Arma II Review - bit-tech.net Forums

Sifter3000 · 26th Jun 2009, 09:11

http://www.bit-tech.net/gaming/pc/20...ma-ii-review/1

Arma II is the latest realistic military sim from the original developers of Operation Flashpoint. If you've ever wondered what it's like to be solider, tank crewman or pilot in the military this is the game for you. Just don't forget to bring a sturdy pair of boots along with your flak jacket and assault rifle.

DeadMan · 26th Jun 2009, 09:25

Great review! although its a shame I have to wait until Tuesday 30th to play it on steam :|

liratheal · 26th Jun 2009, 09:38

Very much agreed.

Had it since launch day, and have played it every day. Friend and I loved ArmA and its expansion packs, this is a very welcome overhaul.

Infact, my biggest problem with it is some of the weapon sounds. The M107 sounds very, very subdued in comparison to a real one. I guess its only a matter of time before that's modded or changed, though.

I found tank driving to be incredibly difficult in the third person perspective - Although a lot easier to 'drift' the tank, actually commanding and getting decent hits was a damned nightmare.

Very impressed with the game, though, especially in Veteran mode - So goddamn hard.

I dunno about you, James, but I found it incredibly hard to pilot planes/choppers/anything faster than a tank with mouse&keyboard. I actually failed one of the bootcamp missions because I accidentally veered off the road and hit a cow >.> Still not passed the flying training, either.

Lizard · 26th Jun 2009, 10:08

If you're having trouble mastering flying I'd suggest loading up the editor, plonking down the aircraft of your choice and just flying around freely. The benefit of pracitising in the editor like this is that there are no mission objectives or enemies to get in your way so you can simply fly around and do as you please.

Ending Credits · 26th Jun 2009, 10:13

Also buy a 360 controller.

Also the flying training seems to be bugged on the transport mission as either nothing happens after you land the chopper or it says you fail the mission for Friendly Fire.

lewchenko · 26th Jun 2009, 10:15

I may have missed this in the review, but for the flight vehicles can you use a joystick/fly stick.
I have a Saitek ST290 Pro which worked well in BF2, so could potentially make this game/sim very enjoyable too.

I'll be honest though.. it looks complicated and massive, and a huge time sink. I had feelings like this when trying Supreme Commander for the 1st time as well though.

Jack_Pepsi · 26th Jun 2009, 10:27

Thanks for the review, really enjoyed the reading that. I've been excited about ArmA II for a while now, started downloading the demo last night and depending on my experience(s) I'll most likely purchase it considering my [gaming] community are all salivating over the idea of actual tactics and the potential to have some freaking awesome matches.

One thing I did spot was easy instead of ease..

Quote:

Originally Posted by James Gorbold

... any budding pilot should be able to jump into a fixed-wing aircraft and take off with relative easy.

... grammar Nazi or something ay?

Lizard · 26th Jun 2009, 10:28

Yes, you can fly with a joystick. However, although I'm also a flight sim purist I actually find it easier flying helicopters with the keyboard and mouse.

liratheal · 26th Jun 2009, 10:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lizard

If you're having trouble mastering flying I'd suggest loading up the editor, plonking down the aircraft of your choice and just flying around freely. The benefit of pracitising in the editor like this is that there are no mission objectives or enemies to get in your way so you can simply fly around and do as you please.

I would if I felt like pouring the time into getting good - I much prefer sniping

Much, much easier, and (IMO) much more satisfying. One hit kills <3

My friend is a chopper addict, though, so he usually does all my flying for me on LAN's/online games.

Lizard · 26th Jun 2009, 10:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jack_Pepsi

One thing I did spot was easy instead of ease..

Thanks

, it's fixed now.

Faulk_Wulf · 26th Jun 2009, 10:42

What would one consider the minimum system to run this with the 3km view distance? I need to get a new budget video card anyway.

(This is what I thought FarCry 2 would be: Massively Open World First Person Shooter)

Lizard · 26th Jun 2009, 10:48

It would seem to vary enormously depending on what OS you are running, although we haven't had to chance to check this claim out, according to multiple reports on the official forum, Arma II runs much better on XP than Vista or 7. As an example, my Core i7 and GeForce GTX 285 rig running Windows 7 can just about cope with a 3.6km viewdistance most of the time at 1,920 x 1,200 with most of the setings on high, and a few on maximum.

Action_Parsnip · 26th Jun 2009, 10:56

oooooooh this is bf2 sized timesink ALL OVER AGAIN! damn u i had plans for the summer! :P

what kind of settings/view distance could i squeeze out of a q670@3ghz, 4gb ram and a 4870 512mb at 1400x900 under Win XP???

Could it even run 10km for a laugh or would that be a frame buffer issue??

liratheal · 26th Jun 2009, 11:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by Action_Parsnip

oooooooh this is bf2 sized timesink ALL OVER AGAIN! damn u i had plans for the summer! :P

what kind of settings/view distance could i squeeze out of a q670@3ghz, 4gb ram and a 4870 512mb at 1400x900 under Win XP???

