Road to Rome is an expansion pack for the Windows PC game Battlefield 1942, from EA Games. It requires the original BF 1942 game to play. This was the first expansion pack released for BF 1942, and in my opinion, the best one. The second expansion, Secret Weapons of WWII, sold pretty well but was not as well received among gamers as this one.
All of the maps in Battlefield 1942 are based on real battles from World War II, and the six maps in this expansion focus on the Italian campaign. Although there are only six new maps, as opposed to the eight you get in Secret Weapons of WWII, these six maps are all very good. At most any given time, you shouldn’t have much trouble finding some people online playing on any one of these maps.
Here is what you get in Road to Rome:
- Battle of Anzio – This map is centered around a big hill that offers all kinds of challenges. It’s an excellent sniper map.
- Battle of Monte Cassino – This map is played during the night, which adds a new element to the game.
- Battle of Salerno – This is another hilly map that offers plenty of places for long range shots. It also makes it easier to sneak up on enemy placements.
- Monte Santa Croce – This is yet another mountainous map that can be difficult to attack or defend, depending on the enemy.
- Operation Baytown – This is a huge map with a river running through the middle, and works best for large groups.
- Operation Husky – I love this map because it can be really difficult at first. Most of it takes places on a beach setting and it can be really tough getting established while the enemy defends that beach.
In addition to the new maps, this expansion pack gives you eight new vehicles and three new weapons, plus you can now fight or play as the French of Italian forces. I wasn’t all that impressed with the new vehicles or weapons, mainly because they are mostly just different in appearance rather than function. It is still nice to see something new put into the game, but you won’t see any drastic differences in how the game is played with this new equipment.
You can buy Road to Rome separately, or you can get it in the Battlefield 1942: The Complete Collection boxed set. If you still play the game regularly it is definitely worth having, if only to take advantage of the extra maps the expansion pack provides. I’ve seen used copies it for sell on Amazon and eBay for less than five bucks.