11 Secret herbs and spices...

Battlefield 1942 shouldn't be this much fun. It's basically just cruising around in vehicles on really big maps, blowing shit up and shooting people. Hmm... when I say it like that, it all makes sense. I've been having a blast the last week with 1942. Playing it is relaxing, of all things, which is really surprising me. Is there such a thing as a "relaxing" first person shooter? Well, yes, apparently. It's the pacing and the spacing which does it, I think. Play is slow enough that it's totally appropriate and even necessary to plan what you do. That's very refreshing. And the maps sport such a heaping helping of wide-open elbow room that situational awareness consistently maintains a high level. Also, I think 1942 is revealing the fact that I really like ballistics-based combat. Just so there's no confusion, by "ballistics" I mean the flight characteristics of projectiles.

Now if only they'd fix the airplane controls and improve the AI.