Armed Assault is the most realistic military simulation to date, and fans of Operation Flashpoint shouldn't miss it!

User Rating: 8.7 | ArmA: Armed Assault PC
I was a huge fan of Operation Flashpoint. I have been looking forward to some kind of sequal and/or new game of the same type to be released for years now, and Armed Assault has made my dreams come true. I fell in love with this game from the moment I played the demo. First of all, I was very impressed with the graphics. Sure, some people complain that they aren't up to par with today's standards, but I would have to disagree. No other game out there (save Operation Flashpoint), has attempted to do what Armed Assault has. It renders a HUGE environment all at once and it is available for the player to explore without any load times in between. I'm amazed that the graphics are as good as they are. Sunlight dances across the water, windshields reflect, uniforms and soldier's faces look realistic, and the environment is more immersive than that of any other game that I have ever played, and that is largely due to the graphics. I am especially impressed at how well they managed to work the HDR into it and make it run as smoothly as it does.

As far as gameplay goes, I would also have to say that it is quite impressive. The missions seem realistic and you really get the feeling that you are participating in a real military operation. While some of the missions can be brutally hard, it is extremely rewarding when you finally find a way to complete them. While there are a few bugs with scripting that may cause necessary events not to trigger and hose up a mission from time to time, I haven't had too much trouble with this, and I am sure it will be address with a patch.

Multiplayer impressed me as well. while it's not quite what I was hoping for, I can see that it has a lot of potential. I joined a game or two, and I was teamed up with some good players that worked as a team and gave me the feeling that I was part of a well-oiled special ops team that was dropped in the middle of a combat zone in order to destroy some enemy armored assets. While the quality of the multiplayer experience can hinge on the experience of the players you are with, I find that it is VASTLY superrior to that of Operation Flashpoint.

Overall, I really enjoy playing Armed Assault. I have yet to finish the campaign, but I can't wait until I do. Even though there are some very difficult missions that require a lot of patience, thought, and skill, it's a very enjoyable simulation for people that want to get close to the battlefield without taking a huge chunk of lead to the face.