ARMA: Cold War Assault

I've reviewed games very objectively before. This time I'm not going to be objective at all, I'm simply just going to say 'play this game'. For me it's a big deal that gog got this game. I already own this game a few times over as 'Operation Flashpoint'. Don't let the relatively small 420meg download fool you. This game is huge. There is almost infinite replay value in this game. The paths to success or failure are almost as infinite. It's true that the graphics may seem simple in some areas but thay are still stunning inothers. This game is hard because it is real. It is a simulator. To give you an example, if you want to pull off a successful long range kill with a sniper rifle, then google how it's done in real life and the same will apply to Arma. Range finding with your scope, adjustments for wind and elevation..it's all there, and the game doesn't even tell you this becuase in real life you don't get told that either...that's just the way it is. I could go on for a very long time but the game is too big to cover even a small part. You just don't know how deep this game gets until you're a few hours in and by then it's too late. The mod community is huge and dedicated and new content is always comming out. You could be playing user generated content for the rest of your life and still not play it all. Don't be fooled by the new Operation Flashpoint games....this is the real thing. This first Arma game along with the new Arma games by Bohemia Interactive took combat and made it more than just a game. You can take this game online and find servers filled with players. With the exception of Counterstrike 1.6 no other game has stayed this popular or relevant after 10 years. There is just too much in this game for me to elaborate on. My best advice is just to find out for yourself. I have to give it the maximum amount of stars. No other game has done wihat this game did, and they did it 10 years ago. I still find that amazing.

It's a bit miscategorized as an FPS. It was really one of the first good combat sims. Not outstanding graphics, but far more realistic combat than a typical FPS. The ability to hit distant distant targets is quite accurate, and the view of them from a distance very realistic, while the squad tactics are challenging to master. The challenges are varied, the map is simply beyond huge filled with NPCs that you'll likely never run accross during a regular mission, but are there just to add fun. There is hours of replayability on each level. The original game had FADE DRM protection and AFAIK was never broken, so thanks GOG for providing a version that won't require the CD! If you like America's Army of Falcon, etc. you should like this as well.

I want to emphasize something that I feel the other reviewers have left out in their reviews: the freedom ArmA gives you in carrying out the single-player campaign. The missions in ArmA ("Operation: Flashpoint" for those who bought it back in the day) can often be completed/solved many, many ways. Thus, some of the hardest parts of the game become the most rewarding as well. Here is one of many favorite instances (minor spoilers ahead, obviously): NATO is retreating after being crushed by the opening Soviet attack. Your platoon has been wiped out, leaving you trapped behind enemy lines. The sun has just come up and you've got to make it to the extraction point. Do you a) quietly make your way through the countryside, dodging patrols b) pick up your dead buddies' gear and try to shoot your way through to some friendlies c) sneak in the occupied town, steal a civilian's car and floor it before you get lit up. I'm sure there are options d), e), and f) too, if you're creative enough. I've got to say, though, that dodging tank shells in a busted up Lada gave me the biggest adrenaline rush I've ever gotten from a video game. And here's the thing: it didn't feel "game-y," like the developers had put that car there, just for that purpose. No, it felt satisfying and clever. The campaign is chock full of opportunities to use unusual angles, and that's what makes it so rewarding and fun to come back to. The black ops missions in particular encourage you to be devious. The "Resistance" expansion practically requires you to use your brain more than your trigger finger. I'm giving this a "high" four stars. Four because, and there's no point in denying it, this game has some rough edges, and not just in the graphics department. The enemy AI gets weird, dumb at close quarters (although it should be noted that 99% of the time you are shooting from 100+ meters away). Friendly AI often has the usual litany of friendly AI problems. The learning curve spikes steeply once (minor spoiler) you start commanding troops of your own. I say it's a "high four" because the overflowing ambition, the replayability, the character-driven story and the fine balance of tension and excitement put ArmA ("Operation: Flashpoint," excuse me) in the same category as Jagged Alliance 2 and GTA: San Andreas. A neutral thing about the game, as well. The in-game cutscenes have a very unusual, languid, "pan over the enormous landscape" feel to them that makes me think of classic westerns, David Lynch and - especially - Terrence Malick. It's a funny ambience, and probably just an accident of the game's engine, but I enjoy its strangeness. Has anyone else ever been struck by that?

The series began as Operation Flashpoint in the early 2000s. It has always been known for brutal realism in everything from infantry to all of the vehicles. This series was adapted for use as a military virtual training program. Don't let that intimidate you, it is easy to get in to and you will get into it quick. It may take some getting used to coming from arcade shooters like call of duty or battlefield. In this series you can drive jeeps, trucks, halftracks, tanks, planes, helicopters.... or just be a soldier in a unit running across miles long battlefields. It does not have the greatest graphics, even though they're passable and hold up today, and there are bugs here and there. Despite this, it is the series I've most enjoyed for wargaming. The sound is fantastic and immersive. The best part are the never ending mods for each game that recreate nearly every conflict, nearly every military unit you can think of, and maps and campaigns to keep you going. There is a robust mission editor that is user friendly with plenty of guides on sites like armaholic or the bohemia interactive forums. Each game in the series has sufficient WW2 mods to make it by far the greatest WW2 game. Just search the internet for some videos of "Arma WW2", or any conflict you may be interested in. Even with this being one of the oldest in the series and not the greatest of the series, it is well worth the full asking price. Here's hoping they can complete the series and get Arma 2 back, get Arma 3, and Iron Front Liberation 1944 here!

Takes open world to a whole different level. More of a simulator than a shooter, theres a lot of bang for your buck here. The resistance expansion is GENIUS as it has you fighting a guerilla war, making you collect the weapons you use to fight.