ArmA II

 PC
User Score
7.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 639 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 427 out of 639
  2. Mixed: 103 out of 639
  3. Negative: 109 out of 639
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  1. kodeee
    Dec 12, 2012
    3
    I LOVED Cold War Crisis and was very excited to play Arma 2, but I'm extremely disappointed. Still has the open ended aspect and the potential to feel very real but the gameplay kills it. Friendly units run into things and get lost, or are impossible to give effective commands to, especially in combat situations. NPCs are useless. "hey helo pilot, there's a group of enemies down there.I LOVED Cold War Crisis and was very excited to play Arma 2, but I'm extremely disappointed. Still has the open ended aspect and the potential to feel very real but the gameplay kills it. Friendly units run into things and get lost, or are impossible to give effective commands to, especially in combat situations. NPCs are useless. "hey helo pilot, there's a group of enemies down there. mind hovering a minute so i can shoot them with the minigun mounted on the side here?" Nope, no command for that, just gonna drop you off in the middle of a bunch of **** shooting at you. Not to mention I just spent a hour reloading saves trying to sneak up on a group of enemies sitting around fires next to their tents, but as soon is I get anywhere near them they start shooting through the trees and bushes and kill all of my team before i can even get a good look at them, and this was once I resorted to putting the difficulty on recruit! WTF. I love the "get shot once and you're injured or die" aspect. I'm not saying it's too hard, the AI just ruins it. You'd think that these issues could be resolved considering the game came out years ago. I too was hoping the negative reviews were just being too critical, but they're accurate. If your getting this for the campaign, DON"T. I miss cold war crisis, arma 2 is somehow a big step backwards. If those asses are gonna turn out another arma like this let em stay in jail in greece… Expand
  2. BallisticChickn
    Mar 2, 2014
    2
    My rating is for the game- WITHOUT- any mods. WITH mods that fix the game the rating would be a 5.

    It's better than Arma 3... But what isn't? This is still made by Bohemia Interactive, a studio that is either profoundly lazy or terminally incompetent - pick one. Consequently, BIS produces software that can't ever be called "finished" and depends on legions of modders - not just to add    My rating is for the game- WITHOUT- any mods. WITH mods that fix the game the rating would be a 5.

    It's better than Arma 3... But what isn't? This is still made by Bohemia Interactive, a studio that is either profoundly lazy or terminally incompetent - pick one. Consequently, BIS produces software that can't ever be called "finished" and depends on legions of modders - not just to add content - but to actually FIX the game into a playable state. Arma 2 has a massive community which, over the years has turned Arma 2 into a unique and almost functional experience that, when it works, can be really fun.

    BUT to get that good experience you will have to install a LOT of mods that (mostly) fix the AI and realism problems. Then you'll have to add any game expanding mods on top of the fixes and you'll end up with a massive directory set - all of which is going to have to work together with the native, bug-cursed half-as*ed crap code that Bohemia barfed onto the game disk. You will be spending HOURS just trying to troubleshoot an outdated poorly implemented code on an unoptimized game engine that was out of date the day this was released.

    This is a game that, if undertaken by a half-competent studio, would have been revolutionary and amazing. After years of being worked on by modders this game really does have some brilliant and incredible moments, but those are fleeting when compared to the fixes/bugs/crashes you will spend more time sorting out. BIS and the Arma series is so enraging because they are SO close to something that works and that would be totally revolutionary, but instead of finishing the job they did it half-way and left players to fix their work. And as talented as the modders are- there is just only so much you can do with mods laid on top of the core code and using the horrible markup language.

    If you are willing to put up with the constant troubleshooting between game errors, glitches and mod conflicts just to get this thing to run and work halfway decently. And if you can tolerate the numerous bugs, glitches and occasionally game-killing design flaws, then you WILL have some amazing experiences.

    Honestly, even though I've put literally thousands of hours into this series, I can't really say that I recommend it. Especially since I'm older now, and just don't want to spend the few weekend hours I've got free to fix Bohemia's mistakes. If you've got the hours to sink into it, or you're satisfied with building really simple missions then give it a shot- it's FAR better than Arma 3 (but that's not hard) and really cheap.    … Expand
  3. theRobot
    Mar 22, 2014
    4
    If you're an octopus, you're going to like this game. Otherwise you probably won't be able to get used to the controls used in this game.

    Seriously, for the first time I saw an FPS that had so many controls binded, that some of them were unable to be placed on the keyboard and had to be binded as combos (double shift for example). Additionally, I've had no fun while playing this game.
  4. keefbaker
    Oct 14, 2013
    4
    This might be great if you wanted to be in the army but due to an accident with your balls and a lobster you can't. However, I wanted a good single player experience... Instead I got some of the worst voice acting ever, some really robotic radio chatter and the desire to throw myself out of the window.
  5. lord_joshi
    Jun 27, 2013
    0
    The game seems terrifying bad to me. The controls are outdated, the physics and AI are quite weak. Dialogues and video sequences can't be skipped. And the worst thing: Really annoying bugs everywhere. I won't ever buy any game from Bohemia Interactive again.
  6. behastie
    Mar 5, 2013
    4
    I really wanted to like this game; I really would like to play a good realistic military simulator. Unfortunately, confusing controls, bad AI and a lack of tutorials kept me from doing anything that I would consider engaged enough to count as "playing." Maybe I'm too mainstream for this game, but I just don't see why you need a specific button assigned to hopping over a fence. I couldn'tI really wanted to like this game; I really would like to play a good realistic military simulator. Unfortunately, confusing controls, bad AI and a lack of tutorials kept me from doing anything that I would consider engaged enough to count as "playing." Maybe I'm too mainstream for this game, but I just don't see why you need a specific button assigned to hopping over a fence. I couldn't get the AI to do anything resembling normal behavior. Very buggy. 4/10… Expand
  7. theUn4given
    Feb 22, 2013
    2
    I am a hardcore old skool Operation Flashpoint fan but this game makes me sick.If you dont have enough time to finish the game at least make sure the mission triggers work.
    You will find that even the first tutorial and the first mission are very hard to finish simply because they are buggy as hell. They are too complex for the medieval mission system to work. First missions should be    I am a hardcore old skool Operation Flashpoint fan but this game makes me sick.If you dont have enough time to finish the game at least make sure the mission triggers work.
    You will find that even the first tutorial and the first mission are very hard to finish simply because they are buggy as hell. They are too complex for the medieval mission system to work. First missions should be immersing, rewarding and easy to complete. Not like this. The engine is very slow and choppy and it prevents you from enjoying the GFX.
    I have no good things to say because I didn't get far enough to see them.    … Expand
  8. parpabico
    Aug 31, 2013
    3
    What's the point in making something that doesn't work properly? Like a ferrary with an engine that stalls every 100m, that's exactly what arma 2 is. Controls are horrible, I cannot believe they couldn't have done a better job with the controls. The whole scheme reeks of utter irrationality. Gameplay is practically absent, a silly sandbox experience, online is broken as well. HorriblyWhat's the point in making something that doesn't work properly? Like a ferrary with an engine that stalls every 100m, that's exactly what arma 2 is. Controls are horrible, I cannot believe they couldn't have done a better job with the controls. The whole scheme reeks of utter irrationality. Gameplay is practically absent, a silly sandbox experience, online is broken as well. Horribly optimized engine to put glazing on this "cake".… Expand
  9. thewillothewisp
    Feb 19, 2014
    2
    I signed up just to warn you about this game. Every single thing about this game is broken. Don't expect anything to work as designed. You might spend 500 hours messing around with 3-rd party mods that address a portion of the design flaws in this game, all the while you have to ask yourself, when does the fun start? If you enjoy experiencing hundreds of glitches and bugs, then youI signed up just to warn you about this game. Every single thing about this game is broken. Don't expect anything to work as designed. You might spend 500 hours messing around with 3-rd party mods that address a portion of the design flaws in this game, all the while you have to ask yourself, when does the fun start? If you enjoy experiencing hundreds of glitches and bugs, then you might find fun in this game!

