The Case

ARMA 3. There is a reason for that melodramatic start, and it is simple: a melodramatic start is fitting for a review of a game designed to leave people in awe. For those who have been living under a rock all these years, the ARMA series is a hyper-realistic military combat simulator designed to give as authentic combat experience as possible to those playing its games. It has pursued this goal to such a point that Bohemia has even been contracted to create military training simulators to train real armies.

As an individual currently serving in the military forces then, ARMA is of special interest to me, serving as less of an escapist fantasy from my own job but more so an interesting analogue to the realities of combat technology and procedure. ARMA 3 is the most ambitious iteration of the series yet, featuring nearly 270 square kilometres of terrain in which to battle upon, with photo-realistic terrain and a mind-boggling array of equipment and vehicles. Yet, does it live up to its promise, or does it sag beneath the weight of its own dreams? Read on to find out.

The Trial

Of course, as can be expected from a game such as ARMA 3, one of the most vital areas in which it must excel is the gameplay. After all, with it being developed by those who have created authentic military training simulators, it must then provide an unprecedented level of realism but, as with all games, must still be entertaining. It is my absolute joy to tell you that the gameplay in ARMA 3 is not only hyper-realistic, but also an immense amount of fun. A description of gameplay may not sound the most visceral experience, as not much intensity can be found in the statement "I crawled through grass for twenty minutes and then shot a target eight hundred metres away". Yet, the immense satisfaction of pulling off a manoeuvre like that in-game is unparalleled. There is a distinct lack of given information in this game but this is done so purposefully such as to reflect reality, while adding to the tension. Finding out that my arm was broken, that my aim would judder violently when recoil hit, worked wonders for my immersion.

Gunplay is heightened to an amazing level, with bullet drop and shooting accurately modelled. These mechanics do not get in the way of gameplay though the gunplay is frustrating at times but that is in fact a part of the game. This is a state that would infuriate those jumping in expecting another Call-of-Duty-esque shooter, but it also delights fans of realistic shooters and I can attest to the fact that in real-life, shooting on the move with a huge field pack strapped across your back and a heavy helmet weighing down on your neck is nowhere near as easy as when you are on the range. However, there is one minor flaw in the shooting mechanics that could use some tweaking, and that is the fact that bracing is nearly non-existent in the game. A sad state of affairs for those toting light-machineguns and sniper rifles, where a strange phenomenon exists whereby lying prone on the ground gives a better aiming position than braced against a window.

A huge inventory is included in the game, ranging from a myriad of different weapons to small but flavourful items such as watches and, most importantly, cool hats. After all, nothing pleases me more than seeing my straw-hat toting hipster soldier running around the battlefield blowing tanks up with my man-portable Titan missile launcher. They have even accurately depicted how one would go about carrying such items, with three areas - the individual, his load-bearing vest (which in reality is a hateful and complicated beast), as well as a field pack (as with before but worse). Unfortunately, the developers have somewhat underestimated the mobility and fatigue reserves of modern-day soldiers, resulting in my character wheezing as if he was about to get a heart attack after a mere four hundred metres light jog in full gear - a state of fitness that in reality would get him nowhere near the front lines. Still, this is where the most entertaining portion of the game comes into play - vehicles. And entertaining they are but still with arcane controls ensuring that you would only land the helicopter where you needed to half the time, and crash it into the tree-line the other half. Yet, piloting or driving these vehicles about is incredibly atmospheric, and also a whole load of fun, mowing down troops with your weapons while the teamwork of the crew members ensure that your fragile hull is not pierced by an anti-tank round.

As for the campaign, well, there is none. Not yet, at least, but we have been promised a full campaign in episodic form with a fair amount of polish and the whole attention of the development team - so I guess that is something to look forward to. Yet, as you will discover later in this review, maybe it is not even needed...

But first, let us touch on the other aspects of ARMA 3. As with all current generation games, we come first to the graphics and what a mixed bag it is. On one hand, ARMA 3 totes photo-realistic terrain taken from satellite imagery, detailed models laden with fine points that altogether form a beautiful object or piece of terrain, and absolutely beautiful weather effects. This is perhaps the first game I have encountered in a long while which has actually made good use of bloom effects, rather than it being an annoying glare. Night vision and heat vision are surprisingly authentic while not impeding the acquisition of targets more than it has to - realistic but stopping just short of frustrating. Unfortunately though, when presented as a whole, ARMA 3 does at certain times seem a bit mismatched, most distinctly with the character animations causing wonderfully crafted models to descend into the uncanny valley as their actions still render stiffly and jerkily. It is of course impossible to have made animations as perfect as these graphics, not with our current technology in such a huge playground, but it could have been better. It is then somewhat incongruous that the cocking animation and ejecting of spent shell casings from sniper rifles have been so beautifully animated, only to have the spent shell casing disappear into the ground.

No such flaws exist in the audio side of things, thankfully, but rather this is where ARMA 3 has surprisingly excelled. Explosions spark off wonderfully, while the whizzing of bullets past your fragile frame sends chills right down the spine. Vehicles rumble with a low growl, planes roar past drowning out everything else, while the background radio chatter adds a slight accompaniment to the louder thrum of rifle-fire. This orchestra of sound blends together perfectly to form a symphony of combat, almost unprecedented in how satisfactory it is.

Let us not forget what we are here for though. It is telling that the single player campaign has not even been released yet, despite the game itself having been launched, and it is for good reason. The main focus of this game, after all, is the multiplayer and the mods. It is then infuriating that Bohemia did such a horrible job on the multiplayer server browsers, with the current build throwing me randomly into a game every so often, and arcane menus confusing at every turn. The multiplayer UI leaves much to be desired and the inclusion of a field manual in the menu does nearly nothing to assist players in sorting out such issues.

Push aside the dross though, and you shall find the true gem of ARMA 3. The multiplayer is incredible, true, with the maps already provided by Bohemia, the incredibly fun Escape from Altis map having been an absolutely hilarious blast when I attempted it with another sixty or so people. We basically spent the whole time running about grabbing vehicles when we could, running out of gas, and then blowing up thanks to an errant AT guy. We never even got to see the airfield we were headed for.

The editor is convenient and easy to use, simple enough that beginners should have no problem jumping in, but wide-ranging and complex enough to create some truly great maps and mods. And the community has delivered amazingly. I have personally sampled almost a dozen, but just to let you know the jaw-dropping nature of these maps, let me name only one: It is titled Universal RPG. And while the title is not exactly exciting, the concept and implementation is just downright astounding. Basically it spawns you in the middle of the island with a tiny base, labelling you as a small military force. You are given a starting amount of command points, with which you may purchase assets ranging from weapons to entire cohorts of troops and vehicles, to artillery support and helicopter taxis. Then, you are given the task of taking bases and holding them all about the island, with the reward of even more command points to play around with - not to mention a huge variety of side missions ranging from sabotage to assassination to hostage rescues. It was simply amazing and even right now I am still playing that same map...for nearly thirty hours and counting.

The Verdict

What is truly amazing about ARMA 3 is it's ambition. Is it the most polished of games? Definitely not. Take any modern shooter and you would most likely find a smoother experience awaiting you than that found in ARMA 3. But where it lacks in such routine concerns, it more than makes up for in sheer breadth, size and mad genius levels of scope. It is a game that could and would only exist on the PC, as it showcases what exactly makes the PC a still-valid gaming platform: impossible scale, incredible mods and irrefutable passion. ARMA 3 is not perfect, it doesn’t try to be. What it is, is simply awe-inspiring.

Case Review