Exentenzed
06-01-2011, 11:21 AM
Prolouge:
After the nasty breakup bewteen Codemasters and Bohemia Interactive in the wake of the first Operation Flashpoint game, the series have pretty much been split in two. Most people with an interest for tactical wargames that features harsh realism probably have noticed that Bohemia started the Armed Assault (ArmA) franchise, while Codemasters kept the rights to the lengendary Operation Flashpoint name.
Bohemia have managed on their end to give out their second ArmA game that came out in the middle of 2009. Red River is Codemasters second addition to the revitalized Operation Flashpoint series, after they came out with Dragon Rising in 2009.
Part 1.
Operation Flashpoint Red River is a tactical Wargame set in 2013. After ISAF forces have managed to get control over most parts of Afghanistan, the rest of Al-Qaida has escaped over the mountains and into the old soviet republic of Tadsjikistan. Even though this most likely is a part of the world you have never heard of, you and the rest of the US Marines have got the job to hunt down the rebels so the small country isnt turned into another Afghanistan.
http://static.gamer.no/images/8/850/85007/9b0bfbf154cc58e21b8568fbbeeb1be3_OFRR_Screenshots_ April_2011_01_1280x720.f.jpg
Red River is trying to place itself inbetween the realism that the fans of the original Operation Flashpoint game and ArmA wants, and the "feeling" of war that the Battlefield franchise provides.
In many ways it right to say that Operation Flashpoint is starting to settle in a important place in the genreterrain. It's not as much a realistic wargame than it is a tactical shooter, and thus it filles up a slot that Ubisoft and Tom Clancy seems to have abandoned. (Rainbow Six, Ghost Recon).
Red River does a very good job at creating the right mood in the game. They have managed to make of a good description of how modern soldiers act in war. Even though the story itself dosen't realy deserve an Oscar, it is a continuous focus on the team as a whole and a convincing jargon helps to pull you deeper into the experience.
There is no doubt in my mind that those involved in its development knows what its all about. Established tactics and behavior based much on the basis of experience and the response to the allied soldiers have been forced to engage in conflict solution in particular Afghanistan, and if you havent been a soldier or dont have an over the top interest in military lingo, you might not understand the dialogue completely.
Red River is good at shedding light on relevant issues for soldiers in these areas today. Ambush, mobile triggered roadside bombs, and how to win the trust of the people are all examples of issues the game takes up. I have also seen few games to bring out the dynamics of the team set-up that the U.S. Marines operates with, where one team consists of three, four man fireteams that are commanded by a staff sergeant.
http://static.gamer.no/images/8/850/85017/287fddcae16914537ea3cb13839a25ad_ofrr_screenshots_ jan2011_18_tif_jpgcopy_1280x720.f.jpg
Part 2.
The game works the way that you give the other three in your fireteam commands while you are participating in the battle itself. The command system works great on console as well as on PC, using an intuitive system makes it easy to command you're troops even when the lead flies past your head. The AI has certainly improved since last time, but both friendly and enemy soldiers have sometimes a tendency to behave both recklessly and idiotic - which puts a little damper on the wonderful atmosphere.
Most missions is set up so you recive orders from you staff sergeant, and gets to know either visually or over communication where the other two fireteams in your team is located. This gives the feeling that you are working with someone towards a common goal, and breaks down the "lonely man saves the universe" feeling that many shooters tends to offer today.
Although the game area is a national park compared to, for example, Call of Duty games, you get the feeling that one has to reach point X, Y before a event occurs. The game fully guides you not so subtly to your destination, and unless you set up the difficulty level (which largely removes the visual interface and points) you will all the time get a signal colored dot that tells you where the **** is going down.
The game could probably, from a tactical standpoint, toned down its need to tell you what to do in terms of choices and the like. Yet, if we disregard that one might get a little more than a lot of information, the system is far from destroyed. It will after all get you from A to B, and if you think that it is only to call yourself Master Chief and run on, then you are wrong. Red River is like its predecessor reasonable relentless when it comes to the game's actual shooting mechanics.
