Battlefield 1942

aka: BF1942
Moby ID: 7213

Description official descriptions

Battlefield 1942 is a massive online multiplayer shooter roughly based on World War II, but with emphasis on balance and fun. Join armed forces of United States, United Kingdom, Japan, Germany or Russia, and battle up to 63 of your friends online. Have access to up to twenty different authentic weapons. Control any of the 30+ vehicles over land, on water, or in air. Combat takes place in four theatres; South Pacific, North Africa, and Eastern and Western Europe. Have epic battles with up to 64 players on the same map, or hone your skills in single-player mode against AI bots.

Spellings

  • æˆ˜ćœ°1942 - Simplified Chinese spelling
  • æˆ°ćœ°éąšé›Č1942 - Traditional Chinese spelling

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Credits (Windows version)

238 People (206 developers, 32 thanks) · View all

Reviews

Critics

Average score: 89% (based on 47 ratings)

Players

Average score: 3.7 out of 5 (based on 105 ratings with 7 reviews)

War is hell, but Battlefield is a slice of gaming heaven!

The Good
Where to start with this one? Besides the fact that it is one of the best multiplayer titles ever released, and it has completely taken over my life in a short time. And how extremely fun it is...Lets see...

Gameplay: One word describes it perfectly: FUN. The game takes place in a World War 2 setting, placing Allies (British, US, and Russian forces) against Axis (German and Japanese forces) in several different theaters of war, from Europe, to Africa, to the Pacific. Each level is based off of a certain battle of the war (Like Omaha Beach and Iwo Jima for example). From the huge endless deserts of El Alamien to the tense close combat battles among the destroyed buildings of Stalingrad, each map is well designed and enjoyable. There are five different kits available for soldiers: Scouts (Who can target for artillery, and carry sniper rifles), Assault (Your basic grunt with the machine gun), Ant-Tank (Who carry rocket launchers and can take out vehicles), Medics (Who provide health on the field), and Engineers (Who can repair vehicles and set up defenses). Each kit has it's own advantages and disadvantages. Weapons are different for each side, and like the kits, have pros and cons as well. For example, the Allies machine gun, the Bar 1918 has a smaller clip and a slower rate of fire then the Axis StG 44, but unlike the StG, the Bar is very accurate. The game takes a 'rock-paper-scissors' approach to the weapons and kits, and vehicles. And the vehicles! I doubt that this game would've been half as good without them. There are over 35 different vehicles in the game, ranging from jeeps, to tanks, to planes, APCs, to giant battleships and aircraft carriers, even submarines! Each vehicle provides a fun approach to doing things. For example you could get into a plane (A bomber or fighter, your choice) and attack enemy positions from the air, but watch out for anti-aircraft turrets, and other fighters, or else you'll have to parachute out. Get into a tank and wreak all kinds of havoc, but watch out for planes, anti-tank soldiers, or enemy tanks. You could get into a battleship, and shell the land, but watch out for other ships, submarines or planes. Some vehicles also have several slots, so team mates can also get in and join you. There are many different possibilities and many things you can do. It's also hard to describe this game without reminiscing about many different memorable moments encountered when playing this game. I'll always remember the first time I took out my first plane with a rocket launcher, or escaping a sinking ship after an enemy air attack. There are several different gameplay modes in the game, but Conquest (Where your team has to to take over and control several points across the map, right up to the enemy base) is the most common one.

Graphics/Sound: On the graphics side, the game wont challenge Unreal 2 , but they still hold thier own. The scale of the levels are huge! The vehicles also look good, and things like explosions are well done. The sound affects sound very good, from the footsteps of a soldier to the omnious sound of a tank rolling in, everything is solid, right down to soldiers speaking in thier native languages. The music isn't bad too, even though there is a bit of a lack of it: Only to be heard in the menu, or loading a map, or when a game is finished.

The Bad
There are only a few things I have found wrong in this game. First, it is a system hog. You'll need at least a 1 Ghz machine with 256MB Ram and a 32/64 MB video card minimum. Also, to get anything out of the game, Broadband is REQUIRED. Don't even THINK about trying to tackle this game with a 56k modem. Not only will your gameplay be laggy, you will also make it bad for every other user on the server. The manual itself states that anyone with a 56k should stick to games with 16 players or less, and in this game, the less players in a game, the less fun it is. And while this game does have a single player campaign, the bots in the game are pretty dumb, and unless you have a top of the line dream system, a large number of bots will bring your system to its knees. But who cares, online is where it's at. Also, I've encountered a few bugs here and there, with the game crashing to the desktop sometimes. Lastly, the game could benefit from some better communications hotkeys, instead of the clunky hotkey bar at the top of the screen, and some better ways of handling the game. For example, you have to go to the console and type in a hard-to-remember line of code in order to start a vote to change the mission or kick a player. I wish it was as smooth as Tribes 2's.

