ArmA 2 (PC DVD)

I will begin by saying that ArmA 2 (Armed Assault 2) is not really a game, but an infantry simulation platform. It is the commercial version of the training platform VBS2 that is used by military, law enforcement and defence organistaions.

The title "ArmA 2" doesn't address any market other than the one which is made up of fans of this particular game and its predecessors. Its predecessors were Operation Flashpoint in 2001, followed by the first ArmA released in 2006. The name changed to ArmA because the developer of the game, Bohemia Interactive, did not have the right to use the original name "Operation Flashpoint" which had been retained by the publishers Codemasters, who in 2009 released an "official" sequel, called "Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising". This sequel was developed by different developers, and it is a sequel that is obviously designed for the console systems rather than the PC. The presence of a circular menu system and the use of save points, show us that little has been invested in adapting this to a PC environment. While Dragon Rising a good game in itself, it is not really a sequel nor is it in the same league of the games produced by Bohemia Interactive. ArmA 2 has a superior "game" engine, a more comprehensive control interface, and superior graphics. ArmA 2 is above all a simulation platform, that has an open ended design making it very flexible and expandable, while Dragon Rising is a simpler console game best left to the console market.

In the last 10 years we've seen a demise of PC games in favour of console games and a general dumbing down of all games. PC games on DVD have all but vanished from the shelves of high street computer game shops. Simulators in particular seem to have suffered. Microsoft Flight simulator ended last year, no doubt a casualty in part to Microsoft's trend away from DVDs and towards central control with its Windows Live platform concept. In the light of this trend, it's especially pleasing for the discerning gamer when small independent developers like BI go against the grain and produce a PC DVD that is really good, despite publishers who go for the safe option of pandering to the lowest common denominator in the market with their dumbed down products. It was especially pleasing for me pick up an ArmA 2 DVD from Game and as I paid for it, hear from the cashier the words "Good choice. It's awesome."

ArmA 2 is indeed an awesome product that we should be grateful exists at all. Because it takes ArmA and raises the standards of graphics, sound and game play to the level we expect today. Like its predecessors ArmA 2 is a sandbox game, offering non-linear game play, an impressive variety of weapons and vehicles to choose from and incredibly comprehensive command system for the squad management of your AI.

ArmA 2 introduces some new interactivity, such as the ability to speak to local civilians, asking them what they have seen and where you are and so on, which is helpful when gathering intelligence information. In the campaign, the characters are well developed and there is high level of interaction in terms of optional objectives and how to achieve them. The enemy AI is devilish clever and realistic. In this respect I cannot think of any other game that comes close to it.

The mission editor is powerful and easy to use and offers you great flexibility. If you know how to write scripts, virtually anything is possible. You really can do anything with this game.

Bohemia Interactive have done a great job with ArmA 2. Success will always belong to those who dare to do what they believe in, as BI have done, and reward will come to those who dare to back these successful few. Examples of such developers are Austin Meyer and his X-plane, Sonalysts with their naval simulations, and Bohemia Interactive with these combat simulations.

Such simulations are worthy of support from the more discerning "gamer".

Well, like the other reviewer, I have played the German version with English languages.

I'm not much of a Reviewer but I'm incredibly compelled to review this game since it is purely magnificent. I have played the first ArmA and though the graphics were cheesy and the game was buggy, I still thoroughly enjoyed the gameplay. ArmA 2 has taken the recipe of ArmA and brought it towards the standard of modern games. There is a huge graphical improvement as well as a huge gameplay improvement. The whole `Army Simulation' promise has been well delivered.

The gameplay has a more realistic feel and takes a while to get used to. For example, when you move the camera, there is a motion blur giving the camera a more human feel. When you sprint, your head moves in a realistic fashion and the sound of breathing seems the get denser the further you run, so even the elements of moving are immersive. Although these aren't anything major, it adds a great experience to the game.

