Return to Castle Wolfenstein, itself a sequel to the 1992 classic, was very well received when it came out in 2001 thanks to the combination of a compelling single player campaign and an packed component. Fans of the franchise will not have to wait quite as long to enjoy another adventure featuring "William J. Blazkowicz" because Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory is set to appear on a screen near you this easter. Originally planned as an expansion pack it has blossomed to become a full blown sequel.

"Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory is not just a stand-alone but an entirely new game set inside the universe. Anything you've read or heard about Enemy Territory being an expansion pack is old news." - Kevin Cloud (id Software)

Return to Castle Wolfenstein was developed between two companies, Gray Matter Interactive and Nerve Software, the former responsible for the single player game and the latter the multiplayer. This resulted in both aspects receiving equal focus and polish. The team responsible for Enemy Territory is split up amongst five companies, (Activision, Gray Matter, id, Mad Doc, and Splash Damage) each working on separate elements. Between them, Enemy Territory has people from Australia, London, Boston, Santa Monica and Dallas involved. In order to keep communication flowing between the companies a twice weekly call is scheduled when everyone is awake which Ian Davis of Mad Doc has dubbed the "Wolfenstein International Call of Mystery". In charge of coordinating the production is Jonathan Moses of Activision, whose credits include Return to Castle Wolfenstein, Armada, and Battlezone. I assume he isn't allowed to sleep.

"A spread-out team creates its own issues, but everyone involved in the project is professional and dedicated. As long as we keep the goal in mind -- making the best game possible -- it's smooth sailing."

"...it's heartening to know that at any minute of every day, someone somewhere is working on Enemy Territory." - Ian Davis (CEO Mad Doc)

The Quake III engine that underpinned the previous game will again be utilised. As the multiplayer aspect of the game is more pronounced this time the network code has been highly optimised to reduce lag. Graphically, expect to see some improvements such as atmospheric snow and rain effects. The maps also feature lush foliage linked with a level of detail algorithm ensuring the frame rate doesn't suffer, so closer objects have a higher fidelity than those further away. For the mod community there will also be more advanced scripting controls on offer so objectives can be much more complex, particularly for multiplayer.

The single player game is set in 1942 just prior to Return to Castle Wolfenstein. The allies have been sending small teams of Rangers into occupied for intelligence gathering and sabotage. The secretive OSA are looking to recruit members to its organisation and they eye one such team headed by none other than B.J. Blazkowicz himself. They enlist him and send his team in to rescue one of their agents, (agent 2), who has information about the German super guns. Working alongside agent 2, you and your team you will soon discover that the Nazis have more than super guns up their sleeves. The missions will be split into three major campaigns in Europe, north Africa and northern Egypt and while there will be some supernatural overtones don't expect to see zombies or monsters this time round.