Developer: Bohemia Interactive
Publisher: Bohemia Interactive
Publish Date: May 2007
Cost: £5.99 (Steam)
Game Summary:
ARMA: Combat Operations is a rare breed of game, being a realistic shooter, rather than a Call of Duty-esque affair. You take on the role of the US military unit in the fictional island of Sahrani, that gets caught up in a war between the resident factions of the land!
Audio Files:
The first issue that really crops up with ARMA is the audio. Being a realistic shooter, the library has to be split down to single words to allow for the flexibility the AI system demands. Unfortunately, the audio files have not been linked very well, producing a disjointed dialogue, right at home in the "uncanny valley". The distinct lack of voice actors is also very apparent: I remember being on stealth mission, hiding in the bushes next to two enemy guards, and I was rather surprised to hear one of them barking commands in the same voice used by the player character..... yeah.....
AI Retardation:
By far the biggest issue with ARMA is the sheer stupidity of the AI. While I appreciate that the AI system has been set up to try and mimic realistic squad operation, that does, unfortunately, mean it has to be judged by the realistic standards it wants to be recognised for. What I'm getting at is the AI system is incredibly advanced - possibly too advanced for the AI to handle: they're forever doing completely ridiculous things!
In one mission I had to set up defensive positions ahead of a counter-attack by the enemy, so I ordered my squad to crouch down behind some sandbag fortifications. The squad then proceeded to gleefully walk on past the fortifications, just as a tank came over the horison. 30 Seconds later, I was the last survivor!
The AI idiocy is not just limited to your squad, however. Tanks should be something to be feared when you're a small, squishy infantryman, but the completely lose all respect when, for the dozenth time, you find an enemy tank lodged firmly between two buildings, unable to move or rotate it's turret - giving you plenty of time to mop up any surrounding infantry, get your squad to a safe location, prepare a banquet for 20, then destroy the tank!
Forced Flying Section:
This was a massive issue for me. Bearing in mind that the helicopter controls are utter arse, they put in a mandatory helicopter section. Not just a utility mission (which I can about do), but a combat helo mission, requiring complete finesse with the controls to do. Ultimately, the mission would be doable, if it wasn't for the moron they put in the gunner seat. The AI could do literally nothing - he would not target enemies and would not fire at all. The only way I could get kills was to switch to manual fire and do it myself, but trying to fly AND gun while facing 20+ tanks and a heap of infantry, I found myself making friends with the dirt constantly.
For the first time in my gaming career, I had to cheat to skip the mission as it was just unmanagable!
Realistic Shooter:
Where ARMA claws back some points in its genre. Modern FPS titles are known for being fast paced, shoot-em-ups, good for a couple of hours of brainless fun. While I appreciate those, I enjoy a title like ARMA where I actually have to think about what I'm doing, and employ tactics to ensure myself and my squad survives. A game where 100m means that hitting your target is not easy!
The game builds atmosphere and tension by it's realism: when someone starts shooting at you, you dive to the ground, make towards the nearest cover, then start plotting on how you can find and eliminate the target. This kind of atmosphere is one that is almost guaranteed to make me enjoy a game - if the game can pull it off!
Lack of Ballistics:
What points I give to ARMA for being realistic, I take right back. If you're going to be a realistic shooter, then ballistics is a must! The fact that I can fire a rocket at something 500m away and not have to worry about it dipping at all, is just ridiculous. Same goes for guns!
While I appreciate that player already have a lot on their plate with this game, having to take the time to get your sights right would add an extra dimension of gameplay, and really spruce up the sniping missions - which usually just boil down to "go here and click on the thing".
Summary:
ARMA is an extremely interesting concept - unique (as far as I know) to the ARMA series - that is very nearly pulled off. The realism creates gripping gameplay, with immersion being let down by AI and audio issues. The game is bound with plausible (if a bit simple) storey, with a few twists throughout that gets the player thinking! The graphics are also very well done (for it's age), with fantastic scenery delivered by a well optimised engine that allows for smooth, 60FPS gameplay!
A few issues, but worth a look as one of the precious few examples of the realistic shooter genre!