What's the ArmA III campaign like compared to ArmA II and its DLC?

[redswirl 10]

I'm thinking about buying this game but I still have no idea what the singleplayer content is like and I actually don't intend to do multiplayer.

I liked the ArmA II main campaign and the DLC stuff a lot, when it actually worked properly. Is ArmA III's drastically different in terms of design?

[miketim 20]

Yes, ArmA 3 does have a drastically different campagin in terms of design.

It is more open in some respects but you can play it, to some extent in a "linear" fashion.

Please ask me some specific questions so I can help you determine if you want it.

[redswirl 10]

How is it even MORE open than ArmA II's campaign? What I liked about ArmA II was specifically how open-ended its missions were (compared to most of today's shooters). It doesn't try to do anything on the level of the last ArmA II mission does it? Is it more or less buggy than ArmA II's missions?

[Jona33 51]

I didn't play the ARMA II campaign but this is based on what I've heard about it. The "Warfare" commanding mode is completely gone, the focus is much more on infantry + some combined arms combat. In terms of open world the middle episode is best for this, in both the story missions and the optional "scouting" missions. You can explore the north western side of Altis for hours at a time if you wish (which is pretty damn big, especially since you'll do most of it on foot, using a vehicle is asking for trouble.) In terms of the story missions (again talking about the middle episode here) you generally get a lot of freedom on how you want to do it. E.g. one of the missions took around 2 hours of ingame time (and quite a bit more playing time because of some reverts, I could make my attack from any direction, I could make a choice, I could pick up extra squad members from a recon element, I could attack the entire garrison or try and sneak in. As for buggy, I've heard horror stories about ARMA IIs campaign, you'll occasionally hit bugs in the ARMA III campaign but I'm replaying it at the moment (literally I just alt tabbed out.) and I don't think I've hit major game breaking bugs.

Edited June 23, 2014 by Jona33

[redswirl 10]

So there are optional missions? That's cool. ArmA II's campaign has a linear set of missions but each one takes place in a pretty wide area with multiple objectives. I was just wondering what ArmA III is like compared to that.

[ceeeb 147]

Compared to Arma 2, Arma 3 has many smaller, more linear missions with one or two clear objectives. The player does have some choice in the order they complete the missions, and can also choose to go "on patrol" and complete minor recon/patrol objectives (the problem is you patrol alone).

As far as I could tell, doing the missions in a different order has no effect beyond time of day in subsequent missions, and the only benefit I noticed from completing patrol objectives may be some extra weapons or ammo at base.

[Jona33 51]

So there are optional missions? That's cool. ArmA II's campaign has a linear set of missions but each one takes place in a pretty wide area with multiple objectives. I was just wondering what ArmA III is like compared to that.

Yeah, the first episode consists of fairly short quite scripted missions, the third episode missions tend to be short as well but with a bit more freedom and more awesomeness! (That's all I'm going to say on that, much more fun to find out for yourself. :D The big missions are basically in the second episode, altogether the thing is 25 main missions I believe (plus the scouting missions.)

[wattywatts 76]

can also choose to go "on patrol" and complete minor recon/patrol objectives (the problem is you patrol alone).

No you don't :)

[ceeeb 147]

Thanks for the correction, I'll have to play the campaign through again

[rollnloop 2]

To this old casual arma serie player, arma 3 has the best campaign in the serie, on par with old operation flashpoint (now called arma cold war iirc).

Simple enough, opened enough, long enough, with infantry focus. Play it and enjoy.

[Variable 322]

with infantry focus.

Saying there is infantry focus is misleading. There are ONLY infantry missions. To me, it was disappointing.

[laverniusregalis 10]

Saying there is infantry focus is misleading. There are ONLY infantry missions. To me, it was disappointing.

What? Patrols had vehicles, as well as the last few missions. Not as much as I wanted but it's still there.

[Wiki 1558]

Agree with Variable

[Variable 322]

What? Patrols had vehicles, as well as the last few missions. Not as much as I wanted but it's still there.

Infantry riding in vehicles is still infantry. However, we didn't get to play as pilots in choppers or jets, or commanding gunning or driving a tank.

[laverniusregalis 10]

Infantry riding in vehicles is still infantry. However, we didn't get to play as pilots in choppers or jets, or commanding gunning or driving a tank.

True, that was only present in those showcase levels so far. I want to see another good tank mission series like what we had in Cold War Crisis.

[mistyronin 1181]

True, that was only present in those showcase levels so far. I want to see another good tank mission series like what we had in Cold War Crisis.

Agree. Maybe adding it as optional?

[Wiki 1558]

True, that was only present in those showcase levels so far. I want to see another good tank mission series like what we had in Cold War Crisis.

Play my campaign Aegean Spear (and support / vote for it ^^), I'm working on making an OFP style campaign :-)

[Sub-Human 10]

It's a lot like Flashpoint's Cold War Crisis campaigns - the '85 and Resistance (combined into one). There's no contemporary anti-insurgency that you saw in ArmA 2.