Gameplay-wise I haven’t a problem with the demo. There is no denying it is a lot of fun (with the right number of people) and the fire power you wield feels and acts brilliantly. The vehicles were every bit as fun as I thought they would be (although not as realistically accurate as say Operation Flashpoint, but still pretty good), and the air combat certainly works well for a FPS. Huge explosions, assorted weaponry, team work, kamikaze attacks, dog fights, snipers, it’s all here. For an ‘all-in-one’ game it runs very all aspects pretty well.
There are a few issues that if still in the full release will be a real killer to the game’s integrity. Basically, if these aren’t sorted, Joe Public will easily pick up on them and get very annoyed.
Glitches involve aircraft hovering in the air, despite the fact that the home carrier upon on which they stood had been destroyed and sunk to the bottom of the ocean. Dead players hovering in the air above an explosion still waving their arms frantically, dead soldiers still remaining in a vehicle still looking perfectly alive despite the fact I blasted him in the face a hundred times over, bodies and destruction not remaining on the ground very long (ideal for spotting where flash spots have occurred) to name but a few.
The servers are another thing to be sorted. MOH servers are easy to use, and are clear and accurate (with the most recent patch anyway). This demo’s ones are not. Sure they make it easier to identify what games are password only (a good addition), but they are highly inaccurate. That’s probably good old Gamespy’s fault rather than the actual game, seeing as the servers are powered by that lovely online gaming community. Plus the odd disconection there and there doesnt help matters...
One online game said there are 0/32 players. So I clicked it, thinking others would follow my lead if 1 person was there. Only to get a message pop up saying “Sever is full”. 0/32? Eh? Later in the day the same game still, according to Gamespy, was absolutely empty. Tried it again, and magically it is STILL full.
Oh, and whilst in a multiplayer game don’t even think about pressing escape to get options during play. It takes ages to get to the Menu screen, and literally flashes back to windows to then display the settings menu. That DOES need addressing.
If these small problems aren’t sorted, then I doubt Battlefield 1942 will get that all important Classic status. In fact some issues could be very damaging EA, so please take note. You have a wonderful game in the palms of your hands, don’t let it slip over due to some some silly mistakes that any average gamer can spot a mile off.
Conclusion
Good
- Loads of vehicles to use
- Different styles of play, each working fairly well
- Each method of playing as accurate weaknesses and advantages weighed up almost perfectly.
- Vehicles look lovely
- Quake 3 Engine, so runs nicely and looks cool on up to date systems
- Feels like MOH multiplayer, which is good!
- Looks promising, seeing as its only one level
- BIG EXPLOSIONS AND ACTION! YEAH!
Bad
- Graphics aren’t superb in places, i.e. the overall backdrops.
- Few ‘iffy’ bugs and glitches need to be ironed out
- Map given is a bit large for smaller amounts of players. Hope full-release has suitably sized maps to cater for any number of players.
- Server interface inaccurate
- Finding a game to play online can be very difficult
- Uses Gamespy
Summing Up
When I first heard about this game I was hooked. The premise of the game was too appealing for me. So as soon as I found out the MP demo was online (thanks go to Sobriquet on our forums) I instantly downloaded it. But the demo, although hugely fun and enjoyable, does lack that “solid” feeling by having such a multitude of little niggling problems. With less than a month to go, I wonder if the full release will just echo these problems, or if there’s just enough time to address these concerns.
Maybe I should still show faith. After all, Medal Of Honor’s demo was pants, at least this one IS fun. MOH also suffered the same multiplayer problems, by having incredible slowdowns, inaccurate servers, and being incredibly hard to find a good game to actually play. Yet the full release I thoroughly enjoyed.
Suffice to say, I will still be getting Battlefield 1942 on release because I am still heavily lured by the concept. You won’t be blown away by the demo, but I do highly recommend you have a go. As it is, despite its minor troubles, a fun game thus far and defiantly one to keep our eyes on next month.
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