I love a spin-off. Angel? Great stuff! Count Duckula? The Better Call Saul of cartoons. Kourtney and Khloé Take Miami? Take me, I’m yours! I could go on and on cutting-and-pasting from this Wikipedia page, but I’ll get to the point. Games also have spin-offs. Often they’ll be forgotten about. Sometimes they’re even disowned. On a few occasions, they’ll take on a life of their own and exist apart from the game that spawned them, never calling, never visiting, only sending a multipack Christmas card. Below are a few stories of surprising spin-offs. The 2D Half-Life 2, the Fortnite that failed, the single-player Counter-Strike that no-one asked for, and more.
]]>Bohemia Interactive's Arma series remain almost uncontested as the games to own if the idea of realistic infantry combat tickles your fancy. The only barriers to entry have really been your willingness to deal with a game that prioritises realism over entertainment, the need for a relatively powerful PC, and the not-insignificant cost of the game itself. The Humble Arma 2018 Bundle fixes a third of those, offering everything in the series to date (minus the latest wave of DLC) for $20.
]]>While we've seen oodles of FPSs set in World War II, the Great War has been less popular with developers. With long waits, shelling, disease, gas attacks, unwieldy guns, and marching futilely towards your death, it's a mite more difficult to glamorise and turn into an exciting rollercoaster. No, you want something that's wonky and often a bit unpleasant but ultimately dreams hard enough that it sweeps you up. This calls for Arma!
Arma 2: Combined Operations mod Over The Top released its first alpha version earlier this month for your downloading delight. It brings World War I to Arma 2, with biplanes, armoured cars, artillery, bolt-action rifles, trenches and whatnot. No trench foot.
]]>GameSpy, a relic from times long before the modern Internet - or indeed, games and spies - existed is closing down. This on its own is not surprising as the multiplayer service is, by modern standards, buggy and kind of a joke, but it leaves a startling number of games with their e-wings clipped and their online-heaving hams strung in its wake. How many, you ask? Well, Reddit's /r/Games board compiled a massive list, and the results aren't pretty.
]]>Bohemia are well known as the creators of the deep and deeply shonky military sim Arma and its zombie-infested survival spin-off DayZ. They're moderately known as the creators of turn-based spinoff Arma Tactics and commercial helicopter sim Take On Helicopters. They're not at all known as the developers of XCOM-homage UFO: Afterlight and Alpha Prime, which is some sort of videogame.
Yet you'll find all of the above in this week's Humble Weekly sale, the Bohemia Humble Bundle.
]]>If, like me, you are a kind of cyborg, you might recall that one of Arma's keenest community leaders, Andrew ‘Dslyecxi’ Gluck, has been overseeing some of the trailers for the alpha of Arma 3. That's true now that the game has entered beta, too. His latest work is SITREP (pronounced as if you are giving orders over the noise of gunfire) which covers some ground we've already seen - the clever simulatory embellishments of Arma 3 - as well as explaining what that long alpha thing was all about. The idea of it all, I believe, is to entice you into the beta, via their store.
Yes.
]]>"But Craig", you're probably saying to your monitor. "I totes remember insects casting shadows in Arma 2. Like seriously." To that I say: "That's cool. Let's talk."
This was supposed to be a post about the wonders of Arma 3's new screenshot mode, splendidly named the Splendid Camera. It still is. Splendid Camera, I shall always call it by its full name, is one of those additions that shows you how deeply into the community's den that Bohemia are willing to burrow to make people happy. In this case it's a function that's specifically designed to allow players to fly around the game, slow time, remove the HUD, and even change exposure and focus settings, just so they can take nice screenshots. That is how I discovered that both Arma 2 and Arma 3 had insects that cast shadows.
]]>Hello, readers. I am alone in the RPS forbidden chatroom of mystery, which means that I am in charge of RPS until someone comes and takes it away from me. They actually forgot I was here and took Good Friday off without telling me! I am just a freelancer. So today we'll have none of the usual nonsense that passes for RPS posts these days. News? Schmews! Faetures? I can't even spell the word. GDC? I just checked and it doesn't mean "Gloriously Decadent Chips", so I don't know why John and Jim are there. My autonomy means I get to do stuff like this. ArmA 3's creative director pointed me towards a lovely ArmA 2 mod. An inquisitive six year-old's first ArmA 2 addon. In the middle of all the horribly detailed war bastards that are usually built for the game, the wee boy made a table. Being a huge sap, I asked for more screenshots and details. They are EXCLUSIVE and below.
