Una preview en la pagina Destructoid:
Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising, is a game that acts as a pseudo-sequel to the original Operation Flashpoint back from 2001. While the studios are different, and the team behind it has a slightly different focus, the overall goal remains the same, to make the most realistic FPS on the market. I had a chance to check out the multiplayer component of the game earlier this week, and get some real hands-on time.
Is this game for everyone? Probably not, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Much like there are franchises like Gran Turismo contrasted by Mario Kart, something like Halo is going to need a solid, realistic contrast. That's pretty much the direction Codemasters has taken with this game. Of course, it's a little hard to explain in an introductory paragraph, so you might want to follow the jump to understand what I mean.
Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)
Developer: Codemasters
Publisher: Codemasters
To be released: October 6, 2009Plain and simple, Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising is all about realism. From the way that guns poop off shots, bazookas rocket out shells, all the way to the reloading animation (5-7 seconds *gasp*), everything was designed with real military men in mind. Sion Lenton, the Executive Producer of Operation Flashpoint, even mentioned that “people who have served can play this game a lot better than gamers,” which, if true, is a real testament to realism of Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising.
But it's not just guns that are real. When you call in strikes, or launch a particularly nasty rocket shell, dust and smoke really do get in the way, and the last thing you want to do is run right into it. The health system, instead of relying on health packs or regenerative health, you use field dressing. The character's body is broken up into components, and when you get shot, you'll start bleeding, and from there you have to get to a safe spot to patch yourself up.
I'll be real here, it doesn't take much to die in this game, so I didn't spend too much time healing up (instead, dying), but this component is really cool all the same. Even the running speed is a natural human trot, never that full throttle sprint you'll see in other FPS. What Codemasters seems to have here is a slower, more thoughtful FPS. You're always going to be on the look out for cover, and even then, you know that you're only one shot away from being dead.
Graphically, I was at once disappointed and impressed. First, I'll be blunt, the level they initially showed off is a full chromatic spectrum of brown. I hate brown games. Thankfully, from what the PC builds showed off, and what these screenshots attest to is that this isn't a completely brown game. And considering the “realism” factor, I suppose Codemasters can get away with it. However, the graphical difference between the PC and the console versions was more than a little noticeable. Expect some jagged trees and grass with the console versions. Draw distances for both versions, however, were stunning, something really worth appreciating.
Gameplay-wise, it seems that since the game is designed with a slower pace in mind. You won't be sprinting across a field, nor will you be bunny hopping all over the place. Man cannons will not be in this game. As well, the controls are fairly complex, but after a few minutes, I was able to figure things out no problem. Plot-wise, we are dealing with a fictionalized island off of Japan, and the conflicts dealing with that. While the plot of Americans dealing with Russians and Chinese over a Japanese island doesn't seem terribly interesting, at least to me, I can tell that the dev team worked hard to make a fully realized island of Skira.
Considering this is a multiplayer event, I should mention the modes. Mostly what I played was the co-op campaign. We have the options of playing different character types, from generic solider to a medic type. I played a sniping solider engineer/sniper, which proved pretty satisfying. The three of us worked together following the compass to certain points, blowing crap up, and shooting dudes. There were some buggy issues in the build (body animations, missing enemies), but working together with a squad was fun. A solid 4-player squad across the 11 missions looks promising. This squad component is really important, as the different multiplayer modes, especially on the consoles, require the use of bots.
There are two main versus modes, other than the co-op. There is some major differences between the PC and the console versions, which I'll mention here. First, there is Annihilation, where you must defeat the opposing team. On the consoles, it can only go up to 4v4, with each player playing one and ordering a squad of three. The PC version can handle a solid 32-person, 16v16 player matches. Infiltration is more of a sneaking mode, where one team holds a defensive position, and the other must take over. This too, follows the rules of 16v16 on PC, 4v4 on consoles.