    Most of the actual fun of this game is theoretical, as you imagine what it could be like if it were fully realized.

    I wouldn't hold out much hope for Arma 3 either, as a vast number of the flaws from this game carry over into Bohemia Interactive's newest game. They are either incapable or unwilling to address the problems.    … Expand
  10. andytimber
    Jun 26, 2011
    4
    ArmA II is a strange beast. It looks gorgeous, possesses an incredible coolness factor and can be highly immersive and engaging at times. But ultimately it's a false friend. A friend you simply cannot trust. You cannot trust the AI of your buddies, you cannot trust the mission triggers and you cannot trust the insanely complicated control system. On top of all, It crashes every 30 minutesArmA II is a strange beast. It looks gorgeous, possesses an incredible coolness factor and can be highly immersive and engaging at times. But ultimately it's a false friend. A friend you simply cannot trust. You cannot trust the AI of your buddies, you cannot trust the mission triggers and you cannot trust the insanely complicated control system. On top of all, It crashes every 30 minutes (even with the latest updates installed). Sorry Bohemia. I really wanted to like that game but it's simply too ambitious for it's own sake.… Expand
  11. Enzio
    May 20, 2012
    3
    The good: Incredible graphics, massive maps and vast array of beautiful vehicles and hardware
    The bad: Terrible single player campaign, awful input lag, shocking voice acting, mindless voice script written by schoolkids (subtitles riddled with typos), broken or inexplicable events in missions... Prepare to fail a mission because something happened miles away which you have no idea about,    The good: Incredible graphics, massive maps and vast array of beautiful vehicles and hardware
    The bad: Terrible single player campaign, awful input lag, shocking voice acting, mindless voice script written by schoolkids (subtitles riddled with typos), broken or inexplicable events in missions... Prepare to fail a mission because something happened miles away which you have no idea about, or you didn't find an item or say the right thing to someone an hour earlier... W...T...!

    Surely the worst thing is the interface. To call a helicopter to your location and get it to travel to where you want to go requires psychic powers. If you do get the helo to come to you, make sure all your squad get in, the AI aborts getting into vehicles if the person and the vehicle aren't in perfect sync. Finding out how to do it will require forum help or a youtube vid - unbelievable. Otherwise you'll find yourself sitting in the helo with your squad with no way to instruct the pilot where to take you.
    Honestly, the interface is appalling and unintuitive, much like ARMA was and Op Flashpoint before that. The new flashpoint games didn't review so well, but I played one of those too and was so pleased that the menus work and the missions were actually interesting. It wasn't as ambitious as ARMA2, but I played it through... I've tried that with ARMA2 a few times, but always got sick of the interface or stupid scripting. I went back with a much faster computer today, for a third go. Loaded up the old saves and it still looks great. Two hours of frustration later I'm venting on the internet. Save me.    … Expand
  12. Oroneill
    Jul 8, 2012
    2
    Okay...where to begin.
    This is one of the worst engines and platforms I have ever seen in the history of gaming. The controls are terrible, the physics are mediocre, the character movement is horrifying, the lack of a jump button makes me think Mario never happened, and to top it all off, the graphics are extremely sub-par for when this game was released.
    The sheer amount of controls    Okay...where to begin.
    This is one of the worst engines and platforms I have ever seen in the history of gaming. The controls are terrible, the physics are mediocre, the character movement is horrifying, the lack of a jump button makes me think Mario never happened, and to top it all off, the graphics are extremely sub-par for when this game was released.

    The sheer amount of controls is silly. There are much simpler ways to accomplish an experience that is just as dynamic as one that only gets there by making me use a hundred different controls to do everything.

    DayZ was the reason I bought this game, but it is unplayable because the designer decided to use the worst platform in FPS history. Huge waste of money.

    If someone tells you this game is good, take that with a sixty pound grain of salt. That person is most likely looking for a complex immersive experience and are grasping at the few straws that made this game unique.

    I tried playing single player, and it is even worse than multiplayer. Extremely boring and slow paced, 2003 graphics, choppy, error prone moving objects...just overall an incomplete game without really any shining qualities to make it worthwhile other than the potential of DayZ.

    I'm running this at maximum maximum graphics on a fairly modern PC bought in August 2011. 16 gigs of ram, 1 gig GeForce 560, quad core 3.1 ghz intel i5.    … Expand
  13. snaphoo
    Jan 8, 2013
    0
    wow is this game ever crap.anyone who thinks for one second this game is a quality simulator has obviously never played a real simulator this games controls are crap the worst are the vehicle controls if you have ever played a REAL simulator and then get in a vehicle on this pile of junk you will be very disappointing i feel like i threw 30 bucks in the trash when i bought this pile ofwow is this game ever crap.anyone who thinks for one second this game is a quality simulator has obviously never played a real simulator this games controls are crap the worst are the vehicle controls if you have ever played a REAL simulator and then get in a vehicle on this pile of junk you will be very disappointing i feel like i threw 30 bucks in the trash when i bought this pile of crap.you can call it anything you want the devs can call it a amazing simulator but its just a lackluster buggy pile of crap.. and the controls are not very customizable at all try getting a pro flight setup to work right on this game you cant.i play full on military flights sims regularly and this is so bad.save yourself some money and just buy battlefield 3 its a lot more fun then you will have with this junk.if you want a good flight sim try falcon 4.0 or a-10c warthog or even microsoft flight but don't waste your cash here.… Expand
  14. judgefx
    Mar 12, 2013
    2
    Garbage with a pretty face.
    When it takes more effort to change weapons in a game than it does in real life, there is a problem.
    Outrageous learning curve with a million controls for very simple tasks. Voice acting that makes the Resident Evil series blush. It feels very unfinished, unpolished and unprofessional. On the other hand the graphics look nice, most of the time. Only a few    Garbage with a pretty face.
    When it takes more effort to change weapons in a game than it does in real life, there is a problem.
    Outrageous learning curve with a million controls for very simple tasks. Voice acting that makes the Resident Evil series blush. It feels very unfinished, unpolished and unprofessional.

