Battlefield 1942

 PC
User Score
8.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 500 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 406 out of 500
  2. Mixed: 73 out of 500
  3. Negative: 21 out of 500
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  1. ATF_Isamu
    Sep 29, 2003
    9
    BF42 has GREAT multi-player potential. While all the same levels are available for both solo & multi games, you loose a lot when going up against bots. They have team deathmatches, CTF, and other modes but the 'Conquest' gameplay mode stands out as by far the most popular. This also puts more focus on teamwork, which is where this game excels. A coordinated 8-man team can easily BF42 has GREAT multi-player potential. While all the same levels are available for both solo & multi games, you loose a lot when going up against bots. They have team deathmatches, CTF, and other modes but the 'Conquest' gameplay mode stands out as by far the most popular. This also puts more focus on teamwork, which is where this game excels. A coordinated 8-man team can easily defeat force twice it's since if you are working together. Vehicles play an important role in battle and combining ground, air, and sea elements with your infantry will turn tables very quickly. Every vehicle has it's strengths and weaknesses. A Battleship can take out many destroyers, but will sink if a single submarine finds it, while the Destroyer can take out subs. This rock-paper-scissors relationship can be seen in just about every vehicle and infantry type (or which there are 5). As for the historical aspect, the planes and tanks look exactly the same on the history channel as they do in-game. Depending on the battle and country you are with, you will have a different variety of weapons as well. I also love how the voice commands are written in plain English, but spoken in Japanese, Russian, German, or whatever country you fight for (can be turned off, and there are subtitles anyway). Your history teacher would be proud to see you finally learning what he/she was trying to teach you the whole time. The majority of complaints I hear about BF42 include high system requirements, HORRIBLE admin capabilities for clans who want to run a server, and the in-accuracy of weapons. To that last point, I would add that this game requires more than twitch-reflexes and a fast comp to win... you need teamwork. There is no amount of hopping and ducking that will help you escape a destroyer shelling the beach, or a Panzer tank rolling down the hill. Also, if you unload a clip on full automatic, expect to hit a lot of air, while a smarter opponent will crouch, steady his aim, and fire in 2-3 round bursts. Once you get bored of 1942 combat, there are plenty of excellent quality mods such as Desert Combat (1990's Gulf War) or Eve of Destruction (Vietnam war) that easily make the game worthwhile on their own. IMHO, Desert Combat is to BF42 what Counter Strike is to Half-life.… Expand
  2. Dendari
    Sep 20, 2014
    10
    NOTE: As of July 2014 the Gamespy servers were shut down forever. Use GameRanger to play online.

    I don't know what actually is, probably it's just nostalgia, but I can't think of any bad thing about this game. I enjoyed every single second I've spent on it and I'd recommend everyone to play it. It isn't the most perfect game out there but the whole package is just so excellent that I    NOTE: As of July 2014 the Gamespy servers were shut down forever. Use GameRanger to play online.

