Like its predecessor, as well as Operation Flashpoint in its time, ArmA II is most often placed in the FPS category, for lack of anything better. But in truth, the production of Bohemia Interactive is much more than that. If it is certainly possible to embody an infantry soldier in first person view, this activity is far from representing the whole of the game. the third person. Then, because the game abounds with vehicles that can be borrowed at will. The developers announce 136 different ones, including 80 land vehicles, eight boats, two motorcycles and even a bicycle. Without forgetting of course the helicopters and planes, including a vertical take-off aircraft that really cannot be controlled easily. Despite the presence of an automatic hovering function, aerial vehicles all require skill and can only be mastered after a long period of learning. This requirement is quite representative of the game as a whole, which aims to be faithful to the real world and therefore never sacrifices the realistic aspect of the simulation on the altar of comfort. Proof of this is that a simple tank can be used in three different ways depending on whether you occupy the position of driver, gunner, commander, or even that time management sometimes involves having to wait before acting, or on the contrary Hurry up before it's too late. We can also find this temporal character in one of the main novelties of this second episode: the healthcare system. From now on, receiving a ball is no longer necessarily synonymous with game over, it happens that we simply find ourselves on the ground, with blurred vision and unable to move. There is then nothing else to do than call for help via the action menu and wait, sometimes several minutes, for one of our teammates to find the time to come and give us first aid. Conversely, we can also put a wounded colleague back on his feet, and even drag or carry him away from the exchange of bullets, so as not to immediately suffer the same fate as the man supposed to benefit from our help.
ArmA takes the lead
Among the other improvements is a conversation system that allows dialogue with certain non-player characters, thus enriching the field of possible interactions and therefore the progress of the single-player campaign. We can also note the appearance of full parachute jumps, where we must direct our soldier to the ground, and the arrival of a "jump" key, which allows us to climb over obstacles. Enough to explore with even more freedom the 225 square kilometers of land made available to us! The technical aspect has also progressed significantly since the new 3D engine manages the depth of field as well as high brightness. Usually, these effects are used to impress the player and impress them. Here too, but the expression is to be taken literally since the sun can reflect on our viewfinder depending on our position, and we can find ourselves dazzled when we leave a dark place for a place located in full sun. . In a game where the slightest inaccuracy can be fatal, these elements must be taken into account by the player and therefore go beyond simple aesthetic considerations. However, the graphic quality of ArmA II is not far from equaling that of Crysis at times, and this despite the presence of a rather strange blurring effect when moving the mouse quickly. But the geopolitical environment of the game and the settings that result from it are especially reminiscent of the first STALKER. The single-player mode indeed relates events taking place in an imaginary country of the former Soviet Union: Chernarus. Based on real geographical surveys despite its fictional nature, it offers 350 kilometers of roads and contains more than 50 towns and villages as well as, for the record, 726 trees and 949 bushes. Still according to the developers of course, we didn't have fun counting them one by one.
Among the other improvements is a conversation system that allows dialogue with certain non-player characters, thus enriching the field of possible interactions and therefore the progress of the single-player campaign.
Paradoxically, the campaign has only seven missions! But it would be wrong to shout at the starving lifespan, because some of them can sometimes take several hours to complete. In addition, a good replay value is assured since the developers had the good idea to sprinkle the campaign with many secondary objectives, more or less difficult choices to make, culminating in an adventure that can end in six different ways (three loss endings, three victory endings). Better scripted than ArmA and featuring more charismatic characters (sometimes found from mission to mission, and some of whom will even face a fateful fate), ArmA II's main campaign has everything to please . And it is far from the only way to occupy the player, who is also rewarded in addition to seven independent scenarios. Moreover, the eight intelligently staged tutorials alone already have a more than respectable lifespan. They cover all the possibilities offered by the game, from basic movements to options for high command and construction of military bases, the latter elements being particularly useful in certain online modes. Because yes, the multi aspect is not forgotten, far from it! Modes as varied as deathmatch, team deathmatch, flag capture, sector control and zone capture are supported. It is even possible to experience cooperative adventures, starting with the main campaign. Others will soon be available through the many mods and levels made by the extremely active community. The presence of an editor integrated into the game is no stranger to this fact. Grenade on the cake, ArmA II has an "Armory" where you can examine in detail all the elements of the game (vehicles, armament, characters...). For each of them three options: visualization of a scene where it is highlighted, simple observation thanks to the "Display" mode, proper fitting in the field. This last option even sometimes gives rise to challenges (surviving an attack, stealing equipment, etc.) which, if successful, award points to unlock other elements. A good idea that further extends the overall life of the product! More successful and more complete than all the other titles of the genre, Arma II however suffers from too many major bugs. Whether they are AI or scripting issues, they are usually random and sometimes prevent you from completing an objective or completing a mission. More or less life-saving patches are already available, but even with these patches you should not expect a finish worthy of a big Hollywood production. We can also point the finger at the localization, which zaps certain subtitles and occasionally allows itself some enormities like “take this vantage point”.