]]>The scenario: you have the Arma 3 Alpha and you've exhausted the stock missions the game comes with. You're also rubbish with the editor, and you don't live with someone Arma Arm Armasson, who can show you what to do with it. Don't worry. There's no such person, so you're not missing out on his sage wisdom. And Arma 3 is pretty easy to have fun with. Here's what people have been up to
]]>There are quite a few communities bustling away in the General Sociability forum, and some of those have produced of videos of their antics. I've embedded just a few of those below. There are many more, and I am sure others still I haven't seen.
Are you doing video stuff with the RPS community? Link your work/play in the comments!
]]>One of my absolute favourite things is that there are various RPS communities. Seriously, it blows my mind. People have become proper friends with other people because this website exists. That makes me very happy. One such community is the hardcore gathering who get together to play ARMA 2, FOLK ARPS. And as I'd hope for anything spawned of our name, they're an open, welcoming and friendly community, who encourage anyone interested in playing to join in. They've compiled a 10 minute video to show their antics in 2012.
]]>“6 O'CLOCK. ONE MAN'S VIEWS. ON LATEST ARMA 2 DLC. CLOSE.”
"READER. CHANGE STANCE TO. CURIOUS."
“READER. GO TO THAT. JUMP. 6 O'CLOCK.”
]]>We could have waited until it hit 1 million for the sake of the bigger headline, I suppose. But I wanted to say something: the success of zombie mod Day Z couldn't have been predicted. It was a one off. A outlier. It's one of those rare and beautiful times when a game design experiment explodes into a phenomenon. No one can plan for that to happen, not really. But I can predict one thing: the companies that do not support modding will never have a zombie mod sell hundreds of thousands of extra copies of their game.
]]>I had long discussions with several people about Day Z at Rezzed and most were were surprised, mid-talk, to learn I still haven't played the ARMA 2 mod. Turns out I'm very good at borrowing Jim's opinions and absorbing experiences vicariously through Youtube. The infectious growth of the mod was a story in itself but the possibility of a standalone version, perhaps as early as September, could mean significant changes are coming. Here's what we know.
]]>Speaking at Rezzed, Day Z's Dean Hall said: "We've got 420,000 now. We'll have 430,000 tomorrow." The Arma 3 developer reckons that his mod will end up selling more copies than Arma 2 did originally. "Currently we're running 22,000 concurrent at full peak, and 10,000 off peak, which is pretty huge numbers considering the original data structure and system was designed to handle 100 concurrents, and two servers... We now have 1000 servers. We're getting 110,000 players in a 24 hour period at the moment."
]]>What would a celebration of all things wonderful in PC and indie gaming be without the sensational Day Z mod? Lacking, that's what it would be. The story of Day Z and its effect on Arma II's sales is a fascinating one and the experience of playing creates more tension than Alfred Hitchcock juggling chainsaws on a unicycle. Brighton-based Rezzed, powered by Eurogamer and our good selves, shall host Dean "Rocket" Hall and Matt Lightfoot who will run a developer session on Saturday (7th) at 2pm and the game will also be playable on the show floor. Click for tickets and more details.
]]>Having taken over a week's break from playing Day Z - too much else to play! - I'm yearning to go back and examine the changes wrought by the 1.7.1 update, which makes some of the boldest changes to the mod so far. Let's take a look...
]]>We like Day Z. A lot. You may have heard. Sadly, I couldn't play it during E3 because, well, E3. So instead, I had to settle for chatting with creator Dean "Rocket" Hall - all the while wondering if he had simply lured me into his tiny booth cubicle to catch me off-guard and steal my ammo. Happily, however, I came away with a recording that was more than just 17 minutes of scuffling sounds and people getting walloped with a Metro: Last Light themed gas mask. Rocket told me all about his plans to bring Day Z to ARMA III, why modding doesn't get the credit or attention it deserves, what keeps the zombie fad from finally becoming worm food, and tons more. And then he killed me and took my things.
]]>Update: a post from developer Dean "Rocket" Hall explains more.
