You gradually get more responsibility: driving an APC, then a tank, then a helicopter, and eventually a jet, and towards the end you’ll have men under your command too. The system of radio commands from Flashpoint remains, but it’s also been streamlined – holdingSpace and clicking on an enemy or objective will order your men to do the appropriate thing to it.
The campaign is only a small part of Armed Assault, though. There are stand-alone missions better suited to a quick co-op game online and masses of multiplayer modes. As with Flashpoint, the big guns will come from the community via the editor. It’s an elegant tool, looking just like the Ordnance Survey-style in-game map, and enables you to create your own battles and missions for single- or multiplayer in just a few clicks. You can also hop into the game and test what you’ve made almost instantly – loading times rarely stray beyond a few seconds. ArmA also lets you tinker with the game’s AI, which will eliminate a major boundary that limited modders of Flashpoint. And yet the game’s internal workings are similar enough to make conversion of mods and fan missions possible. That means ArmA stands to inherit an extraordinary legacy of superb player-made fun: Flashpoint’s community is one of the most creative and talented in gaming, and we can’t wait to see what they come up with.