Act like an idiot, and you are on the way home in a coffin before you have taken your first reload. Unlike many other shooters, the bullets are very deadly in the game. It has taken on more elements of realism, like bullet drop, gunshot wounds and the like. Even though you can patch yourself up multiple times by holding a first-aid bag in front of your face, you have to get to cover and use about 10-20 seconds on this. It isnt enough to just sit down behind a wall and wait a couple of seconds when you see red on your screen.
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_VTnDFT33Dt0/TTkb4IqzH9I/AAAAAAAAHwU/UYO4P1f9STk/s1600/OFRR_Screenshot_Dec10_09%2B%2528Custom%2529.jpg
Now some might argue that this relentless approach is too old and weak when it comes to design, because lets face it, it's extremely annoying to get shot in the head by a guy you never saw. On the other hand its things like this that makes the game so much more satisfying, you know you have to keep your head down and be aware of your surroundings, or else its home in a body bag before to long.
Now Red River is a game that is best played when you have 3 other people in your fireteam, the moments that is created when you and 3 of your friends completes objectives can be immensly gratifying. And co-op is the franchise's common denominator. In addition to the campaign there is also a couple of single mission scenarios, somewhat the same as Spec Ops mode from Call of Duty MW2.
One of these missions would basicly chopper your team into a small village with the objective of holding it as long as possible and racking up score by taking down waves of enemies, just like Horde mode in Gears of War 2, there is a twist though, if your team dies the score is set to 0, so when you feel you can't hold on any longer, you have to huff it to the extraction zone for exfil by chopper. Trust me, great fun.
Experience Level Systems has evolved to become a standard in shooters, and Red River is no exception. The game has four different soldier classes that you can play, (Rifleman, Grenadier, Sniper, Auto Rifleman) and your achievements in the field gives you experience points which in turn gives you access to new weapons and new equipment. You can modify your soldier to be the way you want ahead of the missions, which provides more freedom of choice, especially when playing with others.
http://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/redriver.jpg
There is not much to complain on about the production of the game. It dosent have the same breathtaking cinematics as their AD/HD brothers, but great menus and a nice visual interface provides a feeling of quality, the like of such as Bohemia Interactive are unable to achieve.
It is only when you come to the audiovisual expression that it lacks a little.
Few games possess the quality of Battlefield: Bad Company 2 when it comes to this, and Red River is probably a few horse lengths behind. I'm not saying the game should have the same sound, for this is two games that certainly is different in nature. What I miss is more "fullness" in the sounds that are there. a bomb may not go off every other second, but then one should hear other sounds. Give me the feeling of beeing present. More ambiance!
A bit of the same applies to the game's graphics page. Areas have a nice visual features, and graphics engine seems to be good at providing a large field of view. I still think it could have been a little more polishing on the graphic elements that are relatively close in view, as they quickly perceived as a bit faded. The physics of the vehicles is not the game's strongest sides, and cliche enough as it is, I wish it was a little more pep in the explosions and a little more dynamics in the environment.
Conclusion.
Operation Flashpoint: Red River continues where its predecessor left off, and the franchise seems to find a place between Battlefield, and the war simulator Armed Assault. The game is first and foremost a tactical shooter that leans slightly against both extremes in the quest for the best recipe.
The game has a nice feel with its military jargon and understanding, while providing a seemingly good and authentic picture of how a typical military conflict anno 2013 looks like.
Codemasters does not do very many things wrong, and it is so much more appropriate to complain that they do not do things well enough. I love how this game has been co-op characterized, but for those who play alone, a slightly more stable artificial intelligence have been preferable. I would also like to see deeper variation in mission design, as well as a more polished audio-visual.
As a PC game Red River is one of the best tactical shooters of modern date, and although the game is essentially the same on the Console, it is probably too easy for those who still sits with ArmA II. Anyway, there is no good reason why such a good cooperative game can not be played by anyone who is at least interested in tactical shooters.
