It's a game you have to learn. No more run and gun tactics.
Arma 2 (ARMed Assault) is quite hard to classify. I'd have to say it's the first, prepare yourselves:
First person/third person/squad based tactical/rts/rpg shooter.
It's about everything anyone could want in a realistic modern day combat setting. When I critique games I'm critique them solely on realism. I don't like it when the enemy takes 1.5 clips to the chest and walks away. This game is insanely realistic and believable. The hud is limited which makes navigation through gigantic maps real. You actually have to find your way around using a compass and map. You can be an underdog being commanded or be the leader of the squad. But beyond that, you can be the leader of an entire army commanding an assault on an enemy village. The strategy is there and there's tons of it. To make the command even better, you can command from first person, with a gun in your hands at the front line, or from the safety of your base using the map. Or you can find a high rise structure and command them while watching the battle unfold from afar. As I said, this game is epic. There's so much option and variety you're going to easily lose sleep over trying to do everything.
I say again, there's TONS to do. It's like your one soldier in an epic battlefield that is actually living. You can fly jets, helicopters, drive cars, tractors, heck, you can even be a chicken and run obstacle courses. The difference between this huge open ended world and others, is that your still pretty limited on what is available to you from mission to mission. It's not a constant campaign that unfolds on the same map from mission to mission without each mission being independent. I hope this makes sense. Meaning, on this huge map, you don't really get the option to go out and explore while progressing through the campaign. You either explore with one pre selected vehicle, or select a mission to do using only the supplies that that mission offers you. And when the mission is over, it's over. Black screen, back to the menu, next mission.
Now for the RTS part. We've seen first person rpg games before. RPG in the sense it's open ended and you can loot other bodies and take what supplies you need etc. But we've never before seen a fps combines with and rpg AND rts. Whew...
I have yet to do this in game but apparently you can build your own base. There's no construction que time or anything it's just drag and drop. You don't have a whole lot of a variety to build your base but the option is there none the less. For example you can't build a barbed wire perimeter around your HQ. You have about 5 buildings to select and 20 defense items.
So as for the scenery and gameplay and how the game runs blah blah. It's a beefy game. If you don't have the top of the line computer, you're not going to be able to play. I have a pretty descent machine here and I have to turn everything down to avoid mouse lag. The scenery and landscape is top of the line. The firefights are good but I think they could use some improvement. Again, the learning curve is steep and can get a bit frustrating at time trying to command people with the complex control system. So now I leave you with the pros and cons of the game.
Pros: Visuals are awesome, lots to do, firefights are fun, game is super realistic.
Cons: Firefight(though awesome) could use some improvements, game is buggy, it's sometimes hard to understand what you're supposed to be doing, high demanding game.