I don't know whether to growl or sigh so I guess I'll just groan, or maybe even grigh. Jim's new favourite playground and horrorshow, DayZ, was the victim of a security breach, carrying the risk that the game's servers could become a botnet. Thankfully the person responsible has been identified, a statement has been released and legal action is being pursued. The official advice is as follows:
...if you are a user who has downloaded the .exe called dayz_auto_updater.exe from the US Mirror...scan against viruses and read the description by ThreatExpert on where to locate this if your Virus detector does not pick it up.
Additionally, server hosts who supplied RDP details to the DayZ team are also compromised and "need to thoroughly scan their server for the same type of processes and to change their servers RDP details and to NOT ever give the RDP details out to anyone *Including DayZ* from now on". More below.
]]>Day Z has a bit of a problem. I realise that by writing about it that I might make people realise that it's possible, and therefore make the issue worse, but hey, I am sure Rocket is aware and will want to fix it. In the meantime, I had to laugh...
]]>"The civil war in Bystrica is at its end. But it’s not the end of fear for the people. War criminals like Colonel Miyovic still terrorize the country with their militia looting and murdering civilians. Forces of the Czech Republic Army are sent to restore order." Go Czech army! Also this: "15 new missions in the singleplayer campaign, scenarios and procedural template gameplay modes" and "two new summer-season terrains: Bystrica and Bukovina." One of those is the lovely green environment pictured above. £8 pre-order pricetag on this, it's turning up in Q3 of this year. One for a, uh, limited audience, perhaps.
]]>My previous posts on Day Z have largely been about driving home the kind of situations it generates, but I want to step away from that to look a bit more close at the systems it uses, and why it creates such powerful responses in the people who play it.
]]>I think I'll annoy some Arma fans when I say that Day Z is a better showcase for that tech than the original game's campaign or multiplayer missions. But I have my reasons, and I'll explain some of them below. I'll also continue the story which we began the other day, which will serve to illustrate a bit more about why both Arma 2 and this modification are something singular and brilliant in the landscape of gaming.
]]>The expanding popularity of an Arma 2 mod, Day Z, might have surprised all of us, but imagine the surprise felt by the chap who created it, Dean "Rocket" Hall. There are nearly 48,000 characters now registered in the game's stats, when he imagined there'd be just a few hundred. His motivation to make the ultra-bleak multiplayer zombie survival mod might not surprise any of you, though, when you read his take on what games should be, and why the kinds of stories experiences like Day Z produce are so important. There were a couple of times in this interview where I hooted in agreement with what Rocket had to say. See if you can spot them.
]]>A large part of the internet is telling Day Z stories. People feel compelled to communicate what they've experienced in there. There's a good reason for that. This unfinished modification is more interesting than 90% of games that will land in the same year. It is a game that - for many people - represents this kind of experience we were promised. An open-world, persistent, zombie game, where survival is the goal, and where each encounter with another real human being is a moment of terrible tension. What's astonishing about this unassuming zombie mod is that it manages to take what is most interesting about MMOs - persistence, co-operation, risk of genuine loss in PvP - and add them to a multi-server FPS. Not just any FPS, either, but the monstrously deep simulation provided by master soldier sim, Arma 2. It's unflinchingly bleak. It offers freedom, while threatening destruction. The stories that result from it are enthralling.
]]>Day Z is the best thing I've played so far this year.
On my first go, I bled to death in the dark, alone on a forest trail.
]]>Yes, they're all at it. There's a whole bunch of them playing Tribes Ascend, and they even have their own server. The same is true of the Arma corps, who get up to regular shenanigans, which now even includes shooting zombies. Then there's the surprisingly popular Mass Effect 3 shootery, which is taking place over here. If you prefer things a little more persistent then the Eve and Perpetuum corps are both recruiting, while the unstoppable Blood Bowl league persists in quite a different way. Long may it continue. Finally, it's worth pointing a wizened finger at the Wargame: European Escalation gang, because that game is certainly worthy of your attention. There's plenty more, of course, over here...
]]>There's definitely room for a simplified but not simplistic Arma II; big, intense, multi-layered battles but maybe a bit easier to pick up and play. I'm hoping that's the route Iron Front – Liberation 1944 is taking, although the more I read about it the more Arma-ish it seems. It uses the Arma II: Operation Arrowhead engine to set the battles between the German and Russian forces in motion. I can be disappointing and excited at the same time, right?
