Just bought ARMAII. Anyone played it/have any thoughts. I've never played the first one so I'm quite curious. I'll post a mini review when I've had a good go. Its nice to see for once though that my PC matches the 'optimal' requirements on the back of the box

Out of interest, what are the optimal requirements? I'm interested to see if my PC matches up...

Quad Core or a fast Dual (Core2Duo 2.8 or Athlon X2 4400+)
2GB RAM
8800GT or 4850 512MB with SM3.0 or greater

Well I was up until 2am 'testing' the game. Oh my god.... sooooo tired.

First impressions are good. The gameplay is very immersive and I felt much more involved than say playing COD4. When sniper shots crack through the air and tracers (I was on a night mission) light up the sky you start to appreciate the realism. Combat is also good. Not gun-ho run and shooot either. It was steady progress, working as a team, taking cover and flanking a very tricky AI enemy. So far so good.

The graphics aren't Crysis pretty but do the job suitably well. With the latest patch you can turn the AA right up but this is where my 8800GT started to show its age a little. With the AA off though most graphics detail could be set to high, some to very high. I decided on balance to get a good framerate to have settings a mix of normal and high @ 1680x1050. With this the graphics looked more 'sim' than fps but then thats what it is. They're functional and allow you to get on with the gameplay which is what this game is all about.

Audio was good. My only gripe is the volume. I had to turn the music off and the effect and radio to the lowest setting to be able to communicate with team mates on Skype. Its THAT loud. The noise of an A10 Thunderbolt flying overhead at a few hundred feet is worth the game price alone. I was ON the battlefield.

Just a quick first impression review then. Overall ARMA II is shaping up nicely. Being able to play with friends and using voice comms to sort out strategies and positions, etc is where this game gains plus points for me. Its much more immersive and involved than a typical first person shooter but thankfully isnt so complex and difficult that its not fun to play. I had a ball last night and am already looking forward to the next game!

A solid 8/10.

(P.S. have also just ordered a GTX275 from overclockers.co.uk. I've been waiting for an excuse to upgrade the 8800. I might even have a go on Cryis now. I didnt dare bother with the 'old' card)

Hmm... now you've got me interested

I may have to join you online. (If you don't mind?)

I haven't played a good online game for well over a year and that was WoW.

Not really played a good online FPS since BF2.

It definately worth playing with mates. I'll sort out my favourite servers and let you know where I'm playing. I'm not even sure yet if there is a 'friends' list, I just jumped straight into the action. I was playing last night just as Phil but when I sort it out properly I'll use Veato.

A very cool demo of the ARMA 2 AI in action.



CLICKY

OK, I've decided against a shiny new PS3 game and opted for ARMA II. I've never tried a serious army-type simulation "game" before, so I'll probably be complete [LIFTED].

Any pointers before I get mauled? Perhaps we could have x404 matches.

Just do some single player first to get to grips. You'll have all the basics down in an hour.

Is it on Steam or do I have to go and actually buy it?!

I think it's on Steam, though it's only £20 from Amazon.

http://www.zavvi.co.uk/zavvi/10044005.product

Cheapest I can find it

Woah! I'll have to add that sits to my favourites! Never browsed it before.

Damn it, I've lost out on a fiver! Ah well, hopefully I've helped keep someone employed, or something.

Did you order it from Amazon? You can probably still cancel it if it hasn't shipped...

Just for future games purchases, give this site a go first:

http://www.gamestracker.com/search.asp

Or PM me, I often know of stuff on sale or where to get it a few £ cheaper as you know