The Wargamer

"The phrase German Secret Weapons of WWII immediately conjures up images of the V-1 and V-2 missiles which bombarded London in 1944. But what of the V-3 and V-4? These and other devices were all part of the German secret armoury but are relatively unknown except to a handful of specialists." - Ian Hogg, German Secret Weapons of WWII of the Second World War

Introduction

The "wonder weapons" that sprang forth in concept, and those that reached operational status toward the end of World War II, have long been the fodder of historians. What type of weapons would have been employed by the Allies and Germany if the war had lasted another year? While the Battlefield 1942 expansion, Secret Weapons of WWII does not try to resolve this burning issue, it allows the player to experience some of the more exotic equipment that could have been used by both sides if time had allowed. Some of these concept weapons were actually produced in one form or another by the United States and the Soviet Union utilizing captured documents or prototypes. Most notably, the German rocket program provided both sides with the foundation of intercontinental ballistic missiles, which were of course the scourge of the Cold War.

Installation and Technical Issues

Secret Weapons of WWII installed flawlessly. It also upgrades Battlefield 1942 to version 1.45. The patch addresses some minor issues and adds a few more positions to some aircraft. However, it does not address some of the sound problems common to Battlefield 1942. For example, some aircraft sounds are still muted with crackling and popping. This is especially true if the cockpit view off. Version 1.45 also adds a CD verification check that makes sure the proper add-on in the computer's drive. In other words, if the player plans on using a Road to Rome map, the Road to Rome CD must be in the drive. The same goes for the original Battlefield 1942 and of course Secret Weapons of WWII. EA/DICE, have recently released the v1.50 patch to correct these issues.

Jets and Missiles and Rocket Packs…Oh My!

Secret Weapons of WWII contains a virtual playground for the "what if" enthusiast. Both Axis and Allies have an arsenal of high tech weaponry at their disposal. Most of these weapons never saw combat and existed only as prototypes or blueprints at the end of WWII.

Battles are fought on eight new maps with names like Eagle's Nest, Telemark, and Peenemude. The names of these maps just ooze the words "top secret". In fact, one of the maps contains a German version of Area-51, complete with UFO prototypes! Secret Weapons of WWII also adds a new objective mode of gameplay. Each side is given an objective to hold or prevent from being destroyed. For example, on the Telemark map, the Allies must destroy the generators in the heavy water facility. The Germans of course must prevent this from occurring.

New and exotic vehicles and weapons rule the day. An interesting addition is the Wasserfall guided rocket. This weapon is the perfect way to reach out and "touch" someone. It is flown remotely via a first person view and is an excellent defense against both air and ground targets. Of course what secret weapon add-on would be complete without the ubiquitous rocket pack? This little gem allows the average infantryman to fly from rooftop to rooftop and rain death from above. There is nothing like flying over a group of unsuspecting enemy soldiers and dropping a few grenades to brighten one's day. One of the most powerful new additions is the Sturmtiger. This vehicle combines the famous Tiger tank chassis with a 380mm naval weapon. This baby excels at breaking up large gatherings of enemy soldiers or destroying any opposing vehicle. Take careful aim; it has limited ammo and a long reload time. To counter the Sturmtiger, the allies have the T-95/28 super heavy tank. This tank easily deflects most anti-tank weapons and guns. Its 105mm main gun is more than enough to take on any German tank. Other ground vehicles include the Schwimmwagen (amphibious kubelwagon), commando raft, LVT-2 amphibious landing vehicle and the M4 Sherman tank fitted with the Calliope rocket launcher. Both sides also get motorcycles with sidecar-mounted machine guns. These vehicles are ideal for infiltrating behind enemy lines and capturing unguarded flags.