]]>Hey, everyone, please join in with the rest of the internet and laugh at ITV. They've only gone and made a documentary about Gadaffi's links with the IRA, and then used footage from Arma II to illustrate it. "IRA Film 1988" it says over a dodgy Frapsing of Arma II. No, they actually did that. Presumably, as PCG points out, because of this dodgy YouTube video. You can watch the clip in question below. (This spectacular stupidity was originally discovered by the BI Forums.)
The timing of this event, given recent trends, is impeccable. Good times.
]]>I don't know why I am surprised to see Arma 2 players effectively role-playing in their game, but it was still a bit strange to watch this video (below). It's a bunch of footage shot by a "cameraman" as he and a reporter accompany the chaps from UKTF clan in their patrols on the game. They get ambushed, obviously, and plenty of dodgy-voice acting and life-threatening excitement ensues. Get through the first couple of minutes and it actually becomes pretty tense and exciting. Good job, those men.
Relatedly, if you an Arma 2 fancier, why not join our Arma 2 community?
]]>UPDATE: Get Arma II for free here. That means you can play in multiplayer, but not Operation Arrowhead.
According to the releases that have just popped up from BIS, Arma II is available for free, while OpFlash has been renamed for future release. Sadly, they do seem to be jumping the gun somewhat, as the download links are not actually live on the site in question. When the links do appear, you'll be able to get a version Arma II, minus the single player campaign, minus fancy graphics, but with all the awesome multiplayer and editor stuff, for nowt. Hell, we might just have to run some "Arma II 4 Nowt" RPS evenings so that some of you who haven't yet tasted the pungent, leathery-yet-addictive taste of hard simulation can find out what it's all about.
]]>Arma 2 is going free-to-play. Really. It's a bold move from Bohemia and a fascinating one. It's basically a cut down version of the game, allowing you to play the multiplayer aspect - complete with multiplayer servers and the powerful editor - for free. The original games will remain, and you will need those if you want mod support, the full suite of graphics options, or the story campaigns. This is, then, like a big fancy demo. Of a genuinely great PC game.
Trailer below, some additional info here, and we'll have more on this next week.
]]>AND YET IT STILL COMES. The next offering from the infinite wheel of trailers is BIS's Arma 3. They've gone for the live-action teaser trailer approach with this one, and something of a mood piece rather than giving much away about the game. I've attempted to ameliorate this by including a second, fan-made video composed of all the screenshots to date stitched together and given an ominous soundtrack.
]]>Ah, Arma II. The game that reminds me we need to be doing more games night stuff. Yes. We shall. But also an email from Bohemia that reminds me that the combined expandalone - Reinforcements - is out, and has actually been so for a week, I think. This new pack includes the British Armed Forces and Private Military Company expansions as one, and does not require the original game to play. There's also a bunch of tweaks and enhancements that Bohemia have been making as the games developed. Fancy simulatory men being shot below, in a healthily footage-heavy trailer.
]]>We do love a bit of Arma 2 action here at RPS - it's a regular for game nights, and an all round top manshoot - and so it's a delight to be able to announce this year's Bohemia Interactive Community Awards. You can nominate your favourite mods, missions and videos just here. For a reminder of the highlights of last year's event, check out the winners here. Full details of the awards can be found beneath the click.
]]>The latest Arma II expandalone - Private Military Company - is out, a little later than scheduled. There's a splendid launch trailer to celebrate this, below, which details a bit more about the story missions from this new campaign. I'm going to take a look at the full game as soon as I can. Meanwhile, check out our interview with BIS for more.
]]>We revealed the new Arma 2 expansion a couple of weeks back: Private Military Company is BIS' take on the murky world of the mercenary companies working in modern warzones. The latest trailer is one dressed up in the style of media coverage of the activities of these soldiers of fortune, which implicates someone or other in some kind of badness. Hmm!
Don't forget we have some community-based Arma 2 action this weekend, with Operation Arrowhead games going on. Check out this post for details.