    On the other hand the graphics look nice, most of the time. Only a few graphical hiccups that I saw.    … Expand
  15. SBrown
    Jul 12, 2009
    4
    This is definitely a game for die-hard fans of the Arma/Flashpoint series. As a newcomer to Arma, albeit an experienced FPS gamer, I found the game to be very confusing at times. This was primarily due to the lack of information and guidance the game provided to enable the player to figure at what needed to be accomplished. This is readily apparent within the multiplayer arena where This is definitely a game for die-hard fans of the Arma/Flashpoint series. As a newcomer to Arma, albeit an experienced FPS gamer, I found the game to be very confusing at times. This was primarily due to the lack of information and guidance the game provided to enable the player to figure at what needed to be accomplished. This is readily apparent within the multiplayer arena where players seem to be poorly organised; lacking even a basic understanding of what their objectives/targets are. This creates a confused atmosphere where squads are not coordinated and no sense of teamwork exists. As many others have mentioned the game also appears to be extremely buggy in certain areas, negatively affecting the gamer's experience. The game has also been reported to run poorly on even very high spec PCs. Hence it seems that Arma 2 has been released before its ready with many significant patch updates still needing to be issued. In summary Arma 2 is an unpolished game that fails to provide sufficient guidance to those who are newcomers to the series. The numerous bugs and mediocre hardware performance adds to these issues. These problems add up to a large fundamental issue which severely affects the gameplay and ultimately the enjoyment of the game itself. A poor game in almost all departments: 4/10.… Expand
  16. Derek
    Jul 15, 2009
    0
    I couldn't play it. Controls and movement where crap, and it was really buggy. And the post processing effect on very high gives the same effect from moving really fast as last night when I was wasted. I hated it, and am already uninstalling it.
  17. SimonP
    Aug 6, 2009
    4
    I really wanted to like this game but even with the latest patch it is simply too full of bugs and glitches to be an enjoyable experience. I can live with a game which has a plethora of controls if it's sufficiently enjoyable and fun to play to make me stick around and learn them, but the frustrations of having my team mates get stuck behind objects and other mission crippling bugs I really wanted to like this game but even with the latest patch it is simply too full of bugs and glitches to be an enjoyable experience. I can live with a game which has a plethora of controls if it's sufficiently enjoyable and fun to play to make me stick around and learn them, but the frustrations of having my team mates get stuck behind objects and other mission crippling bugs has just made me lose interest. I will probably return to this when it's been patched and modded into something that's actually playable.… Expand
  18. mexn
    Jul 28, 2009
    1
    Do you like simulators? I mean, like Falcon 4.0? where u need to learn more than 50 keys? Where you spends 4+ hours to do a simple task/mission? Do you like bugged simulators? like those that u can not finished a mission because a bug? games that can not run well in a high end pc? If you answer is yes to both, this game is for you.
  19. Role
    Aug 7, 2009
    4
    Oh dear. This is the same game engine as used by bohemian interactive for operation flashpoint way back in the year 2000. Whilst they have updated the graphics, that is all they have updated. The same horrible user hating interface remains, the same voice 'patch' synthesis remains, and the same dumb AI remains as well as many of the pathfinding and other bugs that plagued the Oh dear. This is the same game engine as used by bohemian interactive for operation flashpoint way back in the year 2000. Whilst they have updated the graphics, that is all they have updated. The same horrible user hating interface remains, the same voice 'patch' synthesis remains, and the same dumb AI remains as well as many of the pathfinding and other bugs that plagued the title. I'm a fully trained infantry man and yet I cannot scale a waist high fence or at least kick it down? It also seems my camo uniform is a waste of time as the enemy can see and shoot me from miles away, yet I cannot hit them when proned and firing with a sniper rifle. Don't even get me started on the god awful flight controls for planes and heli's. War is hell? No idea but this 'game' is.… Expand
  20. jonte
    Jun 29, 2009
    1
    bad controls runs bad on current hardware and full of bugs, u spawn in multipalery only to have people spawn kill you, bugs galore, really noob voice acting, i could do a better job, gameplay just seems off, aiming problems they need to fix when using deadzone aiming, weird unfarmiliar button layout for keyboards, i would stick with arma 1 until patches are released
  21. MikeM
    Jul 9, 2009
    4
    This might be a deep and satisfying war simulator, but I ran into so many bugs in boot camp I have given up on it. Each time on the shooting range some guys come and shoot my instructor while I'm messing with the anti tank stuff! I dont have the time to waste on games that arent finished or are waiting for patches, in my opinion this should have had another six months work before This might be a deep and satisfying war simulator, but I ran into so many bugs in boot camp I have given up on it. Each time on the shooting range some guys come and shoot my instructor while I'm messing with the anti tank stuff! I dont have the time to waste on games that arent finished or are waiting for patches, in my opinion this should have had another six months work before release. It may be great if your willing to endure the bugs but we shouldnt have to having paid … Expand
  22. BrianW.
    Jun 29, 2009
    2
    This game has so much potential but might be THE WORST game ever released. The graphics are beautiful and the strategy are there but It is so buggy it should not have been released. It's like have an incredible stereo and kick a$$ rims on a car can't get out of the driveway. The only game in my 20+ years of video gaming thatI wish I could get a refund on. So much potential and This game has so much potential but might be THE WORST game ever released. The graphics are beautiful and the strategy are there but It is so buggy it should not have been released. It's like have an incredible stereo and kick a$$ rims on a car can't get out of the driveway. The only game in my 20+ years of video gaming thatI wish I could get a refund on. So much potential and UTTERLY DISAPPOINTING. Do not buy this game until it is patched and they have ALOT of work to do.… Expand
  23. RoyW.
    Jul 15, 2009
    4
    Man, this game has fantastic graphics....... and its also unfinished! I can't beilive i wasted $50 and 6gb downloads on this game. Its fun for around 2 hours but the bugs and the general struructure of the whole game is completly unapealling! Thw voice is awful, ths guns fire like shit, driving is so hard its not funny and the AI needs a good slap in the face!!!!
  24. Ordish
    May 2, 2012
    4
    The concept of the game is fantastic. If not for the horrible optimization in the engine and the terrible net code it would by all accounts be a brilliant game. As it is, the poor performance and terrible online performance make this shooter virtually unplayable. This is a game that I wanted to love but the actual game play is just frustrating with the bugs and poor performance on mediumThe concept of the game is fantastic. If not for the horrible optimization in the engine and the terrible net code it would by all accounts be a brilliant game. As it is, the poor performance and terrible online performance make this shooter virtually unplayable. This is a game that I wanted to love but the actual game play is just frustrating with the bugs and poor performance on medium to high end machines built for gaming. The A.I. is simplistic but the true measure is playing against live opponents. Hopefully ARMA 3 does a better job of engine optimization.… Expand
  25. Marcballer
    Oct 20, 2012
    3
    Bought it for dayZ, love it for dayZ, the DayZ mod gets a 10/10 for me.

    Otherwise it's just too control complex to be fun, especially (plane) flight. The beauty of a PC game vs a console game (among a long list of things) is that controls don't have to be limited to four - 8 buttons. But seriously.... you dont need to use all 116 keys and every part of the mouse for EACH control scheme    Bought it for dayZ, love it for dayZ, the DayZ mod gets a 10/10 for me.

    Otherwise it's just too control complex to be fun, especially (plane) flight. The beauty of a PC game vs a console game (among a long list of things) is that controls don't have to be limited to four - 8 buttons. But seriously.... you dont need to use all 116 keys and every part of the mouse for EACH control scheme (infantry, land vehicle, helicopter, multiple types of aircraft etc.) It's near impossible to fly without a joystick. imagine, if you will, the following:

    A + D = roll W + S = pitch ...so far so good =) now add
    Q + Z = trottle up and down... ok so it's hard to bank left and use throttle, I can handle that... but wait there's more!
    X + C = Yaw.. so now that you're trying to make fine adjustments to properly lead and strafe you need to completely forget you're throttle because you're trying to maintain your bank to match your're adversary. but wait... turning too hard makes you loose velocity.... so stop tuning with yaw, correct speed. return to yaw. But wait there's more!

