If you're a PC gamer as well as a video gamer, chances are that you've heard
of Operation Flashpoint. If not, then you should know that it is one of
the top action games released for the PC in 2001, and that it
won our very own Award of
Excellence. So what's so special about it and why should you be
excited that it is coming to the Xbox? Well, read on...
Operation
Flashpoint is set in 1985, a time when heightened Cold War tensions could have
easily run hot and plunged the US and the USSR into war. You play the role
of a soldier in the US Army assigned to the mythical backwater Malden Islands
which lie somewhere near Europe. Life is slow and you face a constant
retinue of training exercises at your posting, but things soon get more exciting
than you could have ever wanted. The Soviets decide to invade the island
and suddenly you are on the frontlines of World War III.
Your struggle against the Soviet invaders is chronicled through the missions
of the game's campaign. Right off the bat, though, you'll realize that
you're not playing a typical campaign. Although the objectives for a
particular mission are always the same, you have an unprecedented amount of
freedom in completing the missions. Enemy actions are not scripted, and
missions never seem to play out the same way twice. Adding to the
challenge, the enemy AI is well-programmed, and you'll have your hands full
trying to beat back the invaders.
Your freedom in the game is further enhanced by the large scope of the game.
The environment is completely open, and you can go anywhere on the island.
You won't be constrained by tunnels, canyons, locked doors, or any of the usual
tricks used to force you to go exactly where the game's designers want you to
go. And the island is big for a game - on the order of 100 square
kilometers.
As the game progresses, you'll have the opportunity to move up from a lowly
grunt to a squad leader who can issue orders to other soldiers through an easy
to use orders interface. You'll also get the chance to operate a wide
array of vehicles including Blackhawk and Cobra choppers, A-10s, Jeeps, and even
an M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tank. You'll get the same degree of freedom to
go anywhere in these vehicles as you have when you are on foot.
Gameplay tends to be more realistic than most first-person shooter games.
You do not have a large amount of health that lets you continually take damage.
You need to be a lot more cautious, as a well-placed shot from an enemy soldier
can send you straight to the grave. This adds a higher degree of tension
to the game, as you need to be a lot more careful when going into battle.
Further enhancing the game's realism, you'll have access to realistic army
equipment which is modeled on the real thing. For example, you'll need to
adjust your aim to account for a variety of real-world factors such as your
motion and the distance to the target.
The Xbox version of Operation Flashpoint gives players a big bonus - the full
Resistance campaign. This campaign is part of the sequel to the PC version
of Operation Flashpoint that will soon be available as a separate game for that
platform. Resistance takes place on another island that is occupied by the
Soviets. You play the role of a resistance fighter who rises up against
the occupiers and leads a full-scale effort to oust the invaders. As a
resistance fighter, you will begin the campaign with a ragtag collection of men
and weapons. However, as the struggle progresses, you will begin to
capture Soviet weapons and will have them at your disposal. These weapons
are more than the latest AK-47s; you'll also capture and operate enemy vehicles
such as tanks and attack choppers.
All of these features combine to make a realistic, playable, and fully
enjoyable game. Operation Flashpoint has already proven itself on the PC,
so you'd be well-advised to give it a close look when it comes out on the Xbox
at the end of 2002.