]]>Okay, so most of our games for this Game Club thing are going to be cheap or free, but there will be a few full-price excursions. One such is the first of our community-led evenings, which will take place on the Unofficial RPS Arma 2 server this coming weekend. To play on there you will need Operation Arrowhead patched up to 1.54, or whatever the latest is if BIS randomly release another one. The server can be found at "RockPaperShotgun - Unofficial edition" or 81.19.209.123:64738, and there is a mumble server at the same address. Password for both the server and Mumble is: rumpus
]]>We've got the scoop on the second bit of DLC for Arma 2, right here. Following on from British Armed Forces (BAF), it introduces another playable faction and campaign along similar lines. It's called Private Military Company, and features the activities of a team of private military contractors within the Arma 2 world, or what BIS are call the "Armaversum". It's designed to be both single player and two-player co-op, across ten missions. Needless to say, there will new weapons and vehicles, as well as a new map. It's going to hit on November 24th for £7.99/€8.99/$9.99.
For further, exacting details you should check out our chat with the authors of the DLC, Karel Moricky, senior designer, and Jay Crow, who is the creative lead, below. (And there's even a trailer.)
]]>After the mild success of our previous adventures in Arma II: Operation Arrowhead, we've decided to do one more event on the borrowed RPS server before it is placed on a flaming barge and pushed out to sea. The event will take place this Saturday, 11th August September, from 8pm BST. I will post a new password in this thread half an hour before we start. First come first served and such.
So, having run a competition to equip some of our cleverest readers with copies of Arma 2: Operation Arrowhead, we set out to play one of the game's co-operative missions on a splendid 64-man server provided for us by JestServers. Thanks, Jest!
We picked one of the community-made missions for the game, of which there are many different kinds. This sprawling, multi-objective desert operation would test us to the very limit, write new legends, forge new heroes, and make some people feel a bit silly.
]]>Update: the password is "rumpus".
]]>UPDATE TWO: Oh dear. Problems with the server for this means we're going to have to postpone. Again. I know, apologies! I'm going to have to get RPS its own games box for these kinds of eventualities! Sorry about this. We will get our Arma 2 game soon. More details later.
]]>So, the hurrah/bah list for this competition. Hurrah: winners of the Arma 2: Operation Arrowhead competition will be receiving their codes and links this afternoon. Bah: We're going to have to postpone the actual co-op game until the 29th of August, despite having asked everyone who be available tomorrow. Hurrah: That gives you all some time to practice. Bah: But perhaps some folks will be busy that weekend.
Anyway, read on below for more information and winners.
]]>Following the release of Operation Arrowhead BIS have continued to add to their Arma II line-up, and the British Armed Forces pack is next in the pipeline, as DLC for Operation Arrowhead. You will be unsurprised to learn that it features a range of units that appear in real British military, including soldiers, weapons, and vehicles, which will be available to play in multiplayer battles. Trailer below, natch.
]]>Oh for heavens sake, yes we know they're not strictly tanks but... anyway, want a chance to win a copy of ArmA 2 expandalone, Operation Arrowhead? Want to play a big old co-op ArmA 2 game with fellow RPS readers and writers? If "yes", then click the digital King's Shilling below to find out more.
Join us!
]]>A demo? A demo! Turns out BIS are releasing a fairly beefy demo for the recent expansion pack, Operation Arrowhead, including some single player scenarios, a mission from the main campaign, some multiplayer missions and even the mission editor. Get the 3gb download here.
]]>And Bohemia Interactive have released a video which shows off some of the stuff that means Arma 2 - and its Operation Arrowhead expansion which arrived on the 28th, last month (sorry, I missed that entirely) - definitely isn't just a first-person shooter. This High Command tutorial (which is below, and spotted via Mr Blue) shows off all the means by which the game allows you to direct a battle, rather than just fighting it yourself. Reminds me that we need to have a crack at doing a bit more Arma 2 coverage on RPS, and get some multiplayer going. Yep.
]]>It's always time for war in ArmA 2, and that's never truer than on the arrival of expansion pack, Operation Arrowhead. Set three years after the original conflict, another flashpoint in the region causes Americans to administer tactical face-biff to local forces. It's a big old single-player campaign that we really should do a hands-on preview of some time soon. MAYBE WE WILL. Anyway, videos...
]]>AH-64 Apache gunship, M2A3 Bradley IFV, MH-6 Little Bird... I confess I know as much about these things as I do about the mating habits of giant grasshoppers, but many people are greatly enamoured of them. The tanks and aircraft I mean, not the rutting insects. Such enthusiasts will be duly pleased by this really very pretty trailer for Operation Arrowhead, the upcoming standalone expansion for ARMA 2. Interesting that it's standalone, given ARMA's audience is something of a fixed one and thus surely most potential purchasers of this will own ARMA 2 anyway, but I guess it's a sensible way to try and reach beyond its niche.