    F = to select your weapons, which aren't quite clear what they even are at first. until you accidentally fire one of the 2 only missles, 2 bombs, or 300 bullets you have (which you can empty in 4-5 seconds.)

    But wait! There's more! While you're trying to simply stay away from the ground and fumble in utter dumbfoundedness with you're weapons while trying to hit a peanut sized target with next to no ammo remaining, you moved you're mouse! Oops it controls pitch and roll too, at the same time as the keyboard! While trying to grasp all this at once you realise your landing gear is still down.... ok so now it's off the the scroll wheel menu to retract it (which is actually quite alien at first). Now you're distracted for a few seconds from the incoming ground with your upside down aircraft seemingly resisting all your movements by about 25%. So on top of all this you now need to compensate for the resistance to your movement. Oh and remember to close/retract/lower your flaps. Whatever term the game uses is useless because you're scroll menu offers "flaps up" or 'flaps down". Am i lowering them from the top of the aircraft to close them? Or was it bring the flaps from the bottom up to retract them... Oh hey, there's a note on the top right of the screen, something about using TAB to acquire targets... Wait... there were instructions there.... that's ok I'll restart again.... *reading* Welcome to the tuto... *switch* times up! new message! In this excercise we will be going to *switch*. There is litterally a 5 line message that is on screen for less than a second.

    Did I mention this is only the boot camp?

    Now lets clear something up. I LOVE complex games. From ROTK to Total War to Crusader Kings II to Europa Univeralis. I enjoy a steep learning curve because the time invested usually nets a fantastic game that not every moron can just jump on to "pWn HiS n0oBzoRs" or whatever it is they do. I have over 14 hours of play simply in the tutorials. I have nearly given up on the main game. But I'm a stubborn type that will keep doing it till it's done. But most people will have given up ages ago, which is a bit of a shame. The game has a fantastic engine overall and is almost unerringly realistic. If the tutorial gets a very extensive tune-up I could see many more positive reviews. But too many people are kicked flat in the teeth with this (fun but) incredibly newbie unfriendly game.

    Ending on a positive note thought, glitches have been non-existant to me. So I don't know if I'm just missing them out of sheer dumb luck or they have been fixed by now.    … Expand
  26. pipelinecache
    Jul 9, 2009
    3
    The controls are so bad that they call it realism. Having a keybinding for every single type of action you can perform ingame only makes the interaction complex and sluggish. It has nothing to do with realism. Sure, after a while (of frustration) you might get used to it, but in the end it's a key bashing memory game. If that sounds like real life movement to you, I recommend seeing The controls are so bad that they call it realism. Having a keybinding for every single type of action you can perform ingame only makes the interaction complex and sluggish. It has nothing to do with realism. Sure, after a while (of frustration) you might get used to it, but in the end it's a key bashing memory game. If that sounds like real life movement to you, I recommend seeing a neural doctor on a regular basis. Although it's not the most important factor in this type of game, the graphics quality is quite low and pretty unstable. Glitches are everywhere but it's not the worst part of the product. The overall engine performance is so bad that alot of people with highend hardware are complaining it's unplayable. Even if you've got a zillion core grid computing system, the engine isn't making very good use of it. Unless they have taken quantum mechanics in consideration for the physics engine, Bohemia would be far better off licensing a working solution. Check the demo and experience the most realistic hangover.… Expand
  27. AndersN.
    Jul 24, 2009
    1
    I'm sorry bohomia but this game is down the drain i cant belive i wasted 47
  28. John_Burmingham
    Jul 19, 2012
    2
    Terrible controls.
    This game is horribly ridden with bugs and glitches, the controls are very difficult to use (Specifically mouse- controlled aiming) and it is very easy to get frustrated with this game very quickly. I cannot get past the first mission just because of how difficult the controls are to use, and there is a 3 second delay between moving my mouse and the game responding to    Terrible controls.
    This game is horribly ridden with bugs and glitches, the controls are very difficult to use (Specifically mouse- controlled aiming) and it is very easy to get frustrated with this game very quickly. I cannot get past the first mission just because of how difficult the controls are to use, and there is a 3 second delay between moving my mouse and the game responding to that. This would be a great game otherwise, but I literally cannot do anything if my character cannot even aim properly.    … Expand
  29. KB
    Jan 16, 2010
    2
    Pros- Great graphics, if it was optimized correctly. -Hug open land and editor Cons- -Optimization is wretched. -Control scheme was idiotic -AI is either cheap, or stupid -Voice acting is terrible. In The demo scenario, I swear the one guy who talked in the helicopter the most was 14 years old. -Bugs galore -In the demo, there are only 4 voices, two of them a replicas It just feels Pros- Great graphics, if it was optimized correctly. -Hug open land and editor Cons- -Optimization is wretched. -Control scheme was idiotic -AI is either cheap, or stupid -Voice acting is terrible. In The demo scenario, I swear the one guy who talked in the helicopter the most was 14 years old. -Bugs galore -In the demo, there are only 4 voices, two of them a replicas It just feels unfinished even for a demo. I greatly enjoyed Operation Flashpoint 1 and 2, but this is so poorly constructed. I dislike CoD because of it's arcade shooter, that is why I play OP flash point and Far Cry 2. But this, this is almost a joke.… Expand
  30. BradleyC
    Aug 10, 2009
    3
    Anyone saying this game is a 10 is most likely paid to do so by BIS. This is a good simulator and i like the graphics if on HIGH/VERY HIGH but that is where it all ends. The engine is dated and the developers are simply not keeping up with new hardware. More than half of the community in the BIS forums are having issues with the game performing somewhat playable on there machines. This Anyone saying this game is a 10 is most likely paid to do so by BIS. This is a good simulator and i like the graphics if on HIGH/VERY HIGH but that is where it all ends. The engine is dated and the developers are simply not keeping up with new hardware. More than half of the community in the BIS forums are having issues with the game performing somewhat playable on there machines. This game is not even close to being worth 50 dollars and if your smart you will wait until they release more patches and the game is cheaper by then. I am in disbeliefe anyone would rate this game 10!… Expand
  31. PeteW
    Jul 2, 2009
    4
    These high scores must be from Ubisoft employees. I tried the demo--this is 2009 folks, not 1999. Without a doubt the worst voice acting I have heard in a long, long time--but that's besides the point. This game is absolutely horrible. It's on a class of it's own as far a "poor" goes. Don't take my word for it--download and play the demo. Then start watching the user These high scores must be from Ubisoft employees. I tried the demo--this is 2009 folks, not 1999. Without a doubt the worst voice acting I have heard in a long, long time--but that's besides the point. This game is absolutely horrible. It's on a class of it's own as far a "poor" goes. Don't take my word for it--download and play the demo. Then start watching the user ratings come in (other than Ubisoft employees). Then spend your hard earned money if you want. Be smart.… Expand
  32. moisesl
    Jul 4, 2009
    0
    Sorry not really impressed. graphics not good but the lighting is perfect. not the graphics. shadows are poor as well. AI are pretty stupid and some of them really need fixing like you have this guy who's training you at the shooting range but you haven't even fired a single bullet and tells you that you suck! thats one f***d up AI!!! this is actually the most disappointing Sorry not really impressed. graphics not good but the lighting is perfect. not the graphics. shadows are poor as well. AI are pretty stupid and some of them really need fixing like you have this guy who's training you at the shooting range but you haven't even fired a single bullet and tells you that you suck! thats one f***d up AI!!! this is actually the most disappointing waste of money I got from steam. terrible!!… Expand
  33. LeovW
    Jul 2, 2009
    3
    Beautiful gfx, but the bugs make it unplayable. I'm in the training range and my trainer gets shot. The game ends blaming me for shooting my trainer. I haven't even figured out how arm myself, let alone fire a shot. I tried again. This time i figured out how to shoot and switch weapons. TOO COMPLICATED for such a simple command. It should be a one-click action, but Arma 3 Beautiful gfx, but the bugs make it unplayable. I'm in the training range and my trainer gets shot. The game ends blaming me for shooting my trainer. I haven't even figured out how arm myself, let alone fire a shot. I tried again. This time i figured out how to shoot and switch weapons. TOO COMPLICATED for such a simple command. It should be a one-click action, but Arma 3 requires three-clicks. Then they tell me drive over there to another shooting range. Again I get blamed for shooting my trainer. wth! Third try: I managed to blow up some wooden tanks cursing the complicated interface. How do I use the scope? I see my weapon has a scope but I can't seem to use it. unc00l. Okay the trainer didn't roll over and just died this time, but sends me at the other end of a field to prove myself. This time my toon just rolls over dies. Arma 3, do what you do best. Roll over and die. Deleted off my hard drive.… Expand
  34. MiqueL.
    Jun 29, 2009
    4
    It would be a good game...it WOULD. I got the german version of this game as it came out...the game wasn't really playable because of tons of bugs. And it is still nor really playable after 2 patches...It't sad that a studio brings out an unfinished game like Arma 2 with the thing in mind, that the people buy it anyway - there are hardcore OpFp and Arma fans that bought it It would be a good game...it WOULD. I got the german version of this game as it came out...the game wasn't really playable because of tons of bugs. And it is still nor really playable after 2 patches...It't sad that a studio brings out an unfinished game like Arma 2 with the thing in mind, that the people buy it anyway - there are hardcore OpFp and Arma fans that bought it instantly. But all the got is a completely unfinished game. The AI doesn't work, the mission scripts don't work...the performance is poor for those graphics...This is just cheating on the customer ! Let's hope it turns good as patches come up. At this state of the game...my advice, don't buy it. Wait till more patches are out. The good point is the atmosphere - and you feel like you are someone. You are not solder XY and the feeling of an ongoin war is definitely here. Also the huge terrain for exploring is pretty cool - for sure in multiplayer too. But as I said. I can't recommend Arma2 in this state. Lets cross fingers of patches fixing it.… Expand
  35. callyboy1
    Jul 22, 2012
    0
    Terrible, absolutely terrible. I bought this game including operation arrowhead just for DayZ mod which is why the majority of people have this game, and i cant even play it. Here are my PC specs:
    Intel(R) Core(TM) i3-2100 CPU @ 3.10GHz
    4.1 GB Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium Edition Service Pack 1 (build 7601), 64-bit Nvidia GeForce 405 Video RAM 2.7 GB Pixel Shader version 5.0    Terrible, absolutely terrible. I bought this game including operation arrowhead just for DayZ mod which is why the majority of people have this game, and i cant even play it. Here are my PC specs:
    Intel(R) Core(TM) i3-2100 CPU @ 3.10GHz
    4.1 GB
    Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium Edition Service Pack 1 (build 7601), 64-bit
    Nvidia GeForce 405
    Video RAM 2.7 GB Pixel Shader version 5.0 Vertex Shader version 5.0

