ARMA III: The Alpha and the Omega

As any series enthusiast will tell you that ARMA is not a shooter or an action game: it's a war simulator. A grueling, unforgiving war simulator that requires you to be cautious with every step you take, every bullet you fire, and every leaf you rustle. Developer Bohemia Interactive's dedication to authenticity and open-world structure has made the ARMA franchise deeply respected among PC gamers who crave challenge and realism. ARMA delivers its unique joys only in proportion to how much patience and loyalty you are willing to give back.

ARMA's next iteration is almost upon us: in Q3 of 2013, ARMA III will be released and hopefully bring with it the same demanding gameplay we've come to expect. If you're anxious for a taste, however, Bohemia is offering a tantalizing glimpse of ARMA III via its alpha test, which is available today, March 5, for anyone who preordered the game. Last week, I was able to play the ARMA III alpha myself, as well as catch up with co-creative director Jay Crowe, who shed light on the differences between ARMA III and ARMA II, the expectations of series veterans, and the technology that could make ARMA III one of the most photo-realistic games to date.

The high quality of the game's graphics engine is clear from the moment you enter a scenario. There are four scenarios to explore in the alpha, each of which focuses on a different aspect of ARMA III: infantry, vehicles, scuba, and helicopter flight. Each mission shows off ARMA III's lifelike vistas. In the scuba mission, you dive underneath the waves and admire the way the light refracts off the water surface above you. Fish swim by and undersea topography guides you through natural trenches. From the vantage point of the helicopter, you can gaze remarkably far into the distance and allow plumes of realistically billowing smoke to guide you toward areas besieged by artillery strikes.

Crowe is understandably proud of the work the team has done on the visuals. "Our terrains play a huge part in how you first experience the game, and the Mediterranean setting in ARMA III feels unique and distinct--you ain't in Chernarus anymore! So, from the way it feels and looks to the way it sounds or is presented, there's a bunch of stuff at work that will mean different things to different players."

It's the lighting, however, that stands out most. Says Crowe, "The HDR [that is, high dynamic range lighting --Ed.] is a big step up from our previous games. There are many things that make the visuals in Real Virtuality 4 unique and impressive--no more so than the scale of the terrain or the range of detailed models--but we know that some compromises must be made. Other game engines do things that we can't, and they do them fantastically well, such as lighting in interiors or amazing wet-weather conditions. In ARMA III, I really like the detail on the soldier's character models. The artists have done a great job of making them military, and regimented, but different in subtle little ways, so your group doesn't look like carbon copies of each other. I like that our worlds can be huge, but there's still room for care and attention of the little details that make it feel rich."

I can confirm how much more refined the character models look and move, though there are moments in the ARMA III alpha when soldiers move in an odd, robotic, or otherwise unusual manner. (And for a game with so many explosions, the explosions look sadly canned.) I also noticed how much more natural radio chatter sounds than in ARMA II. In the past, the splicing of small audio clips made for weird, unnatural radio communication. In the ARMA III alpha, I was surprised by the high quality of voices all around; rather than being a distraction, voice-overs gave the soldiers bits of flavor and character.

But the ARMA III alpha is about more than just technology: it's about war. And the war is not easily won, as each scenario makes clear. The infantry level gives you a feel for the care you must take rather quickly, as you make your way through a valley, avoiding the shots of gunners within the valley as well as from the hills above. If you're a newcomer, it should be immediately clear just how different ARMA III is from most modern-day depictions of battle. Expect to whip out your binoculars to get a good view of your surroundings, and to go prone and carefully inch forward to avoid the watchful eye of nearby soldiers. You must also exhibit eagle-like awareness of your surroundings in the vehicular scenario, in which you nab an attack vehicle and use it to lob grenades into a nearby base. Pay too little attention to nearby soldiers, and your car may take too much damage to its motor and leave you stranded. Waste too much ammo on enemy infantry, and you fail the mission.

ARMA III looks beautiful, but don't gawk for too long, unless you want a bullet lodged inside your skull.

The helicopter scenario requires the most patience, forcing you to come to grips with authentic helicopter physics while simultaneously shooting down artillery installations and delivering troops to their destination. The ARMA III alpha is not a flight simulator, but its flight model is hardly arcade-friendly, either. The controls necessitate nuance--nuance most ARMA players already exhibit. But if you're a novice, the challenge isn't insurmountable: you might crash and burn more than a few times, but comfort does come.

Suffice it to say, the ARMA III alpha does not feel dumbed down, though it does streamline certain elements to make interacting with the game less cumbersome. I asked Crowe whether he thinks the full game will improve accessibility in the right ways without sacrificing the authenticity that makes ARMA such a hit. His reply:

"We're on the right track, I hope. I remember speaking to you last year at E3 about what 'accessibility' means and arguing that, for ARMA, it shouldn't be about 'dumbing down.' Rather, it's grinding down the rough edges: things that aren't authentic or fun to master; features or behaviours that are just somehow awkward."

"One good example is the way we handle throwing grenades in the ARMA III alpha," Crowe continues. "The feature isn't complete, and in its current state, I think it's a bit too simplistic. You press a key, the grenade is tossed, whatever animation state you're in. I think that's a legitimate example of where we haven't quite yet hit the right balance. Of course, it's a big improvement over ARMA II's turgid system. I basically didn't use grenades before, and now I do, so that's progress! It's more instinctive and usable, which is why we've left this WIP feature in the public build. However, for me, it's probably now too easy. There's not enough depth of control: you can't cook the grenade or manipulate the flight in any truly meaningful way."