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GC '07: Operation Flashpoint 2: Dragon Rising Update

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By Justin Calvert, GameSpot, Posted Aug 22, 2007 8:01 am GMT

Codemasters invites us to its UK headquarters for a pre-Leipzig heads-up on this long-awaited shooter.

LEIPZIG, Germany--It was over four years ago that Bohemia Interactive announced it was working on a sequel to Operation Flashpoint, and a whole lot has changed since then. For starters, Codemasters is now developing Operation Flashpoint 2: Dragon Rising (yes, that's the first time you've seen the full title) internally with its Neon engine. Operation Flashpoint 2 is also set in a theatre of war quite different to those that were announced previously. During a recent visit to Codemasters' UK headquarters while en route to Leipzig, we were treated to a brief tour of the development studio as well as a presentation detailing a lot of the company's plans for the game.

If you've been following the progress of Operation Flashpoint 2 over the past few years you might recall that the game was going to feature fictional conflicts in Southeast Asia, Central Europe, and Africa in the '60s and '70s. We can now confirm that you'll be doing your fighting on an island group off the east coast of Russia where massive oil and gas reserves have been found. That much is based on real life, but the conflict in which the Chinese are attempting to reclaim the islands from Russia is fictional. By the same token, we're told that the island will be re-created quite faithfully, but its name will be changed.

Predictably, you won't be assuming the role of a soldier from Russia or China. Rather, you'll be part of a "small US military presence" attempting to protect the interests of major oil companies that have set up shop in the region. You'll be fighting alongside the Russians in that capacity, and although it's easy to refer to Operation Flashpoint 2 as a "squad-based" shooter, it'll be large armies that clash on the game's 200-plus-square-kilometer battlefield, not squads. As in the original game, you'll get to assume the roles of a number of different characters while playing through the single-player game, but Codemasters isn't talking about any of the specifics just yet, save for the fact that you'll get to command other soldiers only after proving your worth as a grunt in earlier missions.

The renders in today's gallery were all produced using in-game models.

The renders in today's gallery were all produced using in-game models.

Since Operation Flashpoint 2 is set in the present day, all of its weapons, vehicles, and the like will be 100 percent authentic. You'll have access to an arsenal of more than 50 weapons in the game and, to give you some idea of how detailed the models for them are, the grenades that you throw will weigh in at around 5,000 polygons each. Even the bullets will be modeled in considerable detail, and their trajectories will, of course, take realistic ballistics into account. Furthermore, many of the 50 weapons in your arsenal will offer a large number of customization options--just as they would in real life. Suppressors, extra grips, grenade launchers, telescopic lenses, and laser sights will be just the beginning.

Operation Flashpoint 2's garage appears to be every bit as impressive as its arsenal and, although we weren't told how many vehicles will be available for you to commandeer in the game, we were shown a good number of their impressively detailed models. We can't confirm that the following vehicles will all make it into the finished game, but those that we saw included the ZBD2000 amphibious fighting vehicle, a small unit riverine craft (SURC), the LAV-25 light armored vehicle, a Humvee, and some kind of helicopter.

While we can't claim to have seen any evidence of how good the artificial intelligence is in Operation Flashpoint 2, we're told that it will be one of the most impressive aspects of the game. Large-scale battles will purportedly never play out the same way twice, as AI-controlled forces constantly adapt to the changing environment and react to whatever tactics you're employing. There's really no substitute for playing with other people, though, and Operation Flashpoint 2 will support both large-scale battles and cooperative play online. The game will also ship with a mission editor, so there should be plenty of user-created content to keep you busy long after you've beaten the campaign and know the islands like the back of your hand.

Operation Flashpoint 2: Dragon Rising is currently scheduled for release sometime in 2008. We look forward to bringing you more information as soon as it becomes available.

53 Comments

  • xangyi

    Posted Sep 17, 2009 4:51 pm GMT

    My first impressions were lack of DEPTH of field, why he was using binocs? it looked like i could throw a stone over there.
    i get a feeling MW2 will be a filler for an otherwise empty song in my heart. ArmA2 dont work now OFP2 looking poop.
    Everyone has always said this game has potential, it was not and will never be used, the community will hold this game up as its the only thing going for it, the real reason OFP goes on.

  • gameboy360

    Posted Aug 2, 2008 12:48 am GMT

    i agree with both of you as well. i hope they dont become "big name sellouts" and keep with their roots. If they were given numbers telling them that more people would buy it if it wasnt so realistic (im just making an example) then i hope they would rather make the fans happy then just the general gaming crowd

  • thenephariouson

    Posted Jul 12, 2008 12:26 am GMT

    spetz_naz_basic, i agree with you. I hope they stay true to the original (realism, etc) and dont cheapen it by making it 'Another' FPS.

  • pidow

    Posted Jul 11, 2008 10:34 am GMT

    I'll play.

  • spetz_naz_basic

    Posted Jun 13, 2008 4:23 am GMT

    I loved OFP to bits... my only fear is that they might tone down the realism to make OFP2 more accessible to the Halo/GoW demographic. So Codemasters has a choice of alienating fans of the original... or everyone else.