    I don't know what actually is, probably it's just nostalgia, but I can't think of any bad thing about this game. I enjoyed every single second I've spent on it and I'd recommend everyone to play it. It isn't the most perfect game out there but the whole package is just so excellent that I enjoy it a lot. The one thing it does best it's the overall balance, especially between all the different types of gameplay, which is something that has been missing in the other Battlefield titles for a long time now.    … Expand
  3. igor-qwe
    May 14, 2013
    10
    More than ten years ago holding a disc box I remember thinking, that it was the first WWII first person shooter that gave opportunity to drive a car and a vehicle, allowing to enter them at any time. That was more than enough to play the game that I had never heard of. But then another picture took my attention a plane that was controlled by a player. "Is this a joke?" I thought, couldMore than ten years ago holding a disc box I remember thinking, that it was the first WWII first person shooter that gave opportunity to drive a car and a vehicle, allowing to enter them at any time. That was more than enough to play the game that I had never heard of. But then another picture took my attention a plane that was controlled by a player. "Is this a joke?" I thought, could there be really a game that allowed even flying? Oh, yes! "Battlefield 1942" gave multiplayer only experience that left so much unforgettable fun. There is no doubt that EA set such a high level of quality with this game that even now is difficult for many companies to achieve. Huge maps, much tactics, various combat allowed me to enjoy so many situations that rarely appear in singleplayer campaigns.
    Combat system was very different comparing to "Medal of Honor" and "Counter-Strike". But it was easy to get used to. There were some class types but somehow I remember that usually everyone played with bazooka, because entering a vehicle was the first thing each of my friends tried to do. Basically "Battlefield 1942" game system is all about capturing and holding points. At that time it was not an original regime, but with transport it seemed liked just something completely new and unique.
    Main theme of the game is still one of the best scores that were written for a game.
    I also have to say that there were some very successful modes that added not only extra maps but transport and weapons too.
    Ten out of ten for the game that took us to battles that no other gamer had been before.    … Expand
  4. ERB
    Dec 7, 2013
    9
    Battlefield 1942 is one of the best 1st person shooter games I have ever played.The game play is extremely fun in single player or multiplayer.The game is great you can go into tanks and aircraft.Going into those tanks feels great,you can kill those enemies by crashing them,shooting them,and even using your cannon against them.Going to the aircraft also feels good,you can fly to the airBattlefield 1942 is one of the best 1st person shooter games I have ever played.The game play is extremely fun in single player or multiplayer.The game is great you can go into tanks and aircraft.Going into those tanks feels great,you can kill those enemies by crashing them,shooting them,and even using your cannon against them.Going to the aircraft also feels good,you can fly to the air and you can kill those enemies by dropping you bomb into them.Although the game has a bad story the game play saves the game from getting a low score.This game is great but there are also some negatives in the game.The 1st one is that the game doesn't give you some you know what to press button if you are in here.I totally had some problems when I first played this game like getting stuck in where to respawn.I was so confuse and frustrated in that part.And there are many more confusing parts in here.2nd one of the most important here.You cannot customize your arsenal.WTF!There are only five sets in here.The medic,the scout,the anti tank,the assault,and the engineer.I wish I can customize what weapons and gear I will use.

    While the game has 2 big problems it won't effect the game from getting a low score.The game gets a 9/10 for its extremely fun game play experience.That is why I recommend you to play this game now.You can download this game for free by having an origin account.And once you already have an origin account go to free games and you can see the Battlefield 1942 download for free.So try downloading this game now and have fun.    … Expand
  5. a200310
    Mar 3, 2014
    10
    this is the best game of the battlefield series for me.
    this is the best game of the battlefield series for me.
    this is the best game of the battlefield series for me.
  6. appabend
    Feb 10, 2012
    8
