Recognizing a good thing when they saw it, Activision was quick to bring the developer, Infinity Ward, into the fold. We assume they're working on the inevitable sequel, while Gray Matter developed the expansion pack, United Offensive. These guys did Return to Castle Wolfenstein, and many of them come from Xatrix Entertainment, who did Kingpin and a several Quake and Quake II mission packs. Lots of experience with the Quake engine, and it shows. Although the Quake III engine United Offensive is based on is about five years old--prehistoric in gaming terms--it holds up amazingly well, and Gray Matter even squeezed out an awesome particle system, flamethrowers, controllable vehicles, partially destructible environments, and more.

Let me tell you how the particle system adds to the game. "Particles in this sense refer to smoke, flying debris, fire, dust, and fog. It's hard to imagine the battlefield now without the enormous pillars of dirt towering into the air during artillery bombardments; trails of thick smoke tracing a bazooka round from launch to target; bursts of smoke rising out of a tank cannon after every shot; cloud dust getting kicked up behind vehicles; and the explosions. The explosions are really cool. If you have the right sound system, your neighbors will be banging down your door. The whole screen shakes, too, so you get really rattled when those planes fly overhead and try to bombard you. Combined with the partial destructibility, you can make a satisfying mess of the battlefield.