ARMA: Armed Assault - Gold Edition

This is the most complete war simulator you can get. It is a must have for everybody who wants to play for real. I have bought this one because it is the complete package. Armed Assault (version 1.08) so you do not have to download any updates for the game and it comes with the expansion pack Queens Gambit. Gameplay guaranteed for hours, weeks, months in the fantastic multplayer setting. And all this for the ridiculous low price that Play offers.

Some aspects of this game are fantastic, having played the original Operation Flashpoint (one of my favourite games) i thought this would be excellent also.
Despite lots of promise, and some very good missions, this game suffers from lack of testing and alot of bugs. One mission i couldn't actually complete on numerous occasions, because the AI was suppose to blow up bridges with me, but crashed en route and died. I waited for 5 minutes waiting for the call which never came...
There are numerous occasions like this, and quite frankly, I don't think thats good enough and completely spoils what could have been a very very good game.

If your looking for something to replace Operation Flashpoint then this isnt it. If your looking for something to fill in your time until Operation Flashpoint 2 then this is it. This game is great in so many way's but it's let down by some rather nasty issues. Ill list the pro's and con's as follows:

Pros
[+] Beatiful looking game and with community mods can look ever nicer.
[+] Very realistic to play, with bullet drop, wind speed, detailed weapons and equipment.
[+] Great mission and modding tool's to create your own battlefields and missions.
[+] It has great missions and storylines.
[+] Drop-In Multiplayer is brilliant but to get the most from MP, try to join a gaming group/community.

Cons
[-] Updating the game is a nightmare. Multi-patch for various providers of the game aswell as some patchs wont even install. This is rare though.
[-] There are some nasty bugs that still havnt been fixed. Some user's still get the 'no sound' bug that stops all sound from the game.
[-] Support from the developer is very poor and if you need help I suggest a fansite.
[-] The game is far too short even with Queens Gambit expansion.
[-] Very little documention on the game's website or Wiki page for the mission tools. Again I recommend a fansite for those.

Overall, if you don't mind the minor bugs, the lack of support or if your looking for a OpFlashpoint filler or even just a decent MilSim game then this will do you. If your wanting a game to play for the next 5 years? Wait till Januray 09 for Operation Flashpoint 2.

I'll start by saying that this is the best game i've played in a long time, fans of flashpoint will recognise and love this. The bugs which other people complain about have largely been fixed in patches, and a brilliant new half-RTS game mode is in the latest patch. The modding community has done outstanding work, so it should keep you entertained for weeks. It doesn't get 5 stars simply because it takes a huge toll on your computer, even on lower graphics settings, and the controls could be a lot tighter, resulting in a lot less death. ANYWAY. Buy it.

This game has a huge modding community behind it which has now started realeasing some really good materials.

You need 2 gig ram though because the game is played on a huge life size island and with graphics at highest settings it can bog down.

The game focuses on life like tactical gameplay and has a slower more realistic pace.

this game is for real tactical buffs - the old school gamers who prefer their kicks the way Ghost recon and rainbow six used to be - tactics heavy. So be warned this is not anything like Battlefield 2 or call of duty its simulation style but if thats your cup of tea then your in for some great fun.