    And here is Arma 2 Specs:
    OS: Windows XP or Windows Vista
    Processor: Quad Core CPU or fast Dual Core CPU (Intel Core 2.8 GHz or AMD Athlon 64 X2 4400+ or faster)
    Memory: 2 GB RAM
    Graphics: Fast GPU (Nvidia Geforce 8800GT or ATI Radeon 4850 or faster) with Shader Model 3 and 512 or more MB VRAM
    Hard Drive: 10 GB free HDD space

    The only words in which express my anger and dissapointment are:
    £15 wasted, I might as well of gone out and bought 15 packets of £1 sweets as they would make me happier right now.

    Do not buy this game, it is a piece of ****    … Expand
  36. MC
    Aug 15, 2009
    3
    Horrible AI enemies with bulls**t-o-vision but are still dumb enough to be a liablility when they are on your team. Boring, poorly paced campaign missions that aggravatingly fail you if one of your stupid team members die. Ugly pop in everywhere. This is frustrating, boring and poorly made.
  37. BF
    Aug 2, 2009
    3
    Yes it is the only one of its kind but - its is buggy as hell - there are too many servers coop (AI aint AI at all) - the UI is klunky and unfreindly - you need a HUGE machine - Gfx are laggy (and I have 2x4850 ati) - players anymations are the worst (ie once you draw a weapon the animation has to finish in order to move again..) I suggest only Campaign coop.. if you are looking for a PvP Yes it is the only one of its kind but - its is buggy as hell - there are too many servers coop (AI aint AI at all) - the UI is klunky and unfreindly - you need a HUGE machine - Gfx are laggy (and I have 2x4850 ati) - players anymations are the worst (ie once you draw a weapon the animation has to finish in order to move again..) I suggest only Campaign coop.. if you are looking for a PvP or Team Vs Team.... go back to Battlefield this is a huge waste of money.… Expand
  38. LeeW
    Aug 8, 2009
    0
    I played an hour of the tutorial on the demo and after hearing the worse-than-Ubisoft-quality voice acting, having to use two different controls to BOTH aim down the sights and actually zoom in, and having an AI at the shooting range telling me that I was bad before I ever actually started the training, I closed it and uninstalled it.
  39. SeanR
    Jul 25, 2009
    4
    Sure sure, there might be a whole bunch of interactive things to do, but in order to enjoy them, you've got to subject yourself to awkward movement, boring weapon usage, and the worst voice acting I've EVER seen in a game.
  40. EthanM
    Oct 27, 2009
    0
    This game simply sucks in all sense of the word...Not only is the game buggy, but it lacks a proper user interface. Many of the keys are reused in situations that require 2 separate keys! Tried to do basic training which involves teaching you how to play the game it was horrible, small, unnoticeable pop-ups in the top right corner tell you what keys do what, but they only show up for This game simply sucks in all sense of the word...Not only is the game buggy, but it lacks a proper user interface. Many of the keys are reused in situations that require 2 separate keys! Tried to do basic training which involves teaching you how to play the game it was horrible, small, unnoticeable pop-ups in the top right corner tell you what keys do what, but they only show up for about 3 seconds. Giving you no time to read them. My computer is more then capable of running this game, but it still lagged horribly and used the CPU for most of the rendering instead of the GPU. There's a reason the game designer isn't "big name". Don't waste your money on this, go out and buy a copy of COD or something. Even COD 1 is better then this...… Expand
  41. SteveJobs
    Oct 10, 2009
    0
    i tried to do the training part - omfg, it was retarded, you point at a guy to drag him or ressuccatate him and it practically displays which ever options it wants (never both at the same time) oh and to get the option you actually do want you have to walk around him for a good five minutes, + the AI is remakably retarded, i had to start the mission over and over again to complete i tried to do the training part - omfg, it was retarded, you point at a guy to drag him or ressuccatate him and it practically displays which ever options it wants (never both at the same time) oh and to get the option you actually do want you have to walk around him for a good five minutes, + the AI is remakably retarded, i had to start the mission over and over again to complete training because of their idiocity and eventually gave up!!!! these irresponsible product managers should not even have the priviledge of selling one game and obviously their 10 years of experience hasn't taught them jack shit... what a pity because the rest of the gameseemed good, what a waste!!!!… Expand
  42. HunterNotgivingittoyou
    Oct 20, 2009
    0
    For a game that had so much potential, it would seem it was just short of requiring a person to have a rocket science degree to do the simplest of things. 'Nuff said.
  43. JeffreyT
    Jul 5, 2009
    3
    Arma has a rabid following amongst a small community of dedicated fans, with an incredibly strong modding division which has helped the series to shine. They are, of course, rabidly fanatical in defending the developers, Bohemia Interactive, and the sadly broken state which they have become famous for releasing their games in - Arma 2 is no different. For those of you familiar to the Arma Arma has a rabid following amongst a small community of dedicated fans, with an incredibly strong modding division which has helped the series to shine. They are, of course, rabidly fanatical in defending the developers, Bohemia Interactive, and the sadly broken state which they have become famous for releasing their games in - Arma 2 is no different. For those of you familiar to the Arma franchise, you will see much of the same features as Arma 1. The basic aspects are present, and some have been improved upon. Sadly, there is no overcoming the inherent flaws to both the game engine and game itself, which we can only hope future patches will address. First of all, the graphics have been given a new coat of paint and, if you can run them on high on your system, you will be impressed. As of this time, people with the highest end systems are complaining of inconsistent frames and laggy gameplay, even on low settings indicating a severe flaw in the game itself. This is nothing new, as mouse lag, stuttering and other annoyances have been around since Arma 1, and the developers have not repaired them, leading me to suspect that their game engine (a heavily modified version of the original 10 year old OFP engine) is simply on its last legs an no longer viable. The clunky voices and cumbersome AI are still there, event though BI Studios has told us the AI is more intuitive and better able to use cover, and follow orders. Not true. They still drive into walls, trees and seem to go out of their way to do so, they still do not take cover when under fire, and they are often responsible for fuskering up missions because of their lack of "intuitiveness". Adding to this problem, is an incredibly poor design choice by BI to change the command system, by eliminating the simple spacebar - mousewheel system in favour of a spacebar - Function Key - Mouswheel regimen which actually makes it