    BATTLEFIELD 1942: Back in 2002 this is one of the most realistic game I've ever played. Not even Medal of Honor could beat it. I think this is the main inspiration of UT2004's Onslaught mode. I really liked it. So here's BF1942. The gameplay isn't like any of FPS games out there. It's intended to be more realistic with vehicles, wide battlefield, and I think 5 different classes. The singleBATTLEFIELD 1942: Back in 2002 this is one of the most realistic game I've ever played. Not even Medal of Honor could beat it. I think this is the main inspiration of UT2004's Onslaught mode. I really liked it. So here's BF1942. The gameplay isn't like any of FPS games out there. It's intended to be more realistic with vehicles, wide battlefield, and I think 5 different classes. The single player campaign isn't like the recent BF games. While the recent BF games have linear CoD-like Single Player campaign, this one actually takes inspiration from Counter Strike. I'm too lazy to play multiplayer TBH. Talking about the historical elements, there are very well done. It really feels that you are inside a WWII battlefield. The vehicles, the weapons, the environments, the planes, everything feels just like WWII. There are some things that I don't like on this game. The first is that the flying controls are awful, but you'll get used to with it. The AI is ridiculously stupid. At some moment, I found out one of my team mates prone JUST RIGHT near an enemy. This is just ridiculous! I don't really like some of the level designs. There are places that were a little bit too small for a tank, and some places that you can only reach with a plane or a boat. But otherwise, there are tons of mods that you can use to tweak the game. You can also install 2 of their expansions. I haven't tried all of them but I think they're excellent. OVERALL: BF1942 is an awesome game, worth trying especially when you have a netbook. [8/10] "Awesome"… Expand
  7. DGDrocks7
    Jun 6, 2014
    9
    So this is where Battlefield all started. It's really great. Now I want DICE to make Battlefield 1944 with the Frostbite engine! We really need WWII shooters back.
  8. chronoT
    Sep 5, 2012
    8
    This is the first and only Battefield I owned for PC, and while I had it I wasn't disappointed. This game was very refreshing because unlike shooters in the past you could really take advantage of and use vehicles. This is what makes this game, rolling around in a tank to stomp the enemy or get em' from a far in a plane. This was the first successful attempt at an online-mulitplayer FPSThis is the first and only Battefield I owned for PC, and while I had it I wasn't disappointed. This game was very refreshing because unlike shooters in the past you could really take advantage of and use vehicles. This is what makes this game, rolling around in a tank to stomp the enemy or get em' from a far in a plane. This was the first successful attempt at an online-mulitplayer FPS war sim and the battles that ensued were epic at times. Battlefield definitely has a learning curve, you will die a lot more than you kill starting off, but once you've trained a bit you'll be ready to go.… Expand
  9. ErnestBeqiri
    Nov 14, 2012
    10
    Installed it for free from Origin, and I'm more than happy. Battlefield 1942 is a classic, a masterpiece of shooters. It revolutionize the online gaming. And I found it as the best BF game. It's simple to play and It's fun. So, all you need to do is to have Origin and get it easily with your account for free. If you don't have Origin, download it and get Battlefield 1942. What I'm tryingInstalled it for free from Origin, and I'm more than happy. Battlefield 1942 is a classic, a masterpiece of shooters. It revolutionize the online gaming. And I found it as the best BF game. It's simple to play and It's fun. So, all you need to do is to have Origin and get it easily with your account for free. If you don't have Origin, download it and get Battlefield 1942. What I'm trying to say, is that no one should not miss this game. (10)… Expand
  10. insanity82007
    Jul 14, 2014
    10
    I played this for countless hundreds of hours for 6 years before the servers got too empty. It was one of the most fun games I ever played (bar Quake). It was more action orientated, unlike it's successors, which are more hide and seek orientated.
  11. notsolittlejon
    Feb 8, 2013
    9
    Addictive, captivating fun. The ability to switch between toolkits (sniper, engineer, medic, etc.) and drive any vehicle found on the battlefield (tanks, airplanes, jeeps, submarines...) leaves me coming back again and again for more! It's even fun to play offline with bots, if that's your cup of tea.
  12. Leandros3
    Apr 28, 2015
    10
    Best game ever. Used to play it 6 hours a day. I didn't even study to play this game. My grades dropped and I lost weight because I kept forgetting to eat. I reached a point where I weighted 65kg (my height was 1.83m at the time).

