OpFlash: Fun But Flawed
Designed to realistically portray modern infantry combat, Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising - the second in the OpFlash series - is a first person, squad based, tactical shooter. Are you trying to turn me on?! Seriously though, bundle the aforementioned elements into one game and you have a product I’m very interested in. Granted OpFlash hasn’t come about at an optimal time for a military shooter. Modern Warfare 2 is just around the corner, and most gamers are biding their time, not to mention sealing their wallets, until the 10th of November is upon us. But many are missing one minute detail; Dragon Rising isn’t trying to be Call of Duty. It’s a different breed of game altogether, but is it worth a look-in?
The entirety of Dragon Rising takes place on the Japanese island of Skira, with your squad of 4 - including yourself - advancing through open terrain. There’s virtually no character development, so at no point will you bond with your allies as you endure the hardships of military life, nor will you understand the background or history of the soldier you control. In fact, in a game with zero cutscenes between campaigns (yes, you read that right), emotional attachment seems to have taken a backseat entirely. Yes, Dragon Rising really is all about the apathetic side of war. This will definitely be a problem for some, especially on the harder difficulties where voice acting is completely absent from the game leaving you with little connection to those around you, but OpFlash requires your mind to be on other matters. Get the mission done.
I don’t have anything derogatory to say about Alan Wake. My advice to you? Spend a night in Bright Falls and soak up the eerie atmosphere. Alan Wake excels at thrilling you psychologically. Which is why it’s called a psychological thriller, I guess…
