Awesome battle simulation platform, suffers from performance issues.
The title "ArmA 2" doesn't address the usual gamer market, but rather one which is made up of fans of this particular game and its predecessors comprising many servicemen or ex-servicemen. Its predecessors were Operation Flashpoint in 2001, and the first ArmA released in 2006. The name changed to ArmA because the developer of the game, Bohemia Interactive, did not have the right to use the original name "Operation Flashpoint" which had been retained by the publishers Codemasters, who in 2009 released an "official" sequel, called "Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising". This game was developed by different developers and designed for console systems rather than PC, and is it not in the same league of the games produced by Bohemia Interactive. ArmA 2 has a superior engine, a more comprehensive control interface, and arguably superior graphics. ArmA 2 is above all a simulation platform, that has an open ended design making it very flexible and expandable..
In the last 10 years we've seen a demise of PC platform in favour of console games and a general dumbing down of all games. PC games on DVD have all but vanished from the shelves of high street computer game shops. Simulators in particular seem to have suffered. Microsoft Flight simulator ended last year, no doubt a casualty in part to Microsoft's trend away from DVDs and towards central control with its Windows Live platform concept. In the light of this trend, it's good to see that small independent developers like BI go against the grain and produce a great simulation like this on DVD, despite publishers who go for the safe option of pandering to the lowest common denominator in the market with their dumbed down products. It was especially pleasing for me pick up an ArmA 2 DVD from Game and as I paid for it, hear from the cashier the words "Good choice. It's awesome."
ArmA 2 is indeed an awesome product that we should be grateful exists at all. It takes all the successful elements from the previous games and enhaces them, raising the standards to the level we expect today. The east European countryside setting is superbly recreated, this time with excellent lighting, real-time shadows and convincing terrain with vegetation that sways in the wind. However, there are some performance issues with the graphics that as yet, I have been unable to solve. There seems to be a problem with the LOD models, which can be slow to change, resulting occasionaly in low LOD models persisting until you are right next to them, before changing. Tetxures also can take a while to update. Another problem with the LOD is as the detail necessarily diminishes with distance, you're never quite sure whether your surrounding cover of vegetation and shadow is effective against distant enemies. Several times I have been shot by distant AI despite being well covered.
On average systems ArmA 2 is a slide show at around 10-15 fps with just normal video settings. The frame rates will drop significantly during multiplayer, where, in the most intense scenes with particle systems present, the game almost halts, with framerates dropping to 4 fps! But if you are lucky enough (or rich enough) to own a high-end system, with quad core processor, and something equivalent or higher to a GeForce GTS 250 series, you'll have you good, smooth graphics.
The sound is execellent. We hear the richochet of bullets, supersonic cracks during battle, and during calmer periods exeprience localised 3D ambient sounds, so as you move you might hear the buzz of a fly in your ear, or crickets singing etc. The result is a stunning level of immersion.
Like its predecessors ArmA 2 is a sandbox game, offering total non-linear game play, an impressive variety of weapons and vehicles to choose from and comprehensive command system for the squad management of your AI.
The enemy AI is devilish clever and realistic, and often better than many real players in multiplayer game. The AI are especially good at spotting and shooting enemies, for example, if you use them as gunners in armoured vehicles. I consider this a weakeness, in that it allows inexperienced players to drive around while their AI notches up their score.
ArmA 2 introduces some new interactivity, such as the ability to obtain information from civilians, which is helpful during the campaign when gathering intelligence information. In the campaign, the characters are well developed and there is high level of interaction in terms choosing objectives.
Physics, sadly, remains antiquated, except for the behaviour of weapons and ballistics of the projectiles, which is very well simulated. But when it comes to oil barrels, crates and filing cabinets bouncing around -- forget it. Collision can also be spongey and frustrating at times, although we are grateful for the new command that allows us to climb over smaller obstacles like fences and walls, instead of having to walk around them in previous versions of the game!
Multiplayer has been improved and now incorpates "Capture the Island" maps as standard which are great fun, and which are much more detailed and offer more comprehensive controls for both players and commanders, than in earlier versions.
The mission editor hasn't changed much, and remains powerful and easy to use and offers you great flexibility. If you know how to write scripts, virtually anything is possible. You really can do anything with this.
Conclusion: Bohemia Interactive have done a good job with ArmA 2, and I'm glad they have remained dedicated to this series, despite publisher and market pressures. The weakness is the performance, because in order to get acceptable framerates, you need the most powerful computer affordable (2009/10), otherwise you're going to have to turn down the settings and thereby miss out on the impressive graphic experience. However, there are few developers left like this, and I believe it's important to support what they do.