And, upon firing at one enemy soldier with a fairly innocuous weapon,we once managed to catapult him several thousand feet into the stratosphere. Naturally, my favourite BI game is the latest, most polished, and most beautiful instalment in the Armaverse: Arma 3.
I then later worked on the smaller Shapur map (Arma 2: British Armed Forces) and Proving Grounds (Arma 2: Private Military Company). If you turn your view around during one the occasional first-person cutscenes, you can point the camera inside your own neck. My first task at BI was to develop Takistan for Arma 2: Operation Arrowhead. Minor quirks remain: wildlife twitches and glitches by the side of the road, while NPCs quietly dance on the spot, stuck in an eternal state of looping animation. The engine seems far less prone to stuttering with the graphical options turned up (on a high-end machine at least). Of course, one big question remains: Have the bugs, for which Bohemia’s work has become infamous, been eradicated? The answer is no. Arrowhead is a standalone expansion, but these new features integrate with the original game, meaning new doors are opened in the expansive editing suite, which allows you to craft your own missions in the engine. Unmanned aircraft now feature, as do a whole host of new units and weapons. There are plenty of new toys to play with, and it’s here that Operation Arrowhead impresses the most. On foot, this means the tension skyrockets, as you throw yourself to the ground to avoid the top of your skull being whipped off, and then dart like an antelope to the next rocky area in which to disguise yourself. Takistan is a largely desolate area of the world, its rolling hills dotted with minor settlements and outposts which offer little opportunity to take cover. The change isn’t merely cosmetic, however. The game looks as pretty as ever, with sepia tones and motion blur creating a tangible atmosphere that rarely lets up. Perhaps it was a logical step to create a setting and a vocabulary so similar to the ones we’re used to seeing and hearing.Īs far as the game itself goes, the switch of location is a welcome one, providing a welcome contrast from the Eastern Europe of ArmA II.
But it’s to Operation Arrowhead’s credit that the war fought here feels more authentic than ever, with all the cultural tensions that have adorned our TV screens for the past decade being present. Developer Bohemia’s hardened military sims have never shied away from ties to real-world conflicts. We’re told that Takistan has an obnoxious foreign policy and is destabilising the surrounding area, but the slurs make you question what you’re fighting for in these dusty mountains. Still, it’s interesting to be on the offending side.