Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising PC Game Review

If you thought Arma II was the best war simulation ever then you’re probably not going to like Operation Flashpoint:  Dragon Rising very much.  However, if you thought Arma II spent way too much time letting you run around as animals, had one too many glitches, and some of the worst AI you’ve seen yet all while being so frustratingly “realistic” you wanted to pull your hair out, then Dragon Rising is probably The game for you. 

The game’s prequel was a huge hit (albeit an extremely difficult and frustratingly designed one) and Code Masters picked up the torch that Bohemia lit and ran with it.  While the folks responsible for the first Operation Flashpoint were busy populating their Arma world with just about every weapon and vehicle known to mankind (and overlooking some game-breaking glitches and idiotic AI) the gamers at Code Masters were busy making a war simulation for “the rest of us.”  What does that mean?  Dragon Rising’s playable map is smaller (though it’s still 220 square kilometers).  There are not as many guns lying around.  There are not as many vehicles waiting to be commandeered.  But if you’re thinking that Dragon Rising is some “dumbed down” version don’t—the gamers at Code Masters just managed to make a simulation and keep the gameplay fun!

Gameplay

The basic principle behind Dragon Rising is pretty simplistic and we’ve seen variations of it a hundred times over.  Some big military/political power (in this case China’s People’s Liberation Army) decides to move in on territory that’s not really theirs (the Russian island of Skira), all hell breaks loose, and your unit is sent in to pick up the pieces.  You’re not going to get much of a plot than that but you don’t need it.  The gameplay itself really sucks players in and the level of realism, graphic detail, and audio character make this simulation easily one of the most addictive yet.

Your squad of four must use real world tactics and strategy to outsmart and out maneuver a well trained enemy force whose AI is, at times, a bit too smart (think headshots from a mile away and you’ll get the picture).  You’ll find all sorts of weapons, explosives, vehicles and other nasty goodies to help you accomplish this but the most powerful tool in the game is you own mind.  Dragon Rising is a game that will punish you severely for running in guns blazing like an 80s action hero.  You must think and act like a military unit (even to the point of actually keeping your squad mates alive—I know it’s so crazy, right?) or you will inevitably grow tired of watching the camera spiral away from your bleeding corpse as the digital world fades to black.

The biggest problem with gameplay is you’re squad mates’ AI.  Most of the time it functions fairly reliably, however, you will spot instances of your team popping their heads out of cover at exactly the wrong time, taking circuitous routes to objectives, and generally dropping the ball while trying to fulfill your orders.  Thankfully this doesn’t happen too often and can be minimized by successfully micromanaging their movements.
This is easily accomplished in-game through the use of a radial menu.  It feels as though the command system was ported from a console but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.  With all of your commands including movement and tactical commands in a tiered systems, the radial menu is surprisingly intuitive and accessing each command can be done swiftly (after a bit of practice) keeping you “in the game” which is good—the action never stops and you’ll need your wits about you to keep from getting fragged.

The variety of missions is pretty standard (go here, kill this guy/blow up this structure mostly with a mix of stealth-based quests and a few novelties thrown in for spice) but they’re mixed up well enough that the game never really feels stale.  It’s actually the scenery that’s going to bore you quicker than the rehashed missions.

Graphics

While the game’s graphics engine is pretty impressive it’s never really taxed.  The repetitive use of static flora gets pretty old quick and combined with the monotonous green rolling hills—only occasionally dotted by human structures—and you’ve got a bad case of the blahs.  However the character models and animations are great and it’s not hard to fool yourself into believing these are real people you’re fighting against and alongside.  Just never mind the static grass and bushes as you run “through” them.
Needless to say for a top-tier game of this nature, the weapons and vehicles are spot on.
However, one area where the mid-level graphics really do excel is in lighting.  It’s truly an awesome experience to watch the day fade into night and vice-versa.  The shadows and dynamic lighting really bring a rather bland looking environment to life and make the game look 10 times better than it would otherwise.

Sound

The in game audio is excellent.  The gunfire, explosions, and vehicles sound about as real as real can get but it’s the character and personality in your squad mates’ voices that really makes the game unique.  In addition to calling out tactical statistics and locating enemy personnel, your squad will yell, scream, and curse when the heat is on.  It’s great fun and turns the level of emersion right up to eleven.

Multiplayer

There’s a great deal of multiplayer options available to gamers as each of your squad can be controlled by a human gamer.  There’s also an option where two squads can be deployed on the battlefield with human gamers taking the reigns as squad leader.  These multiplayer modes (Infiltration and Annihilation) break down to capture the flag and death match but the level of realism present in the game prevent them from falling into the clichéd run and gun type of games that many shooters become.  One Shot One Kill isn’t just a mindless catchphrase in the Operation Flashpoint universe.

Value

As far as value, this game is really a bargain.  The single player mission is huge and with so much ground to explore you’ll find yourself lost for days.  Even after you’ve completed missions, the open world and dynamic gameplay allow you to go back and attempt them again to see if your objectives can be accomplished in a different manner.  Once you’ve had your fun with the single player game, drop into multiplayer for a whole new experience.  This, predictably, is really where the game shines as you don’t have to count on the games’ spotty AI to control your squad.  With a voice link headset you and your friends will be set up for one great adventure.

Final Verdict

While Arma II may take the title of most detailed and “anatomically correct” war simulator, Operation Flashpoint:  Dragon Rising steals the crown for most enjoyable.  While both games really try to achieve the same thing, Dragon Rising’s gameplay is much more refined, glitch-free, and generally more polished replacing some of the frustrating “realism” inherent in such simulations with a boat-load of good old fashioned fun.

Pros:  Huge playable area that’s relatively glitch-free, great variety of realistic weapons and vehicles, top shelf sound effects

Cons:  AI is spotty, graphics don’t really push the envelope, missions tend to become repetitive toward the end of the single player campaign.

Overall Score: 8/10
 

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