  • thenephariouson

    Posted Jun 11, 2008 11:27 am GMT

    Un4givingAsault "This game's graphics look like they came out for xbox"

    Well so does 'Mario' but that doesnt seem to hamper sales and poularity does it?

  • Un4givingAsault

    Posted May 25, 2008 7:18 pm GMT

    This game's graphics look like they came out for xbox, or ps2. its goin to be garbage

  • henrynarits

    Posted May 17, 2008 8:58 am GMT

    i have been waiting for so long for this, i still have my OF:GOTY but nobody is playing it online so most of the time im doing mine own missions, its still my favorite game and im really waiting for OF2

  • renknram

    Posted May 12, 2008 1:03 pm GMT

    As a HUGE Fan of the Original OFP:GOTY & even to this day I still play it (PC)! & still not bored with it after several years. I even still have the Xbox version of OFP:Elite. I have been following this Sequel since 2003, five years later & hoping for a release in Winter08, As I've heard there is considerable amount of work to be done. Here's why my palms are sweating!

    - There is no health bar

    - If you get hit, you will bleed and won't be able to aim and shoot precisely (like in OFP)

    - Only a medic can heal you

    - Every air and land vehicle has been created as realistic as possible with appropriate sounds

    - There will be detailed vehicle damages and dirtiness (like in Colin McRae: Dirt)

    - The most realistic ai can be influenced by fear and enthusiasm and develope own tactics.

    The campaign will take place on the 220 sq.km large fictive island Skira, that bases on the russian island Sakhalin, which is being recreated from satellite data. If CM get this right, then I totally agree with thenephariouson! that this could be the BEST If Not! THE BEST! FPS EVER.

    This is the only WAR Game I have very keen interests in, don't get me wrong other WAR FPS are good. However as a veteran playing OFP they had that missing element & lacked depth, for example If COD4 had the tactical/strategy mechanics like Rainbow6 2 then that would fulfill my satisfactory, don't get me wrong COD4 is awesome game, but missing that slight Element. I will get OFP:RD for the Console & PC.

  • beatles5

    Posted Apr 2, 2008 5:01 pm GMT

    Cant wait

  • Killmajoro

    Posted Mar 22, 2008 8:49 am GMT

    I agree that it has the potential to be the best fps ever as well.

  • thenephariouson

    Posted Mar 15, 2008 4:37 am GMT

    If given Time & Attention and not rushed for release, i really do think this has the potential to be by far the greatest FPS ever...., i know that there may not be many people familiar with the original OF on PC as the console market is being dominated by COD4 & R6 (both are fantastic games) but with graphics aside it was one of the greatest ever FPS's with playability that even today is unrivaled, i really do hope they keep the same ingredients and simply cannot wait....Come on CM dont let us down!

  • thenephariouson

    Posted Mar 15, 2008 4:28 am GMT

    Add the 60 FPS of COD4, the 'cover system' of R6 & GRAW, and the playability and realism of the original Operation Flashpoint and i think it will tottally rock!!

  • Import2Ner

    Posted Mar 10, 2008 4:05 pm GMT

    I really hope this is going as scheduled because I loved playing Operation Flashpoint on the Xbox. I wish it was backwards compatible but I'll wait patiently for this title. Hopefully my waiting won't be too long.

  • thenephariouson

    Posted Mar 3, 2008 6:21 am GMT

    This will hopefully show all other developers how a REAL FPS should be made.

  • thenephariouson

    Posted Mar 3, 2008 1:57 am GMT

    God i absoloutely loved this on PC, i cant wait for this.

  • marco245

    Posted Feb 20, 2008 9:58 am GMT

    It's a real shame there are legal issues with BIS and CM. CM own the Operation Flashpoint name (as shown in the legal notice at the start of ArmA) but BIS were the brains behind it. BIS seemed to have struggled without CM, rumors of money problems forcing them to release ArmA "prematurely". But CM, let's be honest, don't make bad games. So OFP2 looks to be a great game. ArmA2 is great aswell, but theres something about the gameplay videos that look the same as ArmA, I mean, same engine, they just fixed a few of the big problems. And the worst of it all, the release of ArmA2 and OFP2 is gonna cause a split in the community. Reaaaallll shame

    Also, BIS were great for modding OFP. They had a forum for modders to upload their awesome addons, but I fear OFP2 will not get that support. Hopefully, time will tell.

  • Lonelynight

    Posted Jan 23, 2008 8:10 am GMT

    I really liked the first one but I hope they one will haver more "life " in it

  • kaziechameleon

    Posted Jan 9, 2008 10:15 am GMT

    since ghost recon games have gotten worse and worse i look forward to one of the original tactical shooters!

  • Chef_Bretz

    Posted Dec 9, 2007 3:45 pm GMT

    I cannot repeat CANNOT wait for this game! The original was f*cking awesome - this should be the daddy.

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