Operation Flashpoint (PC)
A tactical, action-packed feast, Operation Flashpoint will put a smile on faces of all strategy gamers.
Operation Flashpoint is a game which has created quite a bit of buzz throughout the industry since it was announced. Now that the game has finally arrived, was the wait worth it? You better believe it.
In the past, most games about war, or militaristic in general, suffered from a similar ailment: the game was more or less the same throughout the experience. Operation Flashpoint is different. As you progress through the game, you will be promoted from rank to rank, eventually being given command of your own squad of up to 12 soldiers. Neat.
However, even when you get your own squad of soldiers, the missions vary. In one, you have to steal a truck, in another, wipe out an entire platoon of soldiers, in another you have to assassinate three diplomats from far away with a sniper rifle. It’s pretty wild.
With a game like this, realism is very important — you don’t want to get 90% of the way there, and then let the player run all over the place with enough weaponry on his back to put a hole in the world. In this case, this isn’t an issue — if you want to carry a weapon, you need to be able to physically carry it. If you are carrying a rifle, and want to pick up an AK-47, you have to drop it. You can only carry X number of grenades (or things grenade-sized.)
Operation Flashpoint Hot
When firing a weapon, like in games like Counter-Strike, your accuracy is dramatically reduced if you are moving. When you are going to open fire on an enemy, always at least crouch, if not lie down, before you squeeze off a single round. This allows you to brace your weapon against both the ground and your shoulder, which will counter the effects of kickback drastically.
Operation Flashpoint Parachute
But the realism doesn’t stop there. There are lots of little things which you don’t pick up right away, but once pointed out make you go “whoa, cool!” For example, when you pick up the anti-tank rocket launcher, you carry it strapped to your back. When you see your shadow (shadows are real-time, and light sourced), the launcher sticks up above your head. When you run, you can hear your heart beat faster and faster, and you can hear your breathing become heavier.
It gets better. In games like Rainbow 6, you are restricted to one small area — there is always something blocking your path, be it a tree, a river, or a big pile of junk. Not in Operation Flashpoint. Each mission takes place on an island, and you can go pretty much anywhere you want on that island — as long as you have a ride.