Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising
So close, but such an epic fail.
I'm a big fan of all things Flashpoint. I was disappointed with ARMA2 due to the prohibitively large number of bugs which just wrecked the ability to play online. Single player was only marginally better as compared to ARMA, at least it just didn't give up.
OFP2 (Dragon Rising), was written by a completely separate development team with a completely different engine. What could possibly go wrong?
The game is stunning, the graphics are better than ARMA 2 - because they are accessible. ARMA 2 looks prettier, but somehow they seem to get in the way of being able to play.
The game plays well, and the AI will rarely get you with a magic shot in the pitch black from a mile away whilst you hide in a bush.
Alas, the command system is dire. Clearly designed for a console, and clearly a big fail. Still, it's probably best just to leave your team to return fire only and just get on with the game.
It's a bit of an arse not being able to change your weapon load-out, but liveable.
** SPOILER **
So 11 missions in, the game ends. Nicely, but it still ends. 5 hours of game play is pathetic, I get more game play out of Solitaire.
** END SPOILER **
Still, at least we have multiplayer to try. Arguably the best thing about the original flashpoint was spending hours with a group of friends - or randoms - lurking behind the rocks waiting for a convoy to fall into your carefully laid trap. Just for somebody to screw it up and everybody get shot to bits.
I tried my first random game tonight. Logged on to multiplayer (logon, I mean really, why?), and browsed the server list.
Hmm... 6 servers. 2 have 0ms pings (this can't be right), 1 player and locked. The other 4 have latencies in the 300ms plus area. Again, this can't be right.
A search of the Interweb turns up that this is generally the case. There is no dedicated server support for the game, so the only way to play is with some other people on their home connection. Now unlike console gamers, PC gamers have better things to do with their lives than just sit doing nothing. If we can't join in a game, then we'll just go elsewhere. Which is a damn shame.
I was really looking forward to some decent multiplayer, but it just isn't there, and by the sounds of things it's never going to happen.
Sorry guys, I have to give you 1/5 for such an epic fail.