Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising dropping in October

Gamers who have been looking forward to Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising, the sequel to the critically acclaimed Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis, have had to endure a very long wait. Originally announced back in 2003, the title was subject to delays following Ubisoft takeover rumours and was then pushed back to spring 2006. The game surfaced again at this year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo, with the hopes of a release date for later this year.

Codemasters has now revealed that the game will be hitting shelves on October 6 in the US; on October 8 in mainland Europe, Pacific Asia, and Canada; and finally on October 9 in the UK. The game will be available on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC.

The game takes a realistic approach to shooters and lets players take command of a marine, a helicopter pilot, a special forces member, and a tank commander battling against the Chinese military. There will also be a variety of vehicles and equipment for players to use alongside their squad.

The game will also feature a full-on story mode complete with "a believable and dramatic storyline." There will also be a variety of online modes, and a co-op mode that's available online and offline. Codemasters has released a new Armoury trailer to accompany the announcement, which can be viewed below. Also, be sure to check out GameSpot's latest hands-on for more on the game.