"This is a great game but some major lasting appeal flaws but few in-game ones."

Opening Statement:

This is a good game to keep you waiting as an intermission for other things, in my case DSL and Shenmue. The graphics are good (if you have a good computer) and the game play works out very well. It is a must have for WWII buffs and people who want to save money by buying two games in one; a flight sim, and an FPS.

Graphics: 9/10

It didn’t get the full 10/10 because you need to be rich and have a top-of-the-line computer to run this baby at full power. I found myself with my g-force 2 MX and 1.2 AMD putting the graphics at the bare minimum so I could add more bots. It is rare when off-line is laggier than on-line. My computer is pretty much outdated or at least will be in about, say, five minutes. Others shouldn’t have a problem with slowdowns. Nice reloading of the gun effects and plane/tank movements. I especially like the rock-back in the big tanks after a round is blasted out.

Sounds: 9/10

Good sounds especially with firing tank cannons and dropping bombs. Gun effects can sound like pop guns being shot off. E A Games has made a great radio interface with F1 through F8 hot keys. The voice acting for the radios resembles “Saving Private Ryan” which is good. Also accents for the British and different languages for the Axis and Russians really tops it off. If only the guns could have been a little better.

Gameplay: 10/10

No doubt here, this has the most unique FPS game play I have ever seen. Being able to use every vehicle and cannon mount is truly revolutionary. Being able to fly and bomb with huge planes and small fighters is great. Flight physics could have been better, but hey it IS an FPS after all. Being able to be a back gunner on a tank or plane like IL2 Sturmovik is great if you don’t have a joystick or just want be along for the ride. Not to mention the ships, like the cruiser, which is huge and has many, many cannons. The submarine isn’t too great though… torpedoes only hit if you are completely surfaced. The controls are easy enough using traditional W, A, S, D keys so you don’t have to read too much of the manual. Online play is exceedingly awesome. Seeing people running across the streets of Berlin, calling medics and engineers that DO come and help in battles, like in “Saving Private Ryan” gives you a thrill that will take away your track of time. Oh and don’t expect much from the D-Day mission it is kinda small and claustrophobic.

Lasting Appeal: 6/10

Sadly this is where the game falls in. First you play the campaign as Allies (unless you are umm ''different''), then some instant actions, then (if you have DSL or higher) multiplayer, then you might want to play the Axis side of the campaign. Then that’s it. This takes about a week or two weeks at the most. A lack of maps reflects this. The maps are so detailed that the game disc probably couldn’t hold anymore. Users are making up for this and creating new maps that you can download at various places. This is a perfect game for those who, like I said before, are trying to kill time. The game is so addictive that it will flyby really quickly. Really, if you play one city map or island map you have played the rest for they are so similar. Once I though I was actually playing the same map once because of the same layout of the base.

Buy?:

YES. Perfect for history reports :), killing time, war buffs, and trying to get on The Screen Savers' LAN party (I did by the way). Worth every penny of it's $40 price tag. This is a promising game of its older brother Medal of Honor.

Overall: 8/10
(remember no game gets a 10/10 it has last forever and never wanted to be put down, Starcraft and Pac-Man have been the closest)

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 01/03/03, Updated 01/03/03