The core PC game was impressive in that it offered a frankly imposing number of options for each side, between being able to call in strikes from outer space with the Strogg to literally pilfering the look and name of teammates, not to mention a ton of various vaguely Quake-themed weapons like the Nail Gun (Quake Wars technically takes place before Quake 2 in the game's cannon). These were further tweaked by having things like the Strogg be limited not by ammo, but by heat from some guns. Just about everywhere you look in the game, there's a counter-unit or type to something on the other side, but they're subtly different -- enough that it doesn't feel like you're just playing the same unit on both sides -- which is key to making both interesting, particularly if your job is just to maintain defense on a map and wait out the clock.

We tried a couple different maps, including the intro tutorial level, Sewers, that had us blowing through a gate, then hacking a satellite antenna, then breaching a pair of grates that led into the belly of the Strogg base before finally hacking their computer systems to shut off the flow of additives to the water supply that were making the humans docile and more susceptible to being enslaved by the invading Strogg forces. The second map, Island, had us first securing a position in a bunker, then blowing open a door to grab intel that had to be uploaded at a Strogg controlled base. We're simplifying it, of course; at every single step throughout the class-specific maps, enemy waves, stationary turrets, dropped in support vehicles and long-range weapons fire tried to hold us back (and, likewise, we did the same while defending the next round).

Complicating things was the fact that each class and their unique abilities in the game nets experience as they're put to use (be it by way of kills, completing objectives or offering support), and after leveling up a few times, special abilities, both passive and active are unlocked. It's a little like the Perks system in Call of Duty 4, though they're strictly temporary, and will eventually expire. Still, it pays to stick with one class long enough to gain their particular bonuses, though there's definitely a pull to switch it up if you're the glory-hogging type that wants to accomplish those objectives and open up the next part of the map.

One thing we should probably note, though: while the game, replete with signature id Software technology like Megatextures (brainchild of programming guru John Carmack, these are absolutely massive single textures that cover the whole terrain), is commendable on the PC and even the 360 version is fairly attractive, the PS3 iteration, whether because it was being handled by a different developer, unfamiliarity with the hardware or some combination of the two, doesn't look anywhere near as good. Both versions of the game suffered from an overwhelmingly muted, brownish color palette in the maps we played on, but the PS3 one in particular looked rather ugly, frankly. Low-res textures, character models that seemed to lack a lot of detail even when they were fairly close and a framerate that was a little on the chunky side at times just made it feel like the inferior version.

We mention this not because we want to harp on the game's shortcomings, but because there's a lot of potential to offer something different with the release, but some of the stiffer competition (like the aforementioned Warhawk), means it'll be an uphill climb. Hopefully what we saw was just the general growing pains of an earlier build of the game, and the final product will be a little sexier when all's said and done. Regardless of looks, though, the actual mechanics of the game are well-tested and so long as the online code holds up (we play local LAN matches, but Underground promises a Call of Duty 4-style system for automatically finding the best servers before dropping players into online P2P-based games.

If you're curious about the storyline or how the game's looking, feel free to take a peek at the media sections up at the top of the page to see the full intro to the game and a couple choice shots. We'll have more info on the game -- including a more concrete release date than "When it's Done" -- as soon as we can.