Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising [Archive]

SoSheOhPathix

22-10-2009, 12:15 PM

I got bored at work, so I went and bought this, and a few other games too.
Played about 5 hours of the SP campaign, and I must say, I quite enjoy it.

It took me a while to get used to some elements, like the command rose... You don't hold 'Q' down. Just tap it to open the rose, and use WASD to jiggle about in it.
Bear in mind it stays open (press 'Q' again to close it), and you can't move or anything while it's open. Trying to just issues orders and you end up with your dudes doing all sorts of dumb shit. Just like real American soldiers.
Unfortunately, it's a bit of a bugger to remember where what commands are in there, but with a little practice, you get the hang of it.

Also took me a while to see the yellow dude that keeps shooting me. Funny, he can see me lying in the long grass, using a field dressing on my last wound so I don't bleed to death, but all I see is the grass in my face.

Squads... they do okay, for AI soldiers.
The issue I have with them is their magical ability to regenerate, and even spring back to life when you complete an objective (even if it's something as simple as 'Go to grid loocation Blahdey-Blahdey-Blah').
In one mission (rescue the chopper crew) 2 of my squad members got killed (tip to USMC... Cover works better if you squat behind it, rather than in front of it. And 'follow me' actually means stay behind me, not run off across the grassy meadow all by your lonesome while the rest of us use fire-and-movement)

Other than that, it's pretty good.

I played a little online last night too. Pretty neat in an "I got pwned!" kinda way.
You have various modes to play in:
Single mission (either from the game, or player-made ones, where you make challenging 'modules' for your mates to play through. I made one (You will all die), and it's a neat interface and pretty simple to do aswell)
Co-op campaign mode
'Kick the crap out of Julian' Mode, where players play against each other, with 'balanced' teams (either in 'we have the same forces although one of us is yellow and speaks Gobbledeygook' or 'Insurgency: We are legion, but not very bright or well-equipped, while you are the USMC with all the nice toys' games)

Graphics are good albeit a tad choppy on my current rig (soon to be much better)
Sound is pretty good too
Interface takes some getting used to, but isn't that different from that silly BF2 game, so you shouldn't have too much trouble there either.
Manual is all but useless (according to that, 'equipment' (stuff like trauma packs, binoculars, etc.) are mapped to the function keys, but they don't tell you which ones). You can use the moiuse wheel, but that's the slow option.
All a matter of familiarisation.

Ja, I recommend it. What I think will be especially fun is making up missions for you (not in command role coz you know where everything is) and your buds to play through.

BTW... WTF is up with this page?
As I type, it keeps jumping back up to the top pf the page, so I can't see what I'm typing. Are you butt-monkeys under new AA management :gay: or something? Shit is just falling apart 'round here.

Update:
I have now finished the SP campaign.
There are only 9 missions, but if you do it on 'Hardcore' they give you a bunch of codes you can enter into the 'extras' section of the options menu to unlock a load of new stand-alone missions, for both SP or MP.
I think, the SP campaign was too short. It only took me 4 days to complete it, and the missions aren't exactly challenging.
That said, I've played a few online games now, and they are fun. If you get 4 peeps together on a single mission, it is great fun, but I do recommend either playing 'Extreme', 'Hardcore' or playing a custom mission, as anyone that has played the SP campaign knows where what is, and how to achieve objectives, making it a tad too easy.