Arma 3 armed for summer 2012

Though Call of Duty's bombastic brand of warfare currently rules the retail sales charts, the grognard sect isn't completely without options. Today, Bohemia Interactive announced Arma 3, saying its latest military simulation will be available for the PC in summer 2012.

Bohemia, which is based in Prague, said that it has overhauled its game engine for Arma 3, bringing with it "the most detailed environment of the series to date."

Arma 3 will be the first new installment in the series since 2009's well-regarded Arma II. The studio released a stand-alone expansion for that game, Operation Arrowhead, in June 2010, and a second is planned for release next month. In Arma 3, NATO squares off against invading armies from the east.

Though gameplay is open ended, the storyline sees players assuming the role of Cpt. Scott Miller, who is investigating a "well-guarded military secret" on a Mediterranean island. Players will have access to a variety of aircraft, vehicles, and ships to accomplish their objective, not to mention a cache of weapons ranging from pistols to turrets.

Beyond the single-player campaign, wargamers will also have access to cooperative and competitive online multiplayer modes on dedicated servers. Bohemia plans to also release a level editor and mod tools for creating custom scenarios. More information on the game is expected to be released as part of this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo in June.