]]>Ooh, I completely meant to post this last week, and never clicked the button. Bohemia Interactive Studios have announced the winners of their Community Awards 2009, in which they flag up all the sterling efforts of their busy community. This is awesome for all kinds of reasons, but mostly because it's good to see a company that relies so heavily on its community making all efforts to thank them for what they're doing. The full shortlist for the awards can be seen here, and the winners (including that winning machinima video) are posted below. Congratulations to all involved, obviously.
]]>As an ambitious, macho, overwhelming soldier sim, you might think Armed Assault 2's multiplayer is perhaps ambitious, macho or overwhelming. Well, you'd be WRONG! Drop and give me 20! Less than 20 is fine if you can't quite manage that! Oh, you just ate? Never mind then. I'd feel dreadful if you got indigestion. Basically, playing Armed Assault 2's official missions co-op might be a bit of an undertaking, but a mass of community missions offer an experience that's a little less Falklands War and more Tropic Thunder. If you're sitting on the fence as to whether Arma2 is for you, the following might just manhandle you off it.
]]>Bohemia have announced some new, free DLC for Arma II. It's a new campaign in which you play as the pilot of an attack helicopter, after the events of Arma II.
The “Eagle Wing“ mini-campaign expands upon one of the seven unique endings of the original ARMA 2 over two extensive new levels; It's the year 2012, the war in Chernarus has overgrown into a conflict between the USA and the Russian Federation. The player finds themselves caught in the middle of an escalating conflict. As a pilot of the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter, the player's task seems easy - to get behind enemy lines and attack. However the situation is about to change rapidly...
The campaign will come as a new patch, v1.05, due at the end of this month. The patch will introduce some diplomacy options for the strategic "warfare" mode, making a ludicrously ambitious game even more so.
]]>This is intriguing. We just received a link to a new site, AAN World News, which seems to blend actual headlines with news from the world of Arma II. Today it's sporting the Obama Wins Nobel Peace Prize stuff alongside headlines about the US invading Arma II's fictional "green sea" nation of Chernarussia. Presumably this is a prelude to actually revealing some stuff about previously confirmed expansion Operation Arrowhead? Or is it the work of a crazed Arma II fan?
]]>Military mega-shooter Arma II has some mod tools out for those people who want to turn it into celestial strip-chess, and you can get hold of them here. Rather more interesting news for the general gaming public, however, is the announcement of an expansion back, Operation Arrowhead. The standalone expansion pack will apparently be shown at GamesCom, and takes place when "a new flashpoint in the Green Sea region heats up and coalition forces led by the US Army are sent to Takistan to quickly restore peace and prevent further civilian casualties." So plenty more of the same, it seems. We'll bring you some more details on that when we get hold of them, or you can keep an eye on this thread on the official forums.
]]>In the great Operation Flashpoint 2 Vs. ArmA II debate, I'll tell you which side I come down on. I'm on [the opposite side to you]. I can't believe you think the other game is the better one! What about all the inevitable problems with AI?! It's so unrealistic in your game that you can run so far/reload so quickly, and it's just ludicrous that you [something about damage]. What ARE you thinking? In case there's anyone who's yet to pick a side (because it is AGAINST THE LAW to want to enjoy both), there's a new trailer showing off OpFlash 2's spooky night time paranoia, and a military tactics montage from ArmA II. The latter is of course already released, and you can read Jim's review here. OpFlash 2 is due in September-ish.
]]>Arma II is out in Europe and on Steam. It is the single most ambitious war game ever to grace a games machine. It is full of bugs. Does that mean you shouldn't play it? Here's wot I think.
]]>Update: Mirrors and some troubleshooting tips in this thread.
The demo of soldiering giganto-sim Arma II, which contains a surprisingly large chunk of the full game - including a limited version of the extremely versatile scenario editor - is now available. Get it here.
The demo comes to just under 3gb, but it's an essential download for those of you who want to check out compatibility and performance issues before buying. And anyone else vaguely interested in the game, obviously. I've been caning the full thing for the best part of two weeks, and I've kept delaying the RPS review because, well, I just keep finding more stuff to do in it. I'll stop tinkering and post full impressions early next week. Launch trailer and full demo content details below.
