High hopes for the campaign

[sic-disaster 311]

First off I'll start by saying that I've been playing OFP:CWC pretty much since release day, then ArmA, then ArmA 2. The campaign of OFP:CWC was pure brilliance and I had amazing times with it. I've played it many times.

Then ArmA came, and the campaign in it SUCKED such utter balls, it's hard to know where to start. It was just horrendous in every possible way.

ArmA 2 arrived, and it's campaign fared slightly better. While quite broken at the release, once patched and reasonably fixed it was OK. It tried to make a connection with characters again, the opening mission was really cool, but then quite immediately threw you into the deep end, which for me wasn't much of a problem due to having plenty experience with the series. The mission where you had to find two warlords while having a heli insertion/extraction available was very enjoyable too, but as the campaign progressed (after Manhattan) it got less interesting. My biggest problem was that for most of the time, you were just a 4-man SF squad, which is not what made me fall in love with OFP and the series. I love being an infantryman. In the end the campaign still didn't quite do it for me.

ArmA 3 seems to head back into the direction of the regular infantry, and from what I've heard the campaign is going to be more like OFP's again.

Today I just dove in and played the new Armed Assault showcase. And good God, I loved it. The engagement was big, I was part of an infantry squad again, the voice-acting was good, the firefights engaging, and the objectives quite varied and interesting.

And when I cleared the minefield at the end of the mission, and a Bobcat moved in to push a wreck off the road, I could have applauded. Brilliant! BIS seem to be back on their game mission-wise.

If more of the campaign missions are like this, I am in for a wonderfully good time!