Summary
War is not nice
The Good
Something I didn't associate with First Person Shooters so far was realism. Operation Flashpoint changed that forever. This game is a war simulation. For the first time in gaming history you will find a complete modern day battlefield simulated. Aircrafts come closing in, choppers attack tanks, tanks run over infantry.
You get sucked in the game very quickly. An interesting storyline, very good graphics, impressive sound. You will immediately hit the dirt, once you hear a chopper coming from behind. Most likely, you will duck yourself in front of the monitor.
The Bad
The process of saving games is a pain in the, well, uhm. You are allowed to save one time per mission. Now Operation Flashpoint stands for easy dying (which makes up part of the realism, BTW). So when you've played almost through a mission, 10m to go for the extraction point and suddenly the last enemy soldier around throws a grenade that somehow explodes near you - I promise, you will probably smash your keyboard in anger.
(You can see the Tips & Tricks section on this game for a solution to the problem.)
The Bottom Line
Operation Flashpoint is a war simulation. You will play several characters in the single player campaign. You will act as an infantry soldier (and leader, later on), as a tank commander, a chopper pilot and a special forces soldier. You will experience a relatively realistic war experience, including death, fear and anger. It is indeed, as the advertisements claim: "as close to war as you ever want to get".
Maybe it's even closer.
