PC Game Review :: Joint Operations Multiplayer Demo! 9.25/10

PC Game Review :: Joint Operations Multiplayer Demo! 9.25/10
Posted :: Jun 16, 2004 by Haggs

Joint Operations: Typhoon Rising Multiplayer Demo v.1.0.0
Full Version Release Date: June 21, 2004
Producer: NovaLogic
Genre: First Person Shooter (FPS)

Introduction:
Joint Operations: Typhoon Rising will give Battlefield 1942 a run for its money on June 21 by offering larger scale battlefield maps and superior graphics that gave my Radeon 9800 a tough time rendering in a 1280x1024 resolution with normal to high graphics settings. NovaLogic also took sound to the next level by paying attention to details. All of this was accomplished while maintaining solid game play. Even in the demo stage, Joint Operations: Typhoon Rising displays phenomenal promise and very high replay value.

The demo was tested on the following computer:
Computer Specs (Haggs)

Processor: AMD XP2700+ cooled with Thermaltake Volcano 11+
Memory: 512M DDR PC2700
Motherboard: MSI KT4V with onboard 10/100LAN + AC '97 Audio
Sound Card: Creative Labs Audigy 2 ZS
Power Supply: Antec 400 Watts "SL400"
Primary Monitor: Dell UltraSharp 1800FP 18" LCD
Secondary Monitor: Mag Innovision 986FS 19" CRT
Speakers: Logitech 400Watt 4.1
Video Card: 128MB ATI Radeon 9800 AGP 8x by Sapphire Tech (Directx9.0b)
Hard Drive 1: Maxtor 60 GB w/2MB Cache (for Windows only)
Hard Drive 2: Seagate 160 GB w/8MB Cache (for everything else)
DVD-ROM: 16x
CD-RW: 52x24x52x
Operating System: Updated Windows XP Professional w/SP1

Main Thoughts:
The Joint Operations: Typhoon Rising Multiplayer Demo offers a horde of features that have never come together in a single game to date. The demo alone offers maps that support up to 100 players and NovaLogic will be increasing the maximum map capacity to 150 for the full version release. While this may make players feel insignificant at times, it renews the battlefield experience. Players really feel like they are one of the troops of a large scale invasion or defense. Unfortunately, since the game's scale is so incredibly massive, teamwork becomes nearly impossible. Players may be able to successfully manage to work in small teams, but coordinating an entire team did not happen on any of the public servers I tested. The large scale game play suggests that Joint Operations would be an excellent game for a large LAN party or convention and I would not be surprised to see it played at one.

NovaLogic successfully implemented player driven vehicles. The Joint Operations offers vehicles from hummers to helicopters as well as a whole host of turrets that are stationed around the map to complement the arsenal. As usual, the vehicles play a key role in the outcome of the battles due to their enhanced mobility and firepower.

NovaLogic pushed the envelope even further by using an enhanced graphics engine. Check out the screenshots to see more. I will warn you that even with a Radeon 9800, I experienced some slowdowns in game play with the following graphics settings.

The fact that a Radeon 9800 was not quite enough to handle Joint Operations to its fullest capacity means that NovaLogic is taking advantage of the high end hardware that is just now being released onto the retail markets. Players will be able to see a noticeable difference on their new video cards, while players on older video cards can simply turn down the graphics settings.