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Jay-bob's Joint Operations - Typhoon Rising review

Joint Operations may at first glance appear to be a clone of Battlefield 1942 or Vietnam, but upon closer examination it is actually a very different game. While the games do share many of the same features, such as the every player's ability to simply jump into an unoccupied vehicle and drive it wherever they desire, in Joint Operations, the vehicles have a much smaller impact on the overall game. Joint Operations' vehicles are basically only good for transporting large numbers of troops to the heat of the battle, while in BF1942, the vehicles tend to play more of a weaponized role in the overall outcome of the game. This is both a blessing and a curse, as it makes it harder for a single player in a vehicle to control the battle, but it also means that in order to obtain victory you are forced to work on foot and as a team.

Joint Operations supports many more players than BF1942, however the co-op in Joint Operations is not as impressive as BF1942's. Joint Operations is primarily suited for very large numbers of players joining one of the two teams, and then trying to work with their teammates in an attempt to obtain ultimate victory. Joint Operations runs much more smoothly than BF1942. It also has a very interesting new feature that allows the time of day to dynamically change as the battle wages. You may start out a mission at night in almost complete darkness, but by the end of the mission the lighting will have changed and it will be dawn the following morning with much increased visibility and even appropriate shadows for the new lighting. Another innovative addition, is the medics ability to heal dead comrades on the battlefield, so they can respawn at the point of their demise eliminating the need to undergo the often very long trip back to the heart of the battle. The game does however have some faults. The biggest complaint is the ease with which both you and the enemies in Co-op can be killed. Unlike in BF1942 if you are shot at any point in this game you will almost certainly die. The game also needs more maps, especially Co-op maps. Overall this game receives 7.78 cow patties out of 10.

Jay-bob,
July 20, 2004