7/10
A bit of Gameplay for those who have additional questions, this video might clarify it for you.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8go2ojTDW4
After the nasty breakup bewteen Codemasters and Bohemia Interactive in the wake of the first Operation Flashpoint game, the series have pretty much been split in two. Most people with an interest for tactical wargames that features harsh realism probably have noticed that Bohemia started the Armed Assault (ArmA) franchise, while Codemasters kept the rights to the lengendary Operation Flashpoint name.
Bohemia have managed on their end to give out their second ArmA game that came out in the middle of 2009. Red River is Codemasters second addition to the revitalized Operation Flashpoint series, after they came out with Dragon Rising in 2009.
Part 1.
Operation Flashpoint Red River is a tactical Wargame set in 2013. After ISAF forces have managed to get control over most parts of Afghanistan, the rest of Al-Qaida has escaped over the mountains and into the old soviet republic of Tadsjikistan. Even though this most likely is a part of the world you have never heard of, you and the rest of the US Marines have got the job to hunt down the rebels so the small country isnt turned into another Afghanistan.
http://static.gamer.no/images/8/850/85007/9b0bfbf154cc58e21b8568fbbeeb1be3_OFRR_Screenshots_ April_2011_01_1280x720.f.jpg
Red River is trying to place itself inbetween the realism that the fans of the original Operation Flashpoint game and ArmA wants, and the "feeling" of war that the Battlefield franchise provides.
In many ways it right to say that Operation Flashpoint is starting to settle in a important place in the genreterrain. It's not as much a realistic wargame than it is a tactical shooter, and thus it filles up a slot that Ubisoft and Tom Clancy seems to have abandoned. (Rainbow Six, Ghost Recon).
Red River does a very good job at creating the right mood in the game. They have managed to make of a good description of how modern soldiers act in war. Even though the story itself dosen't realy deserve an Oscar, it is a continuous focus on the team as a whole and a convincing jargon helps to pull you deeper into the experience.
There is no doubt in my mind that those involved in its development knows what its all about. Established tactics and behavior based much on the basis of experience and the response to the allied soldiers have been forced to engage in conflict solution in particular Afghanistan, and if you havent been a soldier or dont have an over the top interest in military lingo, you might not understand the dialogue completely.
Red River is good at shedding light on relevant issues for soldiers in these areas today. Ambush, mobile triggered roadside bombs, and how to win the trust of the people are all examples of issues the game takes up. I have also seen few games to bring out the dynamics of the team set-up that the U.S. Marines operates with, where one team consists of three, four man fireteams that are commanded by a staff sergeant.
http://static.gamer.no/images/8/850/85017/287fddcae16914537ea3cb13839a25ad_ofrr_screenshots_ jan2011_18_tif_jpgcopy_1280x720.f.jpg
Part 2.
The game works the way that you give the other three in your fireteam commands while you are participating in the battle itself. The command system works great on console as well as on PC, using an intuitive system makes it easy to command you're troops even when the lead flies past your head. The AI has certainly improved since last time, but both friendly and enemy soldiers have sometimes a tendency to behave both recklessly and idiotic - which puts a little damper on the wonderful atmosphere.
Most missions is set up so you recive orders from you staff sergeant, and gets to know either visually or over communication where the other two fireteams in your team is located. This gives the feeling that you are working with someone towards a common goal, and breaks down the "lonely man saves the universe" feeling that many shooters tends to offer today.
Although the game area is a national park compared to, for example, Call of Duty games, you get the feeling that one has to reach point X, Y before a event occurs. The game fully guides you not so subtly to your destination, and unless you set up the difficulty level (which largely removes the visual interface and points) you will all the time get a signal colored dot that tells you where the **** is going down.
The game could probably, from a tactical standpoint, toned down its need to tell you what to do in terms of choices and the like. Yet, if we disregard that one might get a little more than a lot of information, the system is far from destroyed. It will after all get you from A to B, and if you think that it is only to call yourself Master Chief and run on, then you are wrong. Red River is like its predecessor reasonable relentless when it comes to the game's actual shooting mechanics.