]]>I'm going to be taking a fairly serious amount of time to do a review of this, but I wanted to lob some preliminary impressions up here in the meantime. Blimey, BIS really have got that warzone feel nailed down. This is one of the most atmospheric games I've ever played, despite exhibiting a veritable alphabet of atmosphere-breaking elements. The most obvious of these being UNKNOWN. MAN. FAR.
]]>Blimey. These were brought to my attention yesterday when Jim twittered "These two videos are about the most impressive videogame spectacle you'll see this month". He's not entirely stupid that man. Tim Edwards of PCG found them, and they show some of the sheer scale of the bloody thing. The first video's the biggest aerial dogfight I've ever seen in my life. The second is a 1000 AI battle. ArmA2 is really looking like nothing else. Just look at these...
]]>Alec and Jim have both had the pleasure of some time with Arma II recently, and so we sat down to discuss our impressions of the formidable-looking soldier game. We even allow ourselves to get a bit giddy before the cynicism sets in. Could Bohemia's soldier game really be as incredible as it seems? Four-player co-op in a sandbox world appears impressive enough, but with everything else that's going on... well, what could it mean?
]]>Up now on Eurogamer (yes, you're allowed to read it even if you're not a Europerson) are the word-fruits of my recent hands-on time with a near-finished version of ArmA II. It's the second spiritual sequel to Operation Flashpoint, nasty old Codemasters having nicked the name from original developers Bohemia Interactive Software, but reportedly it's the first true sequel - the first ArmA having been something of a stopgap release primarily aimed up updating the tech available for the enthusiastic community to tinker with. Arma II, though - that's definitely a whole new game. And an incredibly ambitious one too, as you'll read in my EG piece. I'm massively excited about it, even if I am a bit frightened by the obtuse controls and punishing difficulty - but unlike ArmA 1, I reckon I will get into this. Read why here.
We'll also have some bespoke RPS coverage on ArmA II soon - Jim and I are going to sit down and have a chat about our individual impressions of what might be a landmark videogame. Beneath the digi-hurdle, you can find some recent footage of this huge, strange thing.
]]>I was just poring over some of the newer information on the Arma II site, and I realised that we hadn't posted the major game-footage trailer (below). Now I have to argue - having played a bit of the game for a huge, awesome feature which is in this month's PCG UK (redesigned mag out next week, fact fans!) - that this isn't entirely representative of how the game plays. It does look this good, however. You'll have to go pick up a copy of the mag for my full, honed, beautifully illustrated brain-dump on the subject - and this 4-player co-op soldier-sim in open, living world really is a game worth keeping an eye on. Mmm.
]]>Bohemia Interactive's latest game of simulated war is looking pretty healthy, and the latest trailer - which is a mock news bulletin - shows the engine running some pre-scripted scenes. It all looks rather realistic and - dare I say - rather polished. Could BIS actually be delivering a game that doesn't need to be finished off by the mod community? Hard to say, but even if the game does land in the same kind of state that its predecessor did, we've every reason to be excited: this is one of those unfashionably ambitious projects that really makes the PC interesting. There's no release date for this yet, but we expect an announcement from publisher 505 Games fairly soon.
]]>One of RPS' best chums has been working on iconoclastic soldier sequel ArmA 2 and he told us that stuff happens in it because of clever AI. Sounds amazing, we reckon. Obviously a trailer can't get across the nuances of stuff happening because of AI, clever or otherwise, it just shows off helicopters and trees. There's a story too, that our chum is helping write. It's a love story between helicopters and trees whose parents do not approve. Sigh. Trailer!
]]>PCGames.de has a bunch of new screenshots from ArmA 2, the sequel to the non-sequel to Operation Flashpoint, by original developers Bohemia Interactive. They sure do look like some kind of excellent war game. But will they hold a candle to Codemasters Operation Flashpoint 2, which has been unveiled in astonishing detail in this month's PC Gamer UK? Honestly, get hold of a copy of that magazine and suck in the images with your eyes. The words too. The game left Tim from PC Gamer feeling a bit flabbergasted - and with good reason: the Codemasters wargame is setting its sights on some high ground indeed.
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