Could it even run 10km for a laugh or would that be a frame buffer issue??

I get decent performance on the rig in my sig at 1920x1200 with most settings at high/v.high and a draw distance of ~2.3km. Running Win 7RC

I turned shadows down to medium-ish settings, though.

I'd have thought that you'd be able to either match or get close to those settings at your res on XP.

Fredrics · 26th Jun 2009, 11:27

Great review, first one i have properly enjoyed reading in a long time!

I will definitely be purchasing this game, it sounds like a game that can be totally engulfing.

Tynecider · 26th Jun 2009, 11:36

Having been a big follower and supporter of the OFP and ArmA (1) series, Im much looking forward to porting my projects into ArmA 2.
ArmA 1 was great when you actually sat down to mod it and customise it, or install other mods that improved gameplay.
BI studios are very much a community games house, unlike others, a lot of what you see in arma 2 is directly from the community.
Its quite big.
The loadouts for soldiers seems fairly accurate, although I'm sure the modding community will change that in weeks to come.

Overall Im impressed with the game, and Im looking forward to playing it modded to hell.

Teq · 26th Jun 2009, 11:58

Thanks for the review, I've played OFP and Arma in co-op for many hours over the past few years, simply awesome and I cannot wait for the next installation.

Quote:

vast amount of lot of data to process and render.

That doesn't sound quite right

Lizard · 26th Jun 2009, 12:00

Well spotted - fixed now, thanks.

$h@d0w · 26th Jun 2009, 12:29

For everyone asking about system requirements and optimal settings - just go ahead and download the demo. It's very full featured and has tutorial, single player missions, multiplayer and editor all included.

Hamish · 26th Jun 2009, 12:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lizard

Yes, you can fly with a joystick. However, although I'm also a flight sim purist I actually find it easier flying helicopters with the keyboard and mouse.

lol i flew straight into a tree trying to use kb + mouse in a chopper
plugged in my trusty sidewinder FF2 joystick and yay, full force feedback support!

my biggest issue so far is the terrible cutting together of voices
man
FRONT!
FAR!

target
THAT!
man

etc
it actually really breaks the immersion imo

26th Jun 2009, 09:11	#1
Sifter3000 Editor @ CPC bit-tech Staff Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: The South Sea Bubble Posts: 760	Arma II Review http://www.bit-tech.net/gaming/pc/20...ma-ii-review/1 Arma II is the latest realistic military sim from the original developers of Operation Flashpoint. If you've ever wondered what it's like to be solider, tank crewman or pilot in the military this is the game for you. Just don't forget to bring a sturdy pair of boots along with your flak jacket and assault rifle. __________________ Alex Watson. CPC and bit-tech. My weblog is The Wired Jester. Photos on Flickr.

26th Jun 2009, 09:25	#2
DeadMan Extreme Lurker Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Cambridge, UK Posts: 24	Great review! although its a shame I have to wait until Tuesday 30th to play it on steam :\| __________________ alc. 3.8% vol SERVE CHILLED

26th Jun 2009, 09:38	#3
liratheal Just got a great book on tape Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: High Wycombe, UK Posts: 3,623	Very much agreed. Had it since launch day, and have played it every day. Friend and I loved ArmA and its expansion packs, this is a very welcome overhaul. Infact, my biggest problem with it is some of the weapon sounds. The M107 sounds very, very subdued in comparison to a real one. I guess its only a matter of time before that's modded or changed, though. I found tank driving to be incredibly difficult in the third person perspective - Although a lot easier to 'drift' the tank, actually commanding and getting decent hits was a damned nightmare. Very impressed with the game, though, especially in Veteran mode - So goddamn hard. I dunno about you, James, but I found it incredibly hard to pilot planes/choppers/anything faster than a tank with mouse&keyboard. I actually failed one of the bootcamp missions because I accidentally veered off the road and hit a cow >.> Still not passed the flying training, either. __________________ Gigabyte MA790FX, X4 9950 Black Edition, 8gb Geil Black Dragon, 2x4870 512mb, Antec TruePower Quattro 850w I game, Do you?

26th Jun 2009, 10:08	#4
Lizard Addicted to upgrades Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 379	If you're having trouble mastering flying I'd suggest loading up the editor, plonking down the aircraft of your choice and just flying around freely. The benefit of pracitising in the editor like this is that there are no mission objectives or enemies to get in your way so you can simply fly around and do as you please. __________________ James Gorbold CPC Deputy Editor Folding/Gaming as Lizard More power, we need more power Join the Custom PC/Bit-tech Folding Team (#35947)

26th Jun 2009, 10:13	#5
Ending Credits Hoot if you're a revowlutionary. Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Bucks, UK Posts: 1,764	Also buy a 360 controller. Also the flying training seems to be bugged on the transport mission as either nothing happens after you land the chopper or it says you fail the mission for Friendly Fire. __________________ A Little Game I made in Leadwerks AMD Phenom 9850 Black Edition \|\| DFI 790FXB-M2RSH \|\| Powercolour ATI 4870 1GB \|\| 4GB 1066Mhz GEIL Black Dragon \|\| Aplus Black Pearl WCR \|\| Yurak 24" PVA \|\| 19" Hanns-G \|\| Vista 64-bit AMD Phenom 9500 \|\| GIGABYTE GA-M720-US3 \|\| MSI 7600GT \|\| 2GB DDR2 1066Mhz \|\| bequiet 350W