Act like an idiot, and you are on the way home in a coffin before you have taken your first reload. Unlike many other shooters, the bullets are very deadly in the game. It has taken on more elements of realism, like bullet drop, gunshot wounds and the like. Even though you can patch yourself up multiple times by holding a first-aid bag in front of your face, you have to get to cover and use about 10-20 seconds on this. It isnt enough to just sit down behind a wall and wait a couple of seconds when you see red on your screen.
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_VTnDFT33Dt0/TTkb4IqzH9I/AAAAAAAAHwU/UYO4P1f9STk/s1600/OFRR_Screenshot_Dec10_09%2B%2528Custom%2529.jpg
Now some might argue that this relentless approach is too old and weak when it comes to design, because lets face it, it's extremely annoying to get shot in the head by a guy you never saw. On the other hand its things like this that makes the game so much more satisfying, you know you have to keep your head down and be aware of your surroundings, or else its home in a body bag before to long.
Now Red River is a game that is best played when you have 3 other people in your fireteam, the moments that is created when you and 3 of your friends completes objectives can be immensly gratifying. And co-op is the franchise's common denominator. In addition to the campaign there is also a couple of single mission scenarios, somewhat the same as Spec Ops mode from Call of Duty MW2.
One of these missions would basicly chopper your team into a small village with the objective of holding it as long as possible and racking up score by taking down waves of enemies, just like Horde mode in Gears of War 2, there is a twist though, if your team dies the score is set to 0, so when you feel you can't hold on any longer, you have to huff it to the extraction zone for exfil by chopper. Trust me, great fun.
Experience Level Systems has evolved to become a standard in shooters, and Red River is no exception. The game has four different soldier classes that you can play, (Rifleman, Grenadier, Sniper, Auto Rifleman) and your achievements in the field gives you experience points which in turn gives you access to new weapons and new equipment. You can modify your soldier to be the way you want ahead of the missions, which provides more freedom of choice, especially when playing with others.
http://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/redriver.jpg
There is not much to complain on about the production of the game. It dosent have the same breathtaking cinematics as their AD/HD brothers, but great menus and a nice visual interface provides a feeling of quality, the like of such as Bohemia Interactive are unable to achieve.
It is only when you come to the audiovisual expression that it lacks a little.
Few games possess the quality of Battlefield: Bad Company 2 when it comes to this, and Red River is probably a few horse lengths behind. I'm not saying the game should have the same sound, for this is two games that certainly is different in nature. What I miss is more "fullness" in the sounds that are there. a bomb may not go off every other second, but then one should hear other sounds. Give me the feeling of beeing present. More ambiance!
A bit of the same applies to the game's graphics page. Areas have a nice visual features, and graphics engine seems to be good at providing a large field of view. I still think it could have been a little more polishing on the graphic elements that are relatively close in view, as they quickly perceived as a bit faded. The physics of the vehicles is not the game's strongest sides, and cliche enough as it is, I wish it was a little more pep in the explosions and a little more dynamics in the environment.
Conclusion.
Operation Flashpoint: Red River continues where its predecessor left off, and the franchise seems to find a place between Battlefield, and the war simulator Armed Assault. The game is first and foremost a tactical shooter that leans slightly against both extremes in the quest for the best recipe.
The game has a nice feel with its military jargon and understanding, while providing a seemingly good and authentic picture of how a typical military conflict anno 2013 looks like.
Codemasters does not do very many things wrong, and it is so much more appropriate to complain that they do not do things well enough. I love how this game has been co-op characterized, but for those who play alone, a slightly more stable artificial intelligence have been preferable. I would also like to see deeper variation in mission design, as well as a more polished audio-visual.
As a PC game Red River is one of the best tactical shooters of modern date, and although the game is essentially the same on the Console, it is probably too easy for those who still sits with ArmA II. Anyway, there is no good reason why such a good cooperative game can not be played by anyone who is at least interested in tactical shooters.
7/10
A bit of Gameplay for those who have additional questions, this video might clarify it for you.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8go2ojTDW4