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| | Publisher: Aspyr Media  Genre: Action | | | Min OS X: Any Version CPU: G4 @ 867 MHz RAM: 256 MB Hard Disk: 1600 MB DVD-ROM Graphics: 32 MB VRAM |
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Battlefield 1942: Deluxe Edition
August 10, 2004 | Gordon Hurd | |
For years now—ever since the blockbuster release of Steven Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan—there has been a refueled interest in World War II based entertainment. Movies, television, books, comic books, and a myriad other diversions seem to find their pathos and adventure in the annals of one of Western civilizations most dramatic wars. Video games have been far from the exception, more like the hard and fast rule. Everything from real time and turn-based strategy, to massive multiplayer titles, to the ubiquitous first person shooters has been developed around various aspects of the classic clash in the mid twentieth century.
The titles are still coming, and thankfully many of the best in this genre are eventually developed for PC as well as the Mac. Though it’s been a good two years since its release on PC, Battlefield 1942: Deluxe Edition has found a home on Mac OS computers and it’s a welcome addition to the growing stable of games pitting Allied forces against the original axis of evil.
If you’re looking for gripping drama and the human connections found in epics like Private Ryan, you better stop looking for it in Battlefield: 1942. It’s an aptly titled game, all battle all the time. Though technically both a single and multiplayer game, BF1942 is at its finest while playing against human opponents on the Internet or over a network. BF1942 is an action game, one that is best played at full speed, as a trooper, a medic, a bomber, a tank commando, or any other number of roles players can choose. BF1942 emphasizes fast paced action, vehicles, and team-based strategy.
I had the pleasure of previewing Bf1942 in its beta version and now reviewing it at its final stage. This review should begin by saying that everything that was top notch about the game in its earlier stages is as good, if not improved. Game play, graphics, sound, and replay opportunities are all strong in BF1942. Though a few bugs and quirks have found their way onto the final release, this is a game that should provide ample amounts of fun and arcade action to Mac gamers for months to come.To summarize what Battlefield 1942 is about is not too difficult: an action game based in the four different battlefield theaters of World War II. Gamers can fight as Allied or Axis forces in Africa, the Pacific, and Western and Eastern Europe. In the course of a game, players can assume the role of medics, scouts, assault soldiers, anti-tank troops, and engineers. BF1942 also offers players extensive opportunities to hop into famous and infamous pieces of World War II machinery including tanks, planes, jeeps, armored personnel carriers, even battleships, bombers, and submarines. Taking into account the many different varieties of weapons and vehicles on the Allied and Axis sides, players have what seem like hundreds of options for their defense and attack.
Within this framework Battlefield 1942 offers a number of different scenarios for gamers to engage with each other. Judging from the types of games available on Internet servers the most popular game type is Conquest, where Axis and Allies vie for key positions on maps representing famous battles from World War II. Positions are marked by flags and the gun play around those flags can get pretty heavy, especially in maps like Omaha Beach, Stalingrad, and Battle of the Bulge. But, don’t let that make you feel like your options are limited. Players online also actively participate in Capture the Flag games, Team Deathmatch, and Objective Mode, where teams have to complete specific objectives.
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