The heavily delayed Operation Flashpoint finally makes a mark on the Xbox; but has it been worth the wait...

Back in 2001 Codemasters teamed up with a group of former war veterans turned videogames developers with the release of Operation Flashpoint. The war sim received numerous accolades for its gritty depiction of a cold-war conflict between NATO forces and a splinter Russian military force invading the fictional island of Everon.

But that’s about as fictional as Operation Flashpoint gets with the rest of the experience offering the most authentic reproduction of war most of us will ever get to see; it’s little wonder that an adapted variation of the technology has been used by the United States Marine Corps, United States National Guard and Australian Defence Forces!

Players begin Operation Flashpoint taking control of David Armstrong, a rookie in the NATO force who is quickly whisked away from training to take position on the island of Everon. Operation Flashpoint does an excellent job of pitting various levels of objectives in front of the player which follow a natural sense of military progress; early on in the game players have to take control of a nearby village, only to retreat in the next mission when a Russian tank battalion retaliates in the next mission. Progress within the game sees players taking control of different characters including a rookie tank commander leading an M1A1 Abrams charge, to a Black Ops soldier on a crucial reconnaissance mission. The non-linear scope provides the opportunity for players to win, loose or partially complete objectives which lends the game a good sense of belief and immersion.

Initially coming before the release of Battlefield 1942 and various other military titles, Operation Flashpoint was the first game to pit players into four sprawling environments (100km) with the means of taking control of a vast array of vehicles including M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tank, UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters right down to dilapidated tractors!

The greatest thing about Operation Flashpoint could also be viewed as its biggest weakness by some; put simply this isn’t a videogame. In Operation Flashpoint one carefully timed shot out of nowhere is enough to put your character out of action and having to reload the mission from the start or nearest checkpoint. This can be highly frustrating for some, but for those longing for something beyond the Tom Clancy’s and even Full Spectrum Warrior’s, Operation Flashpoint offers everything you could wish for and more. There’s a great sense of authenticity running throughout Operation Flashpoint beyond anything else in the genre; refusing to glamorise the context, it may lack the cinematic Hollywood nature of certain other titles and can come across during certain sections as ponderous, however this is what you’re getting with a simulation of war, there are going to be times when it’s not all about laying down incessant firepower as fast as possible.

Despite the vast environments there’s a good sense of realism with towns, villages, forests, expanses bringing everything to life. Despite the sheer scale there’s also a tremendous level of detail to be found in Operation Flashpoint; away from the sophisticated physics governing everything from ballistics to vehicles and the lengths to which BiS have recreated the 30+ weapons within the “game”, you’ll also notice an accurate star constellation system which can be used for navigation, fully simulated tides and a believable real-time weather and lighting system.

In the four years it’s taken for Operation Flashpoint to find its way to the Xbox BiS has managed to accommodate the somewhat clunky interface/command/dialogue system to the Xbox with some success. Making heavy use of the d-pad and a number of modifications to streamline the experience, it’s relatively easy to understand but as with the vast majority of the game this isn’t for the more casual gamer out there.

To atone for the lengthy wait that Xbox gamers have had to wait Operation Flashpoint also includes the Resistance expansion pack, set as a prequel to the original campaign and detailing the events that led to the Russian occupation of Everon. Combine this with Xbox Live support for up to eight players across 50 missions and a built-in mission editor and you have one game that can truly last a lifetime if this is your type of thing.

Despite the fact Operation Flashpoint is over four years old it still remains fresh to this day. The game packs depth, authenticity and immersion in place of traditional gaming elements such as fun, leaving a simulation of war that’s deliberately different to others out there – Operation Flashpoint isn’t a videogame, it really is war…