more difficult to command. Try the demo, you'll see what I mean. The Single Player campaign is essentially unplayable at this phase in the "patch cycle", simply because the designers - in developing an open ended sandbox game - have implemented game triggers which often break the campaigns if you don't approach them the way they planned it out for you. So much for open ended. If you can get past this, and still drop your 50 bucks for it, Multiplayer is very fun, and the Editor is phenomenal with new tools added to make mission scripting incredibly easy. With the addition of various modules, and the ability to synchronize them to the players, you can create a basic mission in a matter of minutes, and include with it ambient warfare and a populated island. However, it feels as if most of these modules, and game design features, are simply the same Arma 1 mods that the community developed, and really should have been in the original game in the first place. It feels like BI just took them from the modders and put them into their new game. In retrospect, Arma 2 really just feels like Arma 1.5, with the same annoyances but now with prettier graphics.… Expand
  44. NickB
    Aug 8, 2009
    2
    Complicated, confusing, messy. This game is just trying to do too much, but has rough edges aplenty. Shame, could have been a contender.
  45. Akseli
    Dec 23, 2009
    0
    I think that graphics are great but aiming was harder because screen did not move if you moved point little bit. And most annoying thing is the keys... In settings there was no button like delete all key buttons. I was like 2 and half hours only trying to get buttons good! When i got in he game it was really boring to play it and aiming was like so crappy styled..
  46. EmuChicken
    Apr 28, 2011
    1
    I'm only taking the single game experience into account, on version 1.09 (newest)... BUGS GALORE! I feel ripped off, even if I only paid 7.99$ for it (steam)
    The reason I hated it were not due to the "feeling of realism" or "its not an arcade game standard FPS" ... But more of the case of almost everything is bugged. Examples : Boot Camp (eg Tutorial), assault course, no problem. Move    I'm only taking the single game experience into account, on version 1.09 (newest)... BUGS GALORE! I feel ripped off, even if I only paid 7.99$ for it (steam)
    The reason I hated it were not due to the "feeling of realism" or "its not an arcade game standard FPS" ... But more of the case of almost everything is bugged. Examples : Boot Camp (eg Tutorial), assault course, no problem. Move to shooting training, the instructor kept asking nonstop If I wanted to retry (I choose yes) ... he asks again. < restart bootcamp >, same again, this time it works, and then I get asked to carry an injured officer. Move over him, hit drag, then carry. cant move. put him down, still cant move / drag or anything. so I accidentally shoot him in the head, and then I hear a "well done" - WTF?!?
    So, I moved to single player (campaign), where I get treated to another tutorial - "shoot targets". I clearly hit the targets and the sergeant randomly shouts out "too bad, you missed" or "good shot" even though I hit them all fine.
    Real mission starts, complete black, no clue to even having NV goggles until Im half dead. "computer like" orders are being given through the radio.
    So, the sound ... works, badly (speech orders) ... Music is .. OK, no wait, its naff. No idea why they chose poor Duke 3D imitation music for such a "realistic setting"

    Its fairly obvious that this company has had no testing done at all on the game, and to wonder what it was like BEFORE the patching, where in the world did these high reviews come from?!?

    I gave it a 1 to say "well done for the idea", but what I mean is...

    DONT BUY! NOT EVEN FOR A DOLLAR!


    + "Serious"
    + Decent-ish graphics (for 2009)

    - Bugs
    - Bugs (as to say its REALLY buggy)
    - Awful music
    - Naff tutorial

    Bottom line; Stick to maybe the battlefield series if you fancy some all out warfare... if you want realism, you'll need to wait that bit longer!    … Expand
  47. Ghoster
    Jul 24, 2012
    0
    What a waste of money. That game is soo annoying that this is hard to understand. The put a lot of effort to make most realistic possible but every step they did was total fail. Will not mention graphics which is on 1997. level! Avoid this!!
  48. zigazaga
    Jun 25, 2013
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I couldn't stop replaying the many and varied OFP single player missions and hoped that ARMA would be as good or even better by its second incarnation. But, no, the developers appear to have spent all their effort on the cosmetic aspects, and on making the interface less logical and more awkward and unnecessarily complicated and counter-intuitive, rather than fixing the aspects that so badly need fixing: a horrendous AI (vehicles drive into walls and get stuck on rocks and trees rather than following a straight road, your team-mates run into enemy fire), vehicles still drive in an unnatural "gliding" manner and dont hold your breath it's still as bad in ARMA 3 alpha as well. I consider OFP to be one of the most intelligent games ever made, and was prepared to accept the limitations of ARMA 2, but I can see that the game is being ruined by the questionable decisions of the apparently not very intelligent developers/management. OFP had a simple and logical interface that was easy to learn and fun to play. It's the only aspect that didn't need improving and the one that they've wrecked with too much unnecessary tinkering. I personally don't need any cut-scenes and, to add insult to injury, the developers are trying to present some of these third-rate examples of bad animation and voice-acting as missions! The "vanilla" edition lists 6 missions but it's actually only 5! Do they seriously think that anyone is tricked by this and doesn't notice how poor the single-player experience has become? Each mission seems to have a new way of annoying the player from the use of ULB's which I just find too boring and cumbersome to try to learn how to use to having to write down some silly made-up squiggles from a piece of paper to defuse a bomb. I do have a feeling that the small but vocal group of devotees are posting positive reviews en-masse whereas normal people who haven't devoted their whole life to ARMA tend to become understandably fed up very quickly and just give up. I'm angry because I no longer have a game to play and it;s always sad to see idiots in charge make stupid decisions that affect us all. It's not a question of the developers "not having enough time" or players like me being too stupid for anything but COD, it's a question of stupid decisions and wasting time and effort on "fixing" only the parts of the game that didn't need fixing. On a positive note the surfaces are now more shiny.… Expand
  49. Satyrion
    Aug 12, 2012
    2
    This game is very bad and can only be fun for people who is in the army or plan on joining. This is more like a simulator with tons of bugs than it is a game. The objectives are hard to complete and when you think you have completed an objective some bug happends and you have to restart the whole mission all over again.

