Time for Tin Hats....

Battlefield 1942 has just set the standard for first person shoot'em ups. As a single player game it takes the frag fest of Quake and drags it kicking and screaming into the 21st century. So what makes this different from the deluge of first person games flooding the market over recent years? Primarily the game is a graphical masterpiece, if you are lucky and have a machine good enough to run this beast at full pelt then prepare to cream. The detail is astounding every gun, ship, Jeep and person is a perfectly crafted work of art. Secondly, the game takes a brains and team work, if you run round heedlessly trying to shoot anything that moves you will last about 10 seconds, if you take your time dig in and work as a team then you stand a chance.

The game itself is well rounded and seems to have everything in order. You can pick from one of 5 types of soldier (assault, medic, scout, anti-tank, engineer) all with unique strengths and weaknesses. Gamers will also be able to control many weapons available to the Axis and Allies as well as command numerous land vehicles, ships and aircraft. With larger craft such as a bomber, the game will allow players to choose what stations they serve - pilot, gunner, bombardier, etc.

Where this game shines is in its all encompassing multi-player action. An example was whilst playing an internet game last night, I was crouching in a crater on Omaha beach looking to pick off a few axis troops with my sniper rifle when through the fog of battle a medic approached "patched me up" and then went to aid another injured soul. I got shot a moment later but thanks anyway.

I have one very slight moan about the game and that is a picket fence's can stop tanks and in fact damage them.

9.5 out of 10