The AI is a great improvement too, they react according to various things such as realistic sight and hearing. Whereas in ArmA 1, there was a few instances where the AI would spot you in a hill a kilometre away while you are wearing camouflage mesh after you farted. Although the AI is a great improvement in terms of what they react to there is still a few issues. During the first mission in ArmA 2, I spent around 30 seconds looking at a guy right next to me because I thought he was my pal for not shooting me. Then, as you most likely guessed, he turned around and shot me in the face. With that said, I think that may of been my fault since I was hidden in grass right next to him.

The sounds have also been upgraded from ArmA 1, the shooting sounds a lot more real. Thats all I can really say about the sounds. Oh, the radio talking still sounds odd, with each word being spoken in a different tone of voice, but that may be because of the English pack. And to be fair, if every radio message was spoken separately, it would include something such as 300,000+ audio files since there would be a vast number of combinations.

There has been alot of interactivity added to ArmA 2, you can enter a few buildings and you can speak to the locals, asking them how the weather is, where you are and if they had seen anyone. This is helpful if you're patrolling an area and want to see if its safe before you enter. I would list a few more of the exciting features but that's for you to find out for yourself.

The controls are like the standard FPS (W, walk. A, go left, ect.) with a few extras such as the compass and watch. The only complaint I have is that the controls for helicopters and aeroplanes are insanely difficult to get used. It's not a simple case of `W' being up, `S' being down and moving with the mouse. The controls are along the lines of `Q', Add thrust. `Z' decrease thrust'. `W', nose down. `D', nose up. `X' tilt. It's incredibly complicated but it'll appeal to those who enjoy flight simulators.

I'll now move onto the campaign. The characters are more established than they were in the first ArmA, they're more a part of the game, this is a little difficult to explain. Characters in the first ArmA just seemed like generic soldiers without any real characteristics. ArmA 2 is the opposite of that and there is also more interaction within the campaign, such as optional objectives, the way you carry out objectives, ect. You have more of a choice of what happens. Being honest, this is the only non-RPG which I've seen give such choices. I haven't really got far into the campaign since I've been having a blast with the built in editor which allows you to make your own campaigns with ease.

I know I have spoken highly about ArmA 2 but it truly is an enjoyable game for those who like combat games/war simulators. The game does have its off moments but they don't affect the gameplay and are barely noticeable.

I really recommend this game and if you get it, I hope you enjoy it.

Yeah I maxed on the ratings for this game. I have to, because I find it, for me, to be the perfect gaming experience.

To be clear - it's not going to be for everyone. I can see that some people simply won't like it, but I cannot mark it down for opinions I do not share. And also, to be clear, ArmA2 is only half the equation. What ArmA2 represents is a perfect base to build your game on, out of the box and patched up it is a terrific experience with many unique features, but the thing that transforms an already excellent game into (again, for me) a perfect gaming experience is the excellent user made addons and modifications available.

Adding user made content to this game can make it into exactly what you want. You can improve the uniforms, vehicles, weapons, artificial intelligence, environment, just about anything. And the same online community that produces these addons (of which I am one member) is very friendly and helpful. If you wish to immerse yourself in a military game world, ArmA2 represents the best of those military worlds. It evolves and improves relentlessly, not just from user content but from official developer support which is constant and genuinely effective over time.

I must mention what this game is not: it's not a flight simulator. There are aircraft to be sure, and they are fun and effective, but I would say the game world, massive though it is in terms of battlefield dynamics, is not suited for fast jet action. It's also not suited for inter-building fights, moving about within a building is clunky and awkward (but not impossible or seriously frustrating) but for anything in between those two "scales" of movement, then ArmA2 is perfect. You won't find a better more satisfying game experience if you're willing to play tactically.

I was watching my son play CoD:MW2 last night, in the space of 5 minutes he was killed about 10 times and likewise killed about 20 others. It looked like tremendous fun, it looked as much fun as ArmA2. Only it's different fun, I played ArmA2 last night and played for 45 minutes and was killed once. When I was killed, it was endgame, no magic revival. It can be a brutal gaming experience, but it's also flexible, if you wish you can lean the game toward CoD - style gameplay, but really if you wish to do that, just get CoD instead and play that gamestyle properly. If you wish for lasting, tense, intelligent flexible military gameplay then ArmA2 is the best choice.