Intense difficulty to reflect the harsh realities of war? Check.
Wide open world full of vehicles to control? Check.
Huge and long-lived modding scene? Check.
Mission editor that's easy to use, yet capable of making missions of developer level (or better)? Check.
Addictive, cooperative-focused multiplayer with huge number of possible scenarios? Check.
So realistic that it served as the basis for a military training simulator? Check.
First game its creators ever made? Check.
With all of the above in its favor, I couldn't dislike Operation Flashpoint for its sub-par graphics, goofy voice acting, unintuitive controls and balancing issues, I couldn't then, and I can't now. Despite (or perhaps partially because of) its flaws, OFP delivers a unique, memorable experience that's in a whole different league to mainstream war shooters.
In my opinion, OFP is just as thrilling as an action-packed blockbuster like Call of Duty, but in a fundamentally different way. You can and sometimes do go for ten minutes or more without even being shot at. If you're careful (and lucky), it's possible to complete many combat missions without even being hit... but every time you are shot at, it's scary and thrilling, because you know that it only takes one bullet in the right place to kill you instantly. That fear, that strong sense of mortality... war games just don't feel complete to me without it.
VideoGame The best war simulator
With all of the above in its favor, I couldn't dislike Operation Flashpoint for its sub-par graphics, goofy voice acting, unintuitive controls and balancing issues, I couldn't then, and I can't now. Despite (or perhaps partially because of) its flaws, OFP delivers a unique, memorable experience that's in a whole different league to mainstream war shooters.
In my opinion, OFP is just as thrilling as an action-packed blockbuster like Call of Duty, but in a fundamentally different way. You can and sometimes do go for ten minutes or more without even being shot at. If you're careful (and lucky), it's possible to complete many combat missions without even being hit... but every time you are shot at, it's scary and thrilling, because you know that it only takes one bullet in the right place to kill you instantly. That fear, that strong sense of mortality... war games just don't feel complete to me without it.