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Battlefield 1942 was released September 10, 2002 to a market that was not yet overly-saturated by WWII games. It was a first of its kind, offering completely non-linear environments, robust teamplay that was superior to most of the games in its genre and a combination of vehicles that had never graced the PC platform before. The game was accessible to players new to FPS games, and was deep enough to challenge battle-hardened veterans.

Its most esoteric element is its planes. Players would board these craft, and while they all controlled the same way, each had its own subtleties that would encourage players to play for hours to master each and every one.

Another feature of the game is its class system. Each opposing side had the choice of five classes, each diverse yet balanced in its own way. These all changed depending on which nation players fought for and further added to the game's deepness.

Increasing the game's value is the number of maps that are included right out of the box. From the islands in the Pacific, to the wastelands of North Africa, to the beaches of Normandy and the ruins of Berlin, players had the opportunity to fight in an unprecedented number of locales. Battles in the Pacific entailed battleships duking it out, submarines sabotaging the other side's fleet, planes launching off carriers and an all around sense of chaos players had never really experienced before. In North Africa, the use of mobile artillery was encouraged and cooperation between scouts and batteries was seen; a special bond that has only been seen if a few games since. In Germany, the use of era-accurate weaponry in the cluttered cities offered a very tactical experience for players. Unlike the modern mentality, the developers shipped the game with all these maps, instead of forcing its community to purchase add-ons down the line.

Lastly, something worth including in retrospective that couldn't be included in the game's original reviews is the community that has sprung up around the game. This, more than anything, is what kept me playing 1942 for years after its release. Players can download free mods that are often times superior to full games. One of the most popular mods was Desert Combat, which fully converts 1940s combat to the type of combat seen during the 1990's. Eve of Destruction did the same thing for the Indochina and Vietnam conflict. Galactic Conquest was a mod that turned the game into a Star Wars sim. What was most remarkable about Galactic Conquest was it brought space combat to the engine originally designed for WWII combat. While it suffered its issues, it was a true testament to the power of the engine.

On a personal note, what put this game over the top for me was the Battlefield: Pirates mod. I have been a four year member of this clan that sprung up around this game, and it has changed how I view online gaming.