ArmA II: Operation Arrowhead

Quotation forthcoming.

This stand-alone expansion improves upon the original in almost every way.

This game is number one when it comes down to military simulations. For shooter fans it can be too complex, but if you're into real missions and realism at its best, be welcome.

The most realistic wargame simulation available today, albeit burdened by poor performance. [Aug 2010, p.100]

It features new campaign missions and a number of new toys to play around with, and is still an incredibly comprehensive war experience, despite its issues with performance and artificial intelligence.

Multiplayer boasts some pretty crazy 25 v. 25 matches that can rage on over land, and sea, and air (GI Joooe!). And if all of that still isn't enough, it's definitely worth mentioning that you also get the full campaign and multiplayer sets from the first installment of ARMA 2, making the argument not to pick it up a difficult one.

New world, new machinery, more interesting missions and fewer bugs – that's the new ArmA II standalone add-on. The best way to start with ArmA franchise. [July 2010]

If you've got a powerful computer, a fair bit of OCD when it comes to military realism, and a lot of time and patience, then Bohemia's ArmA II: Operation Arrowhead will scratch your itch in ways that Modern Warfare or Battlefield: Bad Company can't.

Operation Arrowhead does a fine job of giving the hardcore fans of the series exactly what they want, no more and no less. You'll get a lengthy new campaign, a brand new environment, and the same accurate and realistic combat that you've come to know and love.

Although it has serious flaws in enemy AI sometimes, and you need a high-end PC to play, this is game is recommended for the original fans, and also for players wanting to try a new experience in war simulation.

It's an improvement to ARMA 2, but it still includes some of the weaknesses. But now the game actually is what it should have been right from the start: a realistic military simulation that works most of the time.

Maybe a great sandbox toy, but selling itself as a named campaign expansion is a work of great fail. [Aug 2010, p.100]

ArmA II: Operation Arrowhead comes with a nice single player campaign, a series of stand-alone missions, a nice online multiplayer mode and lots of weapons and vehicles. Unfortunately the AI doesn't work good, the characters animations are poor and the controls are the antithesis of immediacy.

I'll end with this, if you're willing to put the effort in, and the realism aspect sounds like it will appeal to you, the $30 price of Arma II: OA is an easy entry into the series.

Despite some annoying bugs, Operation Arrowhead shows a few interesting improvement in the ARMA II formula. And is still the more realistic war simulator available.

Fans will love it, but it could have been so much better. [Oct 2010, p.62]

Bohemia, just for a change, how about giving us a character with a little flesh on his bones.

On the one hand it brings more of what we love about Bohemia's games, gritty combat on an immense scale, with an entirely new setting, a decent campaign and some short but sweet single missions. Yet the expansion doesn't improve on the original and doesn't fix any of the problems ArmA 2 had.

It doesn't address any of the series' shortcomings but this is still the most versatile solider sim around.

When the smoke clears, Operation Arrowhead is a decent addition to ARMA II. It adds more avenues for players to experience military operations, and view them with decidedly different perspectives.

Arrowhead paints the most chilling picture of the horrors of war than any game has done yet. [Sept 2010, p.84]

The game that calls itself a military simulation does a lot better than its predecessor Arma 2 (which was crawling with bugs). The missions are varied, the bugs less common and the grafics (having a top notch pc) superb. But it´s still the old Arma, with all the AI failures (never let them drive!), cumbersome controls and flair from the 90s.

Operation Arrowhead is a realistic combat simulation game that still suffers from a variety of technical bugs, just like the original. There is a great amount of fun hiding under the surface, which requires patience and time to find and appreciate.

Takistan is still home to an erratic framerate, temperamental engine and the kind of sloppy AI that remains completely oblivious until you start firing.

Operation Arrowhead certainly features a large assortment of content, both offline and online, that rewards its fans, but for those who prefer their shooters to require little thinking and itchy trigger fingers, you may want to pass this one up.

It's fun but lacks refinement. Bad AI and inconsistent graphical performance really detract from the amazing potential. I recommend it if you know what you are getting into or if Bohemia Interactive can iron out the wrinkles.

Operation Arrorhead is a big disappointment. Not only this expansion is boring, but it failed to realize its potential.