The Bottom Line
Battlefield 1942 is quite a game. Easily the best multiplayer title I've ever played. Incredibly fun to play, enjoyable, memorable, and entertaining. This game caters to both the casual and hardcore gamers with the perfect balance between fun and realism. It's easy to get into and play.

So if you have the system to handle it, Get this game. Now!

Windows · by JL3001 (17) · 2003

WHERE ARE YOU FROM SOLDIER?!

The Good
1) This game defines the world "Multiplayer".

2) The plethora of vehicles adds a whole new dimension to the word “freedom”.

3) The boundary system is very clever: instead of having an invisible wall, you have a deserter’s line.

4) The SP isn’t shabby, contrary to popular opinion, and should be defined as a very rough diamond.

The Bad
1) The single player needs buffering.

2) You will need a meaty system and internet speed to fully enjoy this game.

The Bottom Line
This game has a great multiplayer and a functional single player. Highly recommended

Windows · by James Smith (1) · 2005

Vehicle mania and endless possibilities are what to find...inside.

The Good
The graphics are good, but bugs may pop up here and there. Don't expect to get good performance on a crappy system. The sounds and music are well-done and the choice of guns, classes, and vehicles increases the replay-value through the roof. The major aspect of the game is multiplayer, where 64 players can wage total war in complex maps through vehicles and firearms. This is a fun game that EA and Digital Illusions should be proud of.

The Bad
First off, if you are a single-player freak, like me, you will notice that the AI sucks the big one. In fact, you might want to play online just for the challenge. The vehicle controls are okay, but the physics engine could use some help. Many bugs, but most of the new patches can cure a quick cold in the game.

The Bottom Line
A great WW2 simulation game. With many vehicles to choose from and a multiplayer bonanza, this game makes a great addition to any WW2 fanatic's shelf. In fact, if you enjoy strategy, first person, or simulation games than you definitely want to check this one out. Go grab a copy of Battlefield 1942 and start waging war online or offline today!

Windows · by Josh Miller (6) · 2003

[ View all 7 player reviews ]

Trivia

1001 Video Games

Battlefield 1942 appears in the book 1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die by General Editor Tony Mott.

Cancelled Xbox version

An Xbox version of Battlefield 1942 was planned, and was also going to support the Xbox Live feature. On January 15, 2003, EA declared that the game was cancelled. The official reason was that they wanted the developers to be able to focus on the expansion Battlefield 1942: The Road to Rome instead. However, people speculated that the real reason was that EA felt they couldn't make any big money with a relationship with Microsoft.

Online servers

The game's online servers (which were hosted on GameSpy) were scheduled to shut down on 30 June 2014, like for other Electronic Arts titles in the wake of GameSpy's total closure.

Awards

  • 4Players
    • 2002 – Best PC Multiplayer Game of the Year
    • 2002 – #8 Best PC Game of the Year (Readers' Vote)
  • Computer Games Magazine
    • March 2003 (Issue #148) - Co-Winner of of the 2002 Game of the Year Award
  • Computer Gaming World
    • April 2003 (Issue #225) - Multiplayer Game of the Year 2002
    • February 2006 (Issue #259) – Introduced into the Hall of Fame
  • GameSpy
    • 2002 – Multiplayer Game of the Year
    • 2002 – PC Action Game of the Year (Readers' Choice)
    • 2002 – Best Two-Song Soundtrack (PC)
    • 2003 - Best Mod of the Year (for Desert Combat)
    • 2011 – #15 Top PC Game of the 2000s
  • GameStar (Germany)
    • February 13, 2003 - Best Multiplayer Game in 2003 (Reader's Voting)
  • Golden Joystick Award
    • 2003 - Online Game of the Year 2002
  • PC Gamer
    • March 2003 - Best Game of the Year 2002
    • March 2003 - Best Multiplayer Game of the Year 2002
    • April 2005 - #9 in the 50 Best Games of All Time list
  • Verband der Unterhaltungssoftware Deutschland (Entertainment Software Association Germany)
    • 2002 - Gold-Award for selling more then 100,000 (but less then 200,000) units in Germany, Austria and Switzerland

Information also contributed by PCGamer77, piltdown man and Xoleras.

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  • MobyGames ID: 7213
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Contributors to this Entry

Game added by JPaterson.

Additional contributors: Unicorn Lynx, Grov, Corn Popper, Paulus18950, Patrick Bregger, Plok, FatherJack.

Game added September 13, 2002. Last modified March 6, 2024.