Joint Operations: Typhoon Rising

Although I have tried to avoid saying it, Joint Operation: Typhoon Rising beats "BF1942", period.

When you get two equitable teams playing (something helped by the fact that players are randomly assigned to a side when they join a server), Joint Operations is really a fantastic piece of work and easily holds its own alongside "Unreal Tournament 2004", "Battlefield Vietnam", and "Planetside".

When it all comes together, Joint Ops is a great game that offers a solid combat experience on a scale far beyond anything in the "Battlefield" series. [Sept 2004, p.74]

The 150-player battles mostly live up to the hype, and the atmosphere and visuals rival the best stuff seen in first person shooters this year.

This is the biggest, baddest, most fun, large-scale, first person, military, online, action-oriented shooter available. Whew, that was a lot of adjectives. It is more fun and addicting than "BF42."

Any military FPS fan will absolutely love this game. The graphics and sound are top notch, and the multiplayer experience is second to none. For a MSRP of 40 bucks and no subscription fee, any fan of the genre will consider this a must have and well worth the money.

It is much more suited towards the serious cyber solider rather than the ex-quake junky with its heavy dependency on tactics and planned strategies, and whilst it is far from perfect itself, the detail and depth offered in Joint Operations is quite exceptional to say the least.

A truly exhilarating playing experience, the sheer size of the game means that almost every experience of the game is unique.

If you were a little put off by "Battlefield Vietnam," you may find Joint Operations more to your liking, as I found myself frequently thinking that this game captured the feel of the Vietnamese conflict better than BFV.

What it does have, though, is rock-solid netcode and the most exquisite balancing and map design I've ever seen. [Aug 2004, p.104]

While hardly perfect, Joint Ops is an adrenaline-fueled good time that provides a tactically deeper alternative to "Battlefield Vietnam." [Sept 2004, p.58]

Taking part in a pitched combined arms battle will get your pulse racing and set your nerves on edge. However, sometimes you’ll find yourself spending most of a game in transit from one spot to another.

If you can find yourself an online crowd that works and plays together well, survive long enough to get a feeling for the weapons and vehicles, I think this game has a lot to offer, but many people will be turned off by the spawn campers, the simple ballistics, and the extreme ease of dying.

Currently the best of its kind with great graphics, a wealth of weapons and vehicles and solid play mechanics. Fans of online military fragging need look no further.

When it really gets going, it's an exhilarating game of modern combat, albeit one that's also weighed down with some bugs and gameplay issues.

The best game of its kind currently available. [Aug 2004, p.110]

The game is worth a shot for anybody getting sick of the same old grind. Just be prepared for a real challenge, as staying alive can sometimes be just as hard as killing somebody else, if not harder.

Is Joint Operations better than "Battlefield 1942"? Yes, if all the pieces come together. But without good players backing you up and a well-populated map, you're screwed. [Oct 2004, p.96]

A strong game, but be aware that you'll have to put in plenty of gruntwork before you'll have the chance to see it at its best. [Aug 2004, p.80]

In many ways, Joint Ops is the game that "Battlefield: Vietnam" should have been. It may not have the same sense of style, but it's better balanced, has more interesting maps, and is much, much bigger.

Entertaining online war, in the shadow of beastly "Battlefield 2." [May 2006, p.96]

Offers some fun, stable, good-looking gameplay, but it won't dethrone "Battlefield" without some vehicular oomph and limitations on long-range fire.

There are three main aspects to the game which can be identified as the main weaknesses; the lack of single player, the maps without helicopters, and the player numbers.

When it works it works well and offers a very challenging online experience. The fun is hampered by both horrendous load times and the fact that you need a high-end system to coax performance from the engine. There are also some issues with unbalanced units, rampant camping, and the lack of any "functional" vehicles other than transportation.

If you’re the patient and careful type it’ll suit you. Otherwise, you’ll have to put in a lot of effort.

The graphics engine is the strongest point. This game is gorgeous to look at--but not quite as much fun to play. If and when players learn to get organized, it'll be a lot more rewarding, and hopefully Novalogic will even out the play balance issues before its inevitable sequel.

It does the hard stuff that most game neglect so well, but it either phones in or omits entirely the easy stuff. [Sept 2004, p.72]

Joint Ops is a decent military-based shooter with a big gimmick. Frankly, it was interesting to see a hundred people online but the novelty is short lived.