Operation Flashpoint is back, but alls not well on the front, as Aaron finds out.
They say that war is hell, and Im certainly not going to dispute that observation.
Real life conflict is no walk in the park, we all know that.
This is a worrying thought for most of us, and one that games likeOperation Flashpointtry to stamp out.
This is no corridor shooter, or Hollywood-inspired military action title.
Lets get the story out of the way first, though.
Its not entirely original stuff, but it does echo various real world situations of late.
The US quickly sends in help, which is where the player comes in.
Before I go any further, however, I should make it very clear that this game is tough.
If youre expectingCall Of Dutystyle heroics, think again.
Here, if you run in guns blazing, youll die every time.
For example, imagine having to take out an AA battery, which is guarded by a small checkpoint.
In games likeCODyoud almost always run in, throw a few grenades and take out the enemy.
This difficulty is evident at all times, and is reflected in a number of ways.
Its all technically correct, and is part of the tactical considerations youll need to make.
All realistic and absorbing stuff, indeed.
Your first goal is to take out AT (anti-tank) troops and defend your APCs as they land.
This also leads me on to another problem that soon rears its head: objective vagueness.
Often the game will unceremoniously punish you beyond belief for failing to meet certain goals.
Theres no heads up about this, and youre usually left to figure it out yourself.
An early example is losing too many APCs before taking and defending a village.
You see, checkpoints overwrite each other, meaning that all previous checkpoints in the mission are wiped.
Find yourself in an impossible situation, and bam!
Your only option is to start the entire mission from the beginning.
No, this is a bad system and one that will undoubtedly cause major irritation.
This issue is the artificial intelligence.
Sometimes the AI of your fire team can be okay.
Theyll follow you, fire at foes and even help flank positions and the like.
However, I found that for the most part, theyre unbelievably poor.
And, simply, its not good enough and is a real problem.
Online Accolades
Luckily, the game also has a major online component, as well as four-player co-op.
In this regard, Ive few complaints at all.
So, what we have here is a potentially great game thats let down by a few major issues.
In fact, even with the flaws, I still find myself coming back for more.
It does a whole lot right, but the problems are just too big.
Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Risingis out now onPS3,Xbox360andPC.
Rating:
3 out of 5
