- GameZone Online
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