Why is it important?

Battlefield: 1942 is a case of the right game at the right time. Riding the wave of popularity of World War II games, the game takes the multiplayer shooter to the next level, with a ton of drivable vehicles, (including plans and ships), weapons that vary from small pistols to huge artillary guns, a wide range of character classes, and massive outside maps that make you feel like you really are in a European or Pacific battlefield.