+ Great Tactical FPS Simulator
+ Great Gameplay and Graphics
+ Great MP Online
+ Supported by Huge
User Rating: 10 | ArmA II: Operation Arrowhead PC
For those not familiar with the ArmA, let me give you a quick refresh. While these games are technically a FPS, there are as far from Modern Warfare and Medal of Honor games as you can possibly get. The ArmA series is a very realistic foray into combat and bunny hopping around the maps will get you dead. Plain and simple. If you have the time, patience, strategical fortitude, and a hell of a gaming setup, this might be the military FPS/Sim you have been looking for. I first fired up ArmA II: OA and we noticed that we had to tweak our graphics settings. This game has lofty requirements. I am talking Crysis like requirements. Unless you have a high end graphics card, you are not going to happy. Also, Windows only so my monster of a Macbook Pro wasn't an option. Aside from the aesthetics, which are very good, the game plays well, if you play at the pace intended. As aforementioned, this game requires both action and restraint. Sometimes you will have to stay still while the war landscape happens around you. This is as real as it gets people. In actual combat, you don't have perks and shields and splash damage. If you charge a tank with an M16, your parents are going to get a letter in the mail.The mission types are quite varied as well and the learning curve is not as steep as you would have imagined. In the beginning, you control a squad of troops. As the game progresses, naturally so do your responsibilities and inevitable armament. Tanks and helicopters offer a nice change of pace. Using a flight stick for the chopper is a good idea. Trust me. There is also a wide variety of weapons you can possess as a soldier. Since there are several different factions playing here, you can easily try new weapons as they lay on the ground before you As with all PC FPS, there is a mulitplayer contingent. There are also co-op chances as well as a friend can play the missions along with you. The super creative and patient type, can use the map editor to make their own little piece of war. The game can also be modded by the Arma regular player out there. The game is big with lots to do, you will need patience, a very good graphics card, and some skill to have a fun time here. If you want to run and gun, don't pick this up. Many of us would like a different take on FPS. Something with more brain and less lobbing blind grenades. If that's you, definitely check this game out. For 30US, you will get something new, fun, and different for a genre that is amazing!
