What if you dropped into an online game and always knew what you were supposed to be doing? We're not talking about a causal Halo match where you just have to shoot dudes and forget 'em. We're talking about a game where you fulfil a specific role: say, a saboteur who sneaks behind enemy lines to destroy its equipment, clothed in the skin of one of its own soldiers. What if you could jump right into a game like that and understand your role? What if you could help your team achieve its goals without having to argue with unresponsive players over a crackly headset mic?

These are the questions posed by Enemy Territory: Quake Wars, and it's what sets the game apart from Star Wars Battlefront or Battlefield 2142 - and any other of a herd of shooters it superficially resembles. The game pits the alien Strogg forces versus the human Global Defense Force. Each side has a variety of character classes - each specializing in types of weaponry and abilities. The strategy comes in when you build a team of various characters that can work effectively in battle.

Its intelligent approach to making this gameplay simple to enjoy for players - while still retaining the depth that makes these games so appealing to hardcore fans - is the key. From what we saw, this game has the classes that will make the game interesting - on both sides of the war. But accessing their abilities and simply knowing what to do will make it a more enjoyable experience.