Electronic Arts is bringing World War II action to Xbox in the form of Battlefield 1942. Check out our full preview for all the details.
Swedish developer Digital Illusions is working on an all-inclusive WWII game that will place you in more than one hot seat. Starting out as a lowly soldier, you will need to learn to cooperate with other units. The game will emphasize individual achievements over unit movement, but if your bombers don't provide the proper cover for the tanks, the tanks can't cover the troop transports, and you won't have anybody to back you up when you need it.
Gameplay will consist of a variety of missions ranging from North Africa, to the Pacific arena, to the ever-popular European fronts. One of the cooler features of this game will be the ability to play as American, German, Japanese, Russian, or British soldiers.
You start with the option of selecting from different types of soldiers (including medics, scouts, pilots, foot soldiers, etc.) with each class having different abilities and equipment. There will be a very large supply (over twenty) of vehicles to choose from, ranging from tanks to submarines, with which to accomplish the wide-ranging missions.
Environments should prove to be representational of the advances that videogames have made over the last few years as well. When a mortar shell explodes on the road, a crater will appear, crating a driving hazard for your jeep. Houses can be shot up, and vehicles will have realistic physics and vulnerable points.
The game will span almost the entirety of the war, and the developer has conducted extensive research to ensure historical accuracy. However, that does not necessarily mean that if you play as the Japanese, you will lose. Gameplay is the emphasis here.
With a multitude of nationalities, soldier types, missions, and vehicles, as well as the wide-ranging timeframe, the replay value on this title looks to be very high.
Daniel "monk" Pelfrey
Is glad to see that his four years in the army will be put to use.