What I came away with is that Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising is certainly not a game for everyone. It's slower paced, much more realistic, and you kind of have to think before making an action. Some people won't get it. However, for those that do, Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising holds promise, and with promised DLC of more multiplayer modes, this should get even better post launch.
Y otra preview pero esta vez en gamespot y centrándose en el multijugador:
"This is not really a Rambo game."
So Says Codermasters executive producer Sion Lenton of the upcoming Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. He's not exaggerating either--in this hyper-realistic first-person shooter, going lone wolf will often get you cut down in the line of fire. Success in Dragon Rising, therefore, is measured in steps where every decision you make on the battlefield needs to be carefully considered and expertly executed. Codemasters reps, including Lenton, recently visited GameSpot offices to show off the multiplayer modes in the game, which look to be just as demanding as those found when playing solo.
There's a fair bit of lore in Dragon Rising's near-future campaign setting, but the essential facts are these: The year is 2011 and China, Russia, and the US are feuding over an oil-rich island off the eastern coast of Russia. The island, known as Skira, is a real place, though Lenton told us that the in-game layout of Skira is actually based on an Alaskan island deemed to be more topographically interesting than the real thing. The campaign follows the fire teams on the ground as they look to sort out the Skira kerfuffle in the only way that makes sense in video games: gunning it out.
Though you can play the campaign solo or with a friend via co-operative play, our focus was on the game's multiplayer modes. There are two modes to speak of: Annihilation and Infiltration. Annihilation mode is essentially Deathmatch with two teams going up against one another on a specific section of Skira. Infiltration mode tasks teams with certain objectives--one team might look to assault and destroy a specific target, for example. The difference here is that the attacking team will have fewer forces at hand but will be better equipped, while the defending force will have more numbers but fewer weapons at hand.
In both Annihilation and Infiltration modes, each human player involved in a match will have a squad of three AI-controlled soldiers. Just as in the single-player game, you'll be able to issue orders to your squadmates, essentially making them an effective part of your attack (or defense). The command radial menu at your disposal is unchanged from the single-player game and will let you set targets for your squadmates to maneuver to, as well as set more specific orders, such as formation and specific rules of engagement. As Lenton told us, the AI squadmates have been designed to be self-sufficient and a help in battle (they even have minds of their own, it seems, and won't run willy-nilly into a kill zone despite your direct orders). At the same time, the AI commands are specific enough for players who want to dig deeper into the menus and really micromanage their fellow soldiers.
In the Annihilation match we watched, two teams of forces battled it out in a timed match, with both teams looking to take control of a bridge that acted as a choke point on the map. The same realistic injury model is fully in place in multiplayer--where one shot can take you out or severely injure you. If you take a bullet in the arm, your aim will be affected; if you take one in the leg, you'll be hobbling...and leaking blood all the while. If you don't get patched up, either by a medic or with a medikit in your pack, it'll be over for you. Despite the game's huge maps, you'll be respawned near any of your surviving squadmates; though if you all die, you'll respawn back at the start, which can result in quite a hike to get back to the action.
In the Infiltration match we saw, the attacking team's long hike to the objective gave the defending team time to set up the defenses. With more troops at your disposal, you can instruct squads to man strategic points, such as sandbag placements or mounted guns, as you wait for the attack to begin. The special ops team--armed with better weapons like sniper rifles, mines, and so on--will need to do some recon before they attack to try to figure out where enemy troops are stationed.
Running on the Ego engine that also powers Codemasters' racing games, such as the Dirt and Gird series, Dragon Rising has a look all its own. It is one that, according to Lenton, borrows more inspiration from war-time documentaries than feature films. As a result, the game's got a grimy look to it, full of sophisticated particle effects that add a layer of grit and haze to your surroundings and makes enemy soldiers that are already tough to find in the huge levels that much more difficult to spot.
Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising is about as far from run-and-gun action as you can imagine, and that slower pace will require a measure of patience on behalf of the player who will need to front-load lots of planning into a level before the bullets start flying. Those with a head for strategy, heads up: Dragon Rising is set for deployment on October 6.
Salu2.