Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising

Simultaneously engaging and fun to play, Op Flash 2 will be enjoyed by all but the most staunch realism pedant. Given the slight scaling back of the unremittingly harsh difficulty of the first game, this sequel boasts more than enough authenticity to replicate more than just a modicum of what real war might be like.

Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising is an ultimate realistic shooter. For some this can be the reason to ignore this game. But for those who seek a good challenge, this is just the right shooter.

As real as it gets in the modern military shooter genre, Operation Flashpoint demands your mind be as sharp as your aim. Those seeking an FPS experience that's evolved passed Hollywood's version of war should definitely enlist, but anyone annoyed by one-shot deaths should probably stick to Call of Duty's frontlines.

Looking for a brutal war experience? Look no further than Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising.

A niche but incredibly satisfying FPS - if you can handle the realism. [Dec 2009, p.80]

A really deep shooter with ultra realistic gameplay. Graphics are a little bit poor, but the audio and gameplay are fantastic!

Operation Flashpoint 2 is a simulation, but it’s a simulation that is actually fun to play.

Fans of simulations and games like Socom – Confrontation can buy the game without any fears, all others should properly wait for Modern Warfare 2!

If you like playing co-op, or you don't mind trading moments of frustration for a smarter, slower war experience, this is recommended.

Maybe it lacks some innovation and graphics appeal, as if time had made expectations too great, but it is a very good first step for the series to continue.

Dragon Rising has become a very attractive and action packed shooter in a genre that's mostly associated with slow gameplay. This game could even be the missing link between hardcore and casual shooters. If you're looking for a lot of freedom, Dragon Rising isn’t that experience. Still, the game is a worthy successor of the first Operation Flashpoint.

Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising is more accessible in comparison with his predecessor, but is still very hard. Succeeding gives a lot of satisfaction. Your teammates respond pretty well on your commands, but sometimes like to go their own way. On the visual side the game is awful and the missions don’t give you the chance to explore the big island.

Codemasters has succeeded in the difficult task to bring back to life a famous IP, looking forward to a multiplatform future, which has just started. If you are among those people from the 'old school', feel free to add half point to the final mark. If you aren't, and are looking for an easy game, just do the opposite and look for another game.

If you’re after a shooting experience where progress is guaranteed and OTT set pieces are key, then this may not be the ideal game for you. If you’re looking for a proper challenge and a more serious slant on combat gameplay (and can cope with some sadistically spaced checkpoints), then Flashpoint is a very solid game in a relatively sparsely occupied field.

Minute attention to detail proves that slow and precise can still mean tense and exciting. [Dec 2009, p.81]

The freedom present means that no two missions will play out the same and the tense difficulty will challenge you to constantly improve your tactics. Just make sure you come in with the right expectations, because run and gunners need not apply.

When a single small arms shot can finish your game, the disconcerting staccato of an M4A1 Carbine or the bass of an exploding grenade somewhere in the distance is enough to create a palpable and exciting atmosphere on its own. [Dec 2009, p.112]

Operation Flashpoint isn't as instantly gratifying as Call of Duty or Battlefield: Bad Company, but give it time and you'll appreciate its unique flavor of war. [Holiday 2009, p.74]

I had fun with Dragon Rising, despite the fact that it consistently showed a lack of polish through weak artificial intelligence, middle of the road presentation, and its fair share of bugs.

It’s a high quality game, thanks to a lot of content and a very high level of realism.

There’s a lot of unrealized potential in Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising. I don’t believe the developers were able to squeeze as much out of the open world island warfare concept as they could have.

Engrossing. [Issue#185, p.79]

Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising will definitely please the fans of the series. The average player will stumble over the annoying radial and the difficulty. If you really want to enjoy this game, we suggest you go for the pc multiplayer, which undoubtedly will play more fluently than any console version.

An excellent shooter that, like so many, fails to deliver a flawless experience, Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising is a game that most everyone should play.

The stiff challenge of the single-player campaign and the quality, if not perfect, multiplayer component will keep skilled, patient gamers playing for hours. Unfortunately, this experience simply isn't tailored for home consoles.

Operation Flashpoint: Dragon rising had all the makings to be a spectacular game-of-the-year experience with its ultrarealism and open-world mission structure. Unfortunately for all those who expected wonders, it’s not going to happen.

This tactical military shooter delivers tense and engaging action, competently completing its objective in the face of AI blunders and occasional bugs.

Operation Flashpoint is a game aimed at the hardcore. It works but may not go down that well with the usual FPS crowd.

It’s got the freedom (partly) and it’s got realism (mostly) but it’s also badly designed with strict time limits, scarce checkpoints, bad AI, loads of bugs and a netcode that isn't worth a damn. It’s still rewarding though and it doesn’t have much competition on consoles. [Nov 2010]

Ultimately, I think Codemasters has got a lot of great ideas and gameplay elements in OFDR, but it just needed more time. There are too many rough edges here to make this easy to recommend to everyone.

It's an intriguing alternative to what has certainly become the high-action norm of the genre. If you can get past its fundamental shortcomings, you'll find that there's indeed something to this fresh, yet flawed experience.

It's definitely a brilliantly accurate recreation of real army life, but that's not always best for a great night's entertainment. [Nov 2009, p.106]

The important point is that the infantry-based action here is largely excellent, provided that you have the will-power to endure countless defeats. Death is never far away in Dragon Rising, and if you've not played a game like this before there's a good chance you'll love the lashings of tension that accompany each and every mission.

Basically, only play this game if your friends are willing to run at your side. When the game is functioning as intended, it can be brilliant. But don’t let your guard down. Problems will arise, and your most difficult challenge may be combating a bout of boredom.

A good, fun shooter that excels in multiplayer but fails to reach the heights it could have.

Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising is a challenge. It will challenge your perceptions of today’s shooters, challenge your ingrained behaviour but also challenge your patience.

Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising is a beautiful military simulator, with extreme draw distance and amazing attention to detail. But the multiplayer is lacking, with too few players and maps, and the single player campaign is a bit too short.

While it took me a while, I eventually warmed up to this game. The game play is spot on and everything seems to fit appropriately into this military sim. While the FPS crowd may not get what they are expecting, if they stay around they will find what I found, a gratifying experience.

If you're looking for a realistic warfare game and you only want co-op, Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising is going to be a good choice, otherwise you might as well wait for Modern Warfare 2.

A tactical military shooter that gives you a totally different experience than the usual action game in a war environment. It’s thrilling and when you succeed with a plan the reward is great. But there are problems; both friendly and enemy AI struggles and sometimes your team won’t listen to your orders. The game does get better when playing online with friends.