ArmA: Armed Assault

Manufacturer:
Price:	£29.99
Reviewer:	David Emery
Review Date:	Apr 2007
Graphics		88%
Sound		88%
Gameplay		90%
Overall	89%

Verdict: A realistic FPS that should please Operation Flashpoint fans.

The gamut of first-person shooters ranges from mindless frag-fests, such as Quake, to tactical, squad-based shooters, such as Battlefield 2. However, ask any seasoned tactical FPS fan which game is the most realistic and the unanimous answer will be Operation Flashpoint.

Armed Assault (ArmA) is the official successor to Operation Flashpoint and arrives more than six years after its predecessor was first released. In the intervening time, Operation Flashpoint has been supplemented with numerous community add-ons, so the ArmA has a lot to live up to.

As with Operation Flashpoint, ArmA is about realism, so don't expect to go charging around the map, shooting from the hip and casually soaking up bullets, as you would in many other FPS games. Your ability to aim is affected by your health and fatigue, and also your stance (don't even try to shoot standing up). You also have to consider the effect of wind and gravity on your rounds. On top of this, you have to take care not to get hit yourself, otherwise it's game over. The realism even extends to the environment, as the developer has modelled accurate tides, and included accurate constellations for night missions. Even sound is modelled correctly - destroy an object in the distance, and the resulting sound will be slightly delayed compared with the explosion, just as it would in real life.

The game is played on the hypothetical island of Sahrani, which measures 400 x 400km, all of which you can explore. The Americans are training Southern Royalist troops when Northern Democratic forces stage a surprise attack. The 21-mission, single-player campaign follows the story as it unfolds, although there's also a tactical aspect to the gameplay.

There are bonus missions in addition to the 21 main missions, which, if completed successfully, make the main missions easier. For example, you can slip behind enemy lines and blow up the enemy's armoured depot, thus depriving them of reinforcements when you fight the main battle. It's a nice touch, especially as the missions are generally harder than an SAS soldier.

There are more than 30 different weapons at your disposal to help you to complete these missions, from anti-tank LAWs to M16s, grenades and mines. There are also tanks, trucks and helicopters at your beck and call (plus a load of civilian vehicles scattered about), all of which are modelled (in terms of both looks and handling) on their real-life counterparts.

Graphically, Armed Assault is stunning, with accurate models and full HDR lighting, which is used to add eye candy, as well as extra realism (such as gradually allowing your vision to re-adjust between bright and dark environments).

Armed Assault is tough and unforgiving, but it's well worth the effort. And if you're an old Flashpoint veteran then this will be like every Christmas and birthday rolled into one.