    The campaign is horrble because of this and some missions are    This game is very bad and can only be fun for people who is in the army or plan on joining. This is more like a simulator with tons of bugs than it is a game. The objectives are hard to complete and when you think you have completed an objective some bug happends and you have to restart the whole mission all over again.

    The campaign is horrble because of this and some missions are almost unplayable. Stay away unless you love the US army    … Expand
  50. xDpPx_abno96
    Aug 4, 2012
    1
    I wouldn't say this game is terrible, but it's pretty bad. It's was written so badly I can't imagine how it is so popular. The graphics aren't that good so considering the game eats up more memory then say battlefield 3 or Crysis 2. The sound effects are terrible and the engine is extremely bad. The control system (the way to change them and the default control setup) is just a joke. ThisI wouldn't say this game is terrible, but it's pretty bad. It's was written so badly I can't imagine how it is so popular. The graphics aren't that good so considering the game eats up more memory then say battlefield 3 or Crysis 2. The sound effects are terrible and the engine is extremely bad. The control system (the way to change them and the default control setup) is just a joke. This game should be about £5.99 at the most not anywhere close to £20.00. Total waste of money and so disappointing.… Expand
  51. Gabcd
    Aug 3, 2012
    2
    2/10 = 1 star in a 5 stars system = Bad. ( Scale: Bad, Poor, Ok, Good, Excellent )

    This game is unplayable: 1) Controls are bad (unjustifiably bad, even for "simulation", which usually gives you more options, not less usability) 2) Gameplay (does NOT feel realistic, feels like your soldier is physically challenged.) 3) BUGS AND GLITCHES (And not "complex" ones either, really stupid    2/10 = 1 star in a 5 stars system = Bad. ( Scale: Bad, Poor, Ok, Good, Excellent )

    This game is unplayable:
    1) Controls are bad (unjustifiably bad, even for "simulation", which usually gives you more options, not less usability)
    2) Gameplay (does NOT feel realistic, feels like your soldier is physically challenged.)
    3) BUGS AND GLITCHES (And not "complex" ones either, really stupid ones, even in the tutorial!)

    Playing this game feels like I have failed in life and am now stuck in a soul-grinding job that I hate.    … Expand
  52. LesterW.
    Jul 29, 2009
    3
    Ridiculously buggy and not ready for release. Huge bug with HT on i7 CPU's. Poor show, the game has huge promise though - which makes its current state really quite sad. If the devs had spent a few more months ironing out bugs (and dare I say, testing the game) it would have really helped.
  53. barillas
    Mar 13, 2011
    3
    Awful gameplay, they wanted to make it complicated even to move yourself, I mean, If your press forward the soldier will go 1 FULL step, this means I can't go just a little forward. The mouse lag is awful too, some people said its was to simulated the weigh of the gun, c'mon, this game really needed more work from Bohemia.
  54. KartoonHead
    Apr 24, 2011
    0
    A training program, NOT a game. Impossible to control without lots of practice and tuition, that's the main issue with it. The graphics look alright, but hog SO much processing power that you'll be needing to tone the graphics down even on really high-end cards, despite the fact that it only looks average on its highest settings. Down-right BORING! Buggy as hell. Just stay the heck awayA training program, NOT a game. Impossible to control without lots of practice and tuition, that's the main issue with it. The graphics look alright, but hog SO much processing power that you'll be needing to tone the graphics down even on really high-end cards, despite the fact that it only looks average on its highest settings. Down-right BORING! Buggy as hell. Just stay the heck away from this, it's just awful.… Expand
  55. YammoYammamoto
    Aug 25, 2009
    1
    Having been a pilot in Battlefield 1942 for years, I'm not expecting extremely detailed flight modelling. But I am expecting the plane/chopper to obay the very basics of avionics. As for example the helicopters in BF1942 mod "Desert Combat", not at all realistic, but feeling VERY real. The chopper in Arma2, however, flies like a horse. So if you are thinking of purchasing Arma2 to Having been a pilot in Battlefield 1942 for years, I'm not expecting extremely detailed flight modelling. But I am expecting the plane/chopper to obay the very basics of avionics. As for example the helicopters in BF1942 mod "Desert Combat", not at all realistic, but feeling VERY real. The chopper in Arma2, however, flies like a horse. So if you are thinking of purchasing Arma2 to fly... then dont! If you're looking for a detailed FPS, and want one-button helicopters, then ignore this look to other comments. In short: This game is useless if you want to fly.… Expand
  56. PeteJ.
    Oct 15, 2009
    1
    One of the worst games Ive ever to have had the displeasure to have installed. It took me a whole weekend to get it to run, and then basically its not that the game has bad game play - the problem is that it has NO gameplay. The voices are a joke, and despite the awesome screenshots I saw on the net, I had to run the graphics on such low settings that it looked terrible(and I have a fast One of the worst games Ive ever to have had the displeasure to have installed. It took me a whole weekend to get it to run, and then basically its not that the game has bad game play - the problem is that it has NO gameplay. The voices are a joke, and despite the awesome screenshots I saw on the net, I had to run the graphics on such low settings that it looked terrible(and I have a fast PC) After searching their forum for fixes, I found that this is pretty much the standard experience. BUYER BEWARE!… Expand
  57. BlackOmega
    Nov 8, 2011
    0
    Hmm.. how to describe this game. In one word BORING! This game is really not any fun at all. Do I really need to map a control to every key on my keyboard? And why can't get in a vehicle be the same key that I use to get out of it? Is the game buggy, sure. I couldn't care less, It's so boring and sucks so bad that being buggy is the least of it's issues.Sure the graphics are nice, but onceHmm.. how to describe this game. In one word BORING! This game is really not any fun at all. Do I really need to map a control to every key on my keyboard? And why can't get in a vehicle be the same key that I use to get out of it? Is the game buggy, sure. I couldn't care less, It's so boring and sucks so bad that being buggy is the least of it's issues.Sure the graphics are nice, but once again what does that matter when a game is as boring and simply NOT FUN, as this game is.… Expand
  58. aratos
    Feb 13, 2016
    4
    Unfortunately, I don't play multiplayer, so I have to review only this game's singleplayer.
    For me, it's NO, definetely.
    I'm sorry because I know a lot of people love this game for it's multiplayer features, but as a singleplayer for me it isn't worth a damn. Bad A.I., boring, slow, strange.. Often you can't understand what to do, or if you still can do it or if you have just failed it.    Unfortunately, I don't play multiplayer, so I have to review only this game's singleplayer.
    For me, it's NO, definetely.
    I'm sorry because I know a lot of people love this game for it's multiplayer features, but as a singleplayer for me it isn't worth a damn. Bad A.I., boring, slow, strange.. Often you can't understand what to do, or if you still can do it or if you have just failed it.
    Enormous map of nothing, of trees and empty hills.
    Tens of minutes spent in driving searching for the mission.. And then suddenly, you hear shots, then you stop and get to shelter, but your mate doesn't, then he dies and you have to start again.
    For me this game, as a singleplayer, it is a 4/10. With a great potential, ok, but a 4/10.