26th Jun 2009, 10:15	#6
lewchenko Supermodder Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 322	I may have missed this in the review, but for the flight vehicles can you use a joystick/fly stick. I have a Saitek ST290 Pro which worked well in BF2, so could potentially make this game/sim very enjoyable too. I'll be honest though.. it looks complicated and massive, and a huge time sink. I had feelings like this when trying Supreme Commander for the 1st time as well though.

26th Jun 2009, 10:28	#8
Lizard Addicted to upgrades Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 379	Yes, you can fly with a joystick. However, although I'm also a flight sim purist I actually find it easier flying helicopters with the keyboard and mouse. __________________ James Gorbold CPC Deputy Editor Folding/Gaming as Lizard More power, we need more power Join the Custom PC/Bit-tech Folding Team (#35947)

26th Jun 2009, 10:42	#11
Faulk_Wulf Internet Addict Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: USA Posts: 280	What would one consider the minimum system to run this with the 3km view distance? I need to get a new budget video card anyway. (This is what I thought FarCry 2 would be: Massively Open World First Person Shooter) __________________ -- Faulken S. Wulf "Under the Willow, he sleeps and dreams, of Heaven." Attempting to post intelligently since the year 2000!

26th Jun 2009, 10:48	#12
Lizard Addicted to upgrades Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 379	It would seem to vary enormously depending on what OS you are running, although we haven't had to chance to check this claim out, according to multiple reports on the official forum, Arma II runs much better on XP than Vista or 7. As an example, my Core i7 and GeForce GTX 285 rig running Windows 7 can just about cope with a 3.6km viewdistance most of the time at 1,920 x 1,200 with most of the setings on high, and a few on maximum. __________________ James Gorbold CPC Deputy Editor Folding/Gaming as Lizard More power, we need more power Join the Custom PC/Bit-tech Folding Team (#35947)

26th Jun 2009, 10:56	#13
Action_Parsnip Modder Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Exeter Posts: 68	oooooooh this is bf2 sized timesink ALL OVER AGAIN! damn u i had plans for the summer! :P what kind of settings/view distance could i squeeze out of a q670@3ghz, 4gb ram and a 4870 512mb at 1400x900 under Win XP??? Could it even run 10km for a laugh or would that be a frame buffer issue?? __________________ "Ooh he card read good!" Q6700@2.91ghz, Asus P5-B Deluxe WIFI-AP, 2x2gb Kingston 1066 5-5-5-15, Samsung 250gb HDD, Zalmann 9500, PC Power&Cooling 750w, Sapphire 4870 512mb (bought first week of UK availability!) cooler reseated with arctic silver 5, temps improved by a total of 'naff all.

26th Jun 2009, 11:27	#15
Fredrics Hmm... Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: England Posts: 222	Great review, first one i have properly enjoyed reading in a long time! I will definitely be purchasing this game, it sounds like a game that can be totally engulfing. __________________ TVCatchup The best thing since sliced bread

26th Jun 2009, 11:36	#16
Tynecider Since ZX81 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: North East UK Posts: 61	Having been a big follower and supporter of the OFP and ArmA (1) series, Im much looking forward to porting my projects into ArmA 2. ArmA 1 was great when you actually sat down to mod it and customise it, or install other mods that improved gameplay. BI studios are very much a community games house, unlike others, a lot of what you see in arma 2 is directly from the community. Its quite big. The loadouts for soldiers seems fairly accurate, although I'm sure the modding community will change that in weeks to come. Overall Im impressed with the game, and Im looking forward to playing it modded to hell. __________________ Q6600 GO 3.4Ghz 1.336v (425x8) Air cooled - Asus Maximus II Formula 1700FSB XFI-OB-HD Audio - 8GB G.Skill 8500 PK 5-5-5-15 1.89v - ] BFG GTX 280 OC Stock ] - Corsiar HX620w 2x WD Black 640Gb (Dual Platter) RAID0 + WD Blue 640GB (Dual Platter) - System in REPAIR, case-space vacant Windows 7.7100 Ultimate x64 RC - Snow Leopard 10.6 x64 [Testing] - Chameleon Boot Loader

26th Jun 2009, 12:00	#18
Lizard Addicted to upgrades Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 379	Well spotted - fixed now, thanks. __________________ James Gorbold CPC Deputy Editor Folding/Gaming as Lizard More power, we need more power Join the Custom PC/Bit-tech Folding Team (#35947)

26th Jun 2009, 12:29	#19
$h@d0w What's a Dremel? Join Date: Mar 2001 Posts: 4	For everyone asking about system requirements and optimal settings - just go ahead and download the demo. It's very full featured and has tutorial, single player missions, multiplayer and editor all included.