The game:

Operation Flashpoint is a war simulation in the same vein as Rainbow Six and Rogue Spear. This is not your typical, free-for-all first person shooter. This game takes skill and brains to play, and if you don't think you have that, don't bother picking up this title. The story goes back to the Cold War when the United States and Russia were bitter enemies and the threat of nuclear war was real. In Operation Flashpoint, something went horribly wrong, and now real war has erupted between the two super-powers. In this all-too-possible scenario, you are part of the United States Armed Forces trying to protect the freedom and values that we take for granted today. Well, enough with the serious intros, let's get to the...

Graphics:

The graphics in Operation Flashpoint are a mixed bag. The vehicles and people are outstanding. Vehicle textures are very nicely done and portray a sense of authenticity. Little details are all over the place, making you really believe that you are driving that M1A1 or Humvee. People are mostly fluid and well done overall, though it can get a bit blocky at times. The faces are convincing and the expressions add depth to the characters. Sometimes, though, they can look awfully cheesy as you are in battle and one of your friends decides to smile for the hell of it and then frown before smiling once more. As for the terrain, well, it's blurry at best. The vegetation is ugly, composed of intersecting polygons with "bush" textures. It is understandable, however, because as I'll discuss next, the levels are gigantic. Overall, I would say that the graphics are good. They're not excellent, but they're certainly above average. You will need a hefty computer to get the most out of it. Running it on a 1.33GHz Athlon and Radeon 7200, it would sometimes enter "slide-show mode." It will run on lesser computers, just make sure you turn down the graphics, and the Flashpoint graphics options are extremely numerous.

Gameplay:

There isn't much else I can say except this: the game is fun! Unlike in Rogue Spear, you actually see your weapon in front of you. When you move, the targeting cursor bobs around as well and there is no way you'll make a straight shot while running! In one game, I tried to shoot an enemy while moving and ended up shooting a teammate that was standing next to me! You'll need to either stand still, or better yet, crouch when firing on the enemy. Also, the game takes into account that you are camoflauged, and if you hide behind bushes, it takes longer for the enemy to spot you and possibly kill you. Changing your firing position frequently is also necessary, as staying in one spot too long is a sure way to get shot in the head. The AI is well done, but I encountered some strange "bugs" while playing. Sometimes, even though you're standing right next to someone, they will not turn around to fire on you. I've seen them trying to get into cars instead of trying to shoot at me even though I'm reloading and standing in their way. For the massive battles that are most often played, this is not a problem but it sometimes breaks that suspension of disbelief and reminds you that it is just a computer game. As for the game worlds, as I said before they are enourmous! I would say it would probably take an hour to walk from one side of an island to the other, and there are four islands! Each island (except the desert) has small villages and forests sprinkled around, and this is really effective to the sense of war. Forget about small maps in this game, many different battles can take place on a single island, and the geography is diverse enough to really keep you going. Roads connect the villages and bases, and all you have to do to get somewhere is follow the signs! To move around the vast expanses of land, codemasters thought to include tons of fully operable vehicles, ranging from sports cars to boats to helicopters to tanks! Every vehicle that you see in the game is fully functional, and there are many, many vehicles. When it comes to realism, it's all there. This game will literally let you know how a war feels and I would guess that after beating and mastering this game you would probably survive longer in a real war! However, this is a game and sometimes it reminds you of that. For example, if you let a medic heal you, no matter how badly wounded, you will be good as new when he's done. Even more amazing is that he performs his miracle procedure in mere seconds!

Multiplayer:

The multiplayer aspect is very fun. Unfortunately, there aren't many levels for the multiplayer games. There is a level editor that is quite easy to get used to, but I really would have liked to see more co-operative levels included with the game. To the designer's credit, new levels are released on their website every so often with patch releases and I like that. Games included are Capture the Flag, Deathmatch (yawn), Hold the Town, Paintball and Co-operative. For a game like Flashpoint, cooperative missions seem to be the most fun. The net code seems a bit slow, but at LAN parties it's a great game to play. When you get bored of the few co-op levels included, there are other fun levels in which you are given a LARGE set of vehicles and simply duke it out and try to get the flag. This is definitely multi-player done right. You won't believe how much fun it is to have tank battles as two of your buddies get in a tank with you (one as turret operator, a commander, and a driver) and fight against your opponents.

Sound:

The sound for Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis is simply awesome! Bullets zinging past your ears and shrapnel missing you by mere inches are all very well done. If you have a surround sound setup, you will be absolutely amazed at the effects you'll get as you let the bullets fly. Especially with sound hardware, the M-16s and AK-74s are very realisitic sounding. You'll cower in fear as you hear a tank make its way toward you. It really is creepy to hear the "squeak" of the treads on a tank behind a hill as you lie in wait near a bush with an RPG.

-BRU_ce, Webmaster

Overall Score:

Screenshots

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