Bohemia Interactive, the creators of the ultra popular military shooter Operation Flashpoint, showed us the sequel to Operation Flashpoint at E3. If you were a fan of the original Operation Flashpoint or are looking forward to the Xbox version soon to be released, then you will be floored by the sequel in the works for the PC. This new title takes place in 2010 as war breaks out in Europe and Asia and you are part of the forces deployed to take action. Much like the first Operation Flashpoint, the game revolves around realistic military combat and attempts to accurately bring you a glimpse of how a real war zone would be. The game is split up into three chapters which is the only break from the start of the war until the end that there is in the game. In each chapter you will have different and increasing responsibilities as you improve your rank, rising from a grunt in the first chapter, to having a squad to command in the second and then a Special Forces group in the third.

Much to Operation Flashpoint’s reputation, there is no shortage of vehicles to be found here. Many of the vehicles in the game are based on real world designs of vehicles that are currently in development but are fully functional in game. The sequel still has the incredibly large battle zone and can handle hundreds of soldiers on screen at once while there will be hundreds of thousands actually in the world at one time. The behavior of the other soldiers is dynamic and not scripted which means the soldiers will do what they think they should be doing according to their surroundings. Civilians in the game will act the same way and will retain a memory of what they have experienced. If you ask someone if they have seen something, they will tell you they have if they have, and will tell you how long ago it was.

Much like the first game, weather will play a large role in this game as well. When it is rainy and stormy, it will affect the water and waves to make missions on boats more difficult as opposed to a clear day on calm seas. Sunny days will blind you if you are fighting towards the sun, giving the enemy the advantage and forcing you to reevaluate your strategy. Like the first game, the sequel will have a built in mission editor which will allow you to create your own missions and customize them however you see fit, right down to the changes in the weather. Online multiplayer will allow for full scale battles to take place and bring the action to a whole new level. Although the game won’t be out until late next year, keep your eyes open for more information, it is definitely shaping up to be one of the best military shooters out there.



Editor's Note: Operation Flashpoint 2 is not the official name of this game as Codemasters own the name 'Operation Flashpoint' and Bohemia Interactive has not signed a publishing agreement with the company at this time.