After making adjustments, the first campaign map begins with the Limbo Screen, on which the player chooses a side (GDF or Strogg), one of five specialties and a firearm. Players also receive a basic handgun and grenades, as well as devices that are unique to each class; GDF medics have a supply of health packs, soldiers get explosives, engineers receive tools used to build and repair objects, etc., with Strogg fighters receiving similar implements. As an added wrinkle (and no doubt an attempt to make unpopular classes more enticing), one class is identified as being crucial to the success of the coming mission at the beginning of the each map.

Once a character is outfitted, a single mouse click starts the match. A selection of missions available for completion appears in the upper-left portion of the screen, while a minimap displays the locations of objectives and, if a radar dish is deployed, the locations of enemy elements. Each map includes three major objectives for each side, all three of which must be completed before time expires. Teamwork is a necessity for success; for example, the GDF Field Ops character will need the covering fire of his teammates to successfully hack into enemy turrets or shield generators to avoid getting waxed by a Strogg enemy.

As combat progresses, players accumulate experience points for completing missions and for proficiency in combat, leading to field promotions awarded by the army’s commander after reaching various XP thresholds. Leveling up during Campaign mode is surprisingly easy; I once progressed from a common non-commissioned grunt to Lieutenant Commander in the course of one, three-map scenario. Combat on each map ends when one of the teams achieves all of their objectives or when the timer expires, after which a recap screen shows which players were best at their respective specialties.

After getting used to the game mechanics and surmounting the considerably steep learning curve, it was time to move to online battles (LAN play is also supported). A full-featured server browser automatically locates and displays all of the available online servers (no matchmaking service is available). The browser includes an extensive set of filters, and the server list can be sorted by all of the column headings, which is useful when trying to sift through the almost 1,000 possible choices that were available during my play testing. Some servers host as many as 64 players at once, but the majority are usually limited to 32 combatants. Also selectable are servers that include the Punkbuster anti-cheating software that comes bundled with the game.

ETQW has the look and feel of a classic shooter. But is it good enough to rise above the pack in an incredibly crowded competition for your gaming time and money? On to the numbers…