

We won't give away the plot twists, but there are plenty of them.Īs the plot advances, the game keeps in close touch with the political (and technological) realities of the 1980s - no microwave guns to be found here, and at one point a squad mate asks, "Are they going to nuke us, sir?" Thankfully, the answer is no there wouldn't be much of a game otherwise, but the nuclear undertones make an effective and convincing backdrop for the action.Įqually convincing is the weaponry modelling. Missions cover tasks like training, patrols, guard duty and vehicle driving, at various times of the day. Though you start the game having to follow orders closely and do as you're told, as you gain in experience you gain in responsibility, and eventually you'll have your own squad to command. In the campaign game, you are cast as a grunt in a squad of Marines. Normally occupied by friendly US troops, the pastoral tranquillity of the region is spoiled when an army of renegade Russians attempts an invasion. The action is set on a chain of islands that, although not specifically placed at any geographical location, bear a marked resemblance to rural France.

Operation Flashpoint has several - its uncompromising realism, its range of driveable vehicles, and its eighties cold war theme to name but three.

Is there any genre in PC gaming less innovative than the first-person shooter? Relying as they do on a very simple formula - looking through the eyes of your game-world alter ego, run around and shoot things - and with control systems evolved to near-perfection, every new FPS needs a new gimmick to be noticed.