    PS: I can run last year's game with full graphic settings, and for this I have to set to minimum to get 30 FPS?? Kidding?    … Expand
  59. carnivorCactae
    Jun 11, 2014
    1
    After some backbreaking long minutes of walking and scouting the terrain we finally find our main targets. We lie down and take aim while we ignore our AI-Buddies who can't decide whether they want to crouch or stand up or lie prone. We aim want to shoot and …
    a) one of our AI-buddies kills all of them before we can place a shot
    b) the enemies blow themselves up c) we get killed from    After some backbreaking long minutes of walking and scouting the terrain we finally find our main targets. We lie down and take aim while we ignore our AI-Buddies who can't decide whether they want to crouch or stand up or lie prone. We aim want to shoot and …
    a) one of our AI-buddies kills all of them before we can place a shot
    b) the enemies blow themselves up
    c) we get killed from something
    d) the game crashes

    What WAS that?!
    Welcome to ARMA 2!
    This "game" tries to be a tactical simulation but forgets one important point: We sit in front of a Computer! We use some peripheral input-devices to command our alter-ego in a game with fake limitless "posibillities"! How hard can it be to program a User-friendly interface and not to mess up a simple command like "jump over a fence"?! Even "DELTA FORCE" and "GHOST RECON" managed an intuitive Control-theme!

    It bugs me out and makes me mad having to chew through this uncomfortable and plain unpleasant "game". Did I say "bugs"? Well. there are plenty of them! Game crashes randomly. Tanks blowing themselves up. Teammates vanishing into thin air. And worse: The AI: Random unrelated and horrible chatter, tought by one of the worst "voice-acting" I've ever heard in a videogame. It comes near absurdity when team-mates give you some status-updates that are plain wrong and standing in front of a sniper...! Oh, and don't forget the unability to heal teammates or doing anything else independently! The AI fails to find the right way so often, it looks like there is NO AI! Nearly no imersion!

    I can't understand what some purists describe as "imersion" and "thrilling experience"! What game did they play?! Bots and NPC's look like zombie-puppets. Blabbering some gibberish and unmotivated lazy "Oooohrah" followed by a briefing that could be organized by a senile granny-club. The game itself: Every ounce of "Immersion" is destroyed by the plain stupid bot-behavior and their robotic, bored and unprecise radiochatter.

    Thats one of the worst problems: Unprecise responses from your AI-"Buddies" and absolute dumb behavior. It ranges from "shooting a needle in the woods" to "missing an enemy 2 ft away"!
    The second some "imersion" sneaks up on you, the game stops and you have to watch one of the worst cut ingame-cinematics with some random and unmotivated chatter. No sense for camera-angles and transitions! After all unpleasant "Features" this Game has to offer, it feels sometimes like a relief when the game crashes randomly for no reason.
    This "game", this piece of broken software that feels more like a over-ambitous mod-project than a game worth 30 bucks!

    The one positive point that comes to my mind are the very huge maps! But what good are ludicrously large terrains when you have to walk multiple hours to spot just one objective?
    I am giving this "game" one point for trying.    … Expand
  60. darkdays36
    May 8, 2015
    3
    The potential of this game is great, let me start off with that. However, Bohemia Interactive messed this up badly. There are some small (and even quite funny) bugs in the game, such as a wounded guy looking like he just snapped his own neck. However, the majority are just intolerable. For example, right after completing the first part of helicopter training, I automatically fail. Also,The potential of this game is great, let me start off with that. However, Bohemia Interactive messed this up badly. There are some small (and even quite funny) bugs in the game, such as a wounded guy looking like he just snapped his own neck. However, the majority are just intolerable. For example, right after completing the first part of helicopter training, I automatically fail. Also, the controls are, well, ****. Not only are they overly complex, some are bugged. Driving as a commander of a tank is so near impossible, it took me nearly an hour to complete the vehicle training, as the gunner/driver WOULDN'T TURN AROUND. Also, the voice acting. Might as well have had Siri do it. It is extremely choppy, and the static makes it sound like a rusted, outdated robot is trying to talk to you. Finally, AI. The AI is just terrible. Not only do your allies just run around like chickens without their heads, they NEVER take cover. Oh wait, I almost forgot. The tutorials tell you NOTHING about the controls, save small snippets of information. You'll be constantly checking the control menu, and you'll have to learn about 75% of the controls your self. And there is no excuse for any of these problems. The game wasn't early access, it was just released unfinished (Daikatana, anyone?). You'd think Bohemia Interactive would fix the glitches at some point considering it is YEARS after the release, but no, they just won't. If this helps, I'm glad. If you enjoyed the game, well good for you! You've managed to enjoy what could have been the best military simulator.… Expand
  61. Broyax
    Apr 14, 2017
    2
    Arma 2 c'est 2 ! dont un point pour les jolis graphismes, si, si (même si c'est exigeant et pas qu'un peu : ce n'est pas la première machine venue qui fait tourner cette daube !). Et le premier point parce qu'on ne peut pas mettre 0 (zéro) hélas ; ça nous fait donc un navet.

    Comme tout ce que fait Bohemia Interactive depuis des années déjà, ce n'est pas vraiment un jeu : ce n'est donc    Arma 2 c'est 2 ! dont un point pour les jolis graphismes, si, si (même si c'est exigeant et pas qu'un peu : ce n'est pas la première machine venue qui fait tourner cette daube !). Et le premier point parce qu'on ne peut pas mettre 0 (zéro) hélas ; ça nous fait donc un navet.

    Comme tout ce que fait Bohemia Interactive depuis des années déjà, ce n'est pas vraiment un jeu : ce n'est donc ni amusant, ni distrayant, même vaguement. C'est blindé de bugs dans tous les sens (et une galère pour installer les patchs dans le bon ordre), l'interface est horrible et rien que les missions du didacticiel, c'est la croix. A ranger au rayon des infâmes étrons.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

61
#61 Best PC Game of 2009
14
#14 Most Discussed PC Game of 2009
45
#45 Most Shared PC Game of 2009

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
77

Generally favorable reviews - based on 38 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 23 out of 38
  2. Mixed: 15 out of 38
  3. Negative: 0 out of 38
  1. Gamers.at
    72
    It's a shame the developers obviously didn't have enough time to finish ArmA II properly before they shipped it: There are many bugs in the game and the AI's actions mostly just don't make sense at all. One piece of advice: Get patch 1.01 – with it the game is at least moderate fun. Still, we hope that some further patches will follow and fix ArmA II's major flaws so that it will finally become the great game it could be – next time, however, we'd like to see the game finished by the time of its release!
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  2. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    70
    The vast and open world of ArmA II offers an incomparable army experience. You only need to accept its slow pace and batch of unpleasant bugs. Still ArmA is the only matchless war toy.
  3. GameStar
    66
    ARMA 2 doesn't seem to be a finished game. The AI is cheating, physics and controls are out of date and the game is full of annoying bugs. That the game manages to look great from time to time doesn't help much. Hopefully Bohemia Interactive will release some patches soon. The game still has a lot of potential.
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