More Thoughts on Quake Wars

I just spent four more hours on Quake Wars (an even mix of online and offline time).  I have a few more thoughts to add to my earlier comments:

1.) I really like the game, I was (and I know this is blasphemy) getting bored of shooters - especially modern military themed shooters.  Quake Wars has enough novelty in it to interest me - you don't feel like you are playing just another shooter.  The mix of skills between the five character types and the obstacles they can each overcome made for some interesting game play.  The variety of vehicles I think also offers some real potential once they are mastered.  The end of match feedback screen is kind of fun too...but not as good as in Goldeneye (but then again - will anything ever be that cool?) 

2.) The other thing that I really like is that the game seems to have a few mechanisms by which it levels the playing field between different skilled players.  (Confession:  My motto is "I am cannon fodder"...that should give you an idea of my skill level).  It can be very frustrating to play shooters against much better players who have nothing better to do than to snipe you for no reason from across the map while jumping and remaining impossible to hit, after taking all the good weapons and mining the spawn points. (BAMTL - *ahem*)  One great player on the other team is certainly an advantage, but it doesn't matter as much because of the character classes - one person can't do everything.  The players who in the previous game were commenting on, shall we say, "my extraordinary ability to die" were very appreciative when I used an infiltrator disguise (yep -that's right you can wear a disguise) to open the main gate to the enemy's base.  It truly was a wonderful example of what my dad used to tell me when he said, "Son, old age and treachery will always overcome youth and skill."

3.) This game will live and die in your collection by how many of your friends own a copy.  (Hey Lux - THIS MEANS YOU!!)  Parties of people you know will intensely magnify the experience, especially because of the aforementioned cooperative aspect.  

My earlier comparison to 'Shadowrun' - another shooter that I think did some cool stuff, but only one of my buddies bought and hence it died as a LAN party/ XBL option - illustrates Quake Wars' only foreseeable problem.  I'd suggest having a few friends rent it, play online together, and if you think it is cooler than your current default shooter (say COD4 or HALO 3...) then get it.  If not - it will probably not achieve that 'critical mass' of acceptance in your gaming circle and will become a waste of money.

That being said 2o4BS...go get a copy so we can play!!!