    10/10

    PS: I am doing well now. I have a degree in IT and I weight about 75kg (my height is 1.87m)
  13. nurfedx
    Nov 19, 2021
    10
    One of the best Games of the Series and a true cornerstone to the Battlefield Franchise! Buy!
  14. XxMasonxX
    Feb 25, 2013
    10
    This Game is so Funny I never play Battlefield 2 or Battlefield 3 but this Game is so funny and so cool very long playtime. The Multiplayer is good to there are very great player and not so many flamer because this Kiddies are now playing Games like Battlefield 3 or Call of Duty Black Ops 2. This Game is a Have To Buy.
    You Have to Played before you are playing Battlefield 3.
  15. SamuelD.
    Aug 29, 2007
    10
    This is an amazing game!!!! I bought it in 2006 (December) And I loved it!!! I figured it was created 4 years ago but i really didn't care. My friend and I used to sing to the theme song while it was loading. I would give it 2 thumbs up.
  16. Jacob01
    May 28, 2013
    10
    This is game is great, even 11 years later it is still the best WWII game in my option. I remember when I first played this game, allowing me to enter and drive a vehicle unlike most games, allowing me to fly a plane (though a failed at it), letting choose which class I want to play as and what side, the game system is simple, its all about capturing and holding flag points until one ofThis is game is great, even 11 years later it is still the best WWII game in my option. I remember when I first played this game, allowing me to enter and drive a vehicle unlike most games, allowing me to fly a plane (though a failed at it), letting choose which class I want to play as and what side, the game system is simple, its all about capturing and holding flag points until one of the team's reinforcement's bar gets down to zero. Multiplayer is cool, though most of the servers are abounded because now everybody's playing Black Ops 2 and Battlefield 3 or something else like that, this game is a must buy.… Expand
  17. JerryD.
    Mar 5, 2003
    10
    Battlefield 1942 and Road to Rome are the BEST games in their genre that I have ever played and I've played them all. Some people may complain that the single player missions are a bit lacking and sure I agree. The single player campaign is easy but that's not what makes this game what it is. The MULTIPLAYER aspect is where this game shines. We didn't fight against AIs Battlefield 1942 and Road to Rome are the BEST games in their genre that I have ever played and I've played them all. Some people may complain that the single player missions are a bit lacking and sure I agree. The single player campaign is easy but that's not what makes this game what it is. The MULTIPLAYER aspect is where this game shines. We didn't fight against AIs during WWII....why fight against them now...play online with other humans.… Expand
  18. KarlD.
    Sep 20, 2002
    7
    Good multiplayer game, but singleplayer needed to be a much better experience, and the game in multiplayer still is slow sometimes even with a monster pc and a fast internet connection. Overall a good game though.
  19. JonB.
    May 16, 2003
    10
    Brilliant.
  20. BF1942Player
    Jul 4, 2006
    10
    The Best Game. The Most Mods. The Most Fun Game Ever Released. End of Story.
  21. Mikael
    Nov 22, 2002
    10
    Not since Quake 1 CTF have I had this much fun in an online game. All the different possibilities you get with the wide maps and different vehicles makes this game unique. This is the game that I will rate all other FPS from now on. Highly recommended.
  22. GoodBoy
    Sep 26, 2002
    10
    Awesome..need i say more?
  23. MafiaGuy
    Nov 1, 2003
    7
    Makes me feel as if I am really on the battlefield... You may get sick of the game after completing all the missions :(
  24. JoelB.
    Nov 19, 2003
    10
    Amazing game! Kudos to EA! *drools*
  25. YourDaddy
    Nov 20, 2003
    9
    Great game but its you against them your AI's are retarded but their AI's cane drop a bomb on your head from 10,000ft.
  26. DavidC.
    Aug 15, 2003
    10
    Ridiculously fun. This has all the best features of a games like MOHAA, Red Alert, and Aces Over Europe (all classics), and puts them into an infectiously fun, package. The multiplayer is fantastic, blowing away games like Black Thorn's pathetic multplayer capabilities. Truly the greatest game I have ever played. WARNING: Once you begin to play, you might not go to work anymore, or Ridiculously fun. This has all the best features of a games like MOHAA, Red Alert, and Aces Over Europe (all classics), and puts them into an infectiously fun, package. The multiplayer is fantastic, blowing away games like Black Thorn's pathetic multplayer capabilities. Truly the greatest game I have ever played. WARNING: Once you begin to play, you might not go to work anymore, or even see your family and friends :) … Expand
  27. MutagenBob
    Aug 7, 2003
    10
    The best multiplayer game I've ever played, there is no reason not to like this game!
  28. williamfoxworth
    Dec 6, 2006
    0
    I bought this game yesterday evening and have not been able to get installed properly because the instructions are all screwed up.First I Could Not find The CD Codes for The CD's then When I finally found them on the back of the Battlefiedld 1942 The Complete Collection Booklet, They are not listed in the correct order of the diSks to be installed, The label on the disks do notI bought this game yesterday evening and have not been able to get installed properly because the instructions are all screwed up.First I Could Not find The CD Codes for The CD's then When I finally found them on the back of the Battlefiedld 1942 The Complete Collection Booklet, They are not listed in the correct order of the diSks to be installed, The label on the disks do not denote the particuliar the Code for BF1942 The Road to Rome does not allow that disk to be installed. There also so does not appear to be much action on a single player game.… Expand
  29. Iwin2000
    Jul 18, 2006
    10
    This is the best game I have ever played. Very realistic. 100%. Just bought it yesterday and found out its a couple years old and I still love it! Better than CS, RO, CoD, and all those other wannabe's.
  30. DiamondM.
    Apr 1, 2007
    10
    Great multi player experience. I don't play it so much cause' i got a bad computer, but if you are looking for a good multi player game, HERE IT IS. And does anyone know how to get a submarine?
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Awards & Rankings

14
#14 Best PC Game of 2002
8
#8 Most Discussed PC Game of 2002
34
#34 Most Shared PC Game of 2002

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
89

Generally favorable reviews - based on 27 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 27 out of 27
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 27
  3. Negative: 0 out of 27
  1. G4 TV
    100
    In addition to standard team-based first-person shooter action, Battlefield 1942 incorporates the brilliant gameplay concept of vehicles and other machinery.
    Read full review
  2. GameShark
    90
    It's an addictive romp into a time long past that keeps many gamers begging for more.
    Read full review
  3. Computer Games Online RO
    94
    Battlefield 1942 is a living proof of an exceptional game in its simplicity.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »