ARMA: Cold War Assault

ARMA: Cold War Assault
N/A
Metacritic
89
Steam
83.714
xDR
Our rating is calculated based on the reviews and popularity of the game.
Price
$0.99
Release date
8 August 2011
Developers
Publishers
Steam reviews score
Total
89 (1 943 votes)
Recent
87 (16 votes)

Bohemia Interactive's debut game published by Codemasters as Operation Flashpoint in 2001, became genre-defining combat military simulation and the No. 1 bestselling PC game around the world and has won many international awards, including “Game of The Year” and “Best Action Game”. Over 2 million copies have been sold since its release.

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ARMA: Cold War Assault system requirements

Minimum

  • OS: Windows XP or Windows Vista or Windows 7
  • Processor: Intel Pentium II 500 MHz or AMD Athlon 600 MHz
  • Memory: 128MB RAM
  • Graphics: DirectX 8.1 compatible 3D graphics card with 16MB RAM
  • DirectX®: DirectX 8.1
  • Hard Drive: 800MB free space
  • Sound: OpenAL sound compatible audiocard (DirectX via compatibility switch)
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Reviews
Write a new review
Anonymous
Anonymous

this game is legendary, beyond legendary between me and my two brothers. we first saw it in late 90s or early 2000s, and the characters and storyline and world were mesmerizing. the voice acting is sublime even for the silly moments. you really feel bad for the characters, when they have to go on the run , watch their country burn, ambush Russian tanks with peashooters and mines.
I've played the game all the way through (i had a save game code which allowed me not to lose too much grouind when i died).
this world must be a low gravity alternate dimension version of earth - the people and trucks fly into the stratosphere. Best launched with the infamous hilarious satchel charges. 22 years later i'm still playing this game.

Lycheee
Lycheee

Worst game I've ever played.
Graphics: 1/10
did they even try?

Gameplay: 2/10
Literally die every time I get shot

Tags: 0/10
The tags on the game supposedly say bullshit. Don't trust the tags.

Controls: -1/10
Can't even change the sprint button and there's no jump button.

Story: 3/10
Literally the only best part about the game is the story.

Characters: 1/10
Hard to interact.

Overall: 2.5/10
Why was this game made and why did I spend my money on this piece of shit.

Ferdinand the Tank
Ferdinand the Tank

Zzzzzt "THIS IS 6 TAKING COMMAND, I SAY AGAIN, 6 TAKING COMMAND OUT" Zzzzzt

Me as 5: .....bruh what?

Tokish
Tokish

all go to tree at 12 o clock

great game have been playing it for years takes me back to win i was 13 im 33 now and still playing it

Heath Cockburn
Heath Cockburn

very clunky and outdated but still very fun and immersive.

Johnny
Johnny

Originally known as "Operation Flashpoint: Cold war crisis" released in June of 2001, the game was at some point renamed to "ARMA: Cold war assault" (2005 i believe), and was the very FIRST "war sim" they made and also THE first game i ever played where ONE bullet could mean your death, not like other games where you went into cover for 10 seconds and got your health back or walked over a health box and recovered your "health bar". After that, Bohemia separated from codemasters and started to create the "new" ARMA franchise, "ARMA: armed assault" (2006), then Arma 2 (2009) and finally Arma 3 (2013) and they are basically bigger, better looking, better functioning versions of the very first iteration. The historical value ALONE is reason enough to buy this game at the very convenient and affordable price of 4-5 bucks, No need to wait for a sale. Dont be fooled by the outdated looks, this game will get your heart pumping and adrenaline flowing. Command an entire squad of soldiers, get in planes, choppers or tanks..... OR roll down a hill in your abrahams tank and 4 others in tight formation hunting for enemy tanks, OR sneak into an enemy base at night to plant C4 on enemy assets such as tanks or helicopters, without anyone noticing. With the mission editor there were basically no limits as to how you could play this game! I remember once, as a spec op, i got to a road and thought... "hmmm should i cross it, out in the open exposing myself?" Crouched in foliage i started to hear the thunder of a BMP approaching along said road..... i didnt move... not in the game OR in my chair. BMP rolled up to where i was, stopped right in front of me and kept on rolling after a few seconds. My heart was PUMPING like crazy. Single Missions were tough, but awesome and no matter how many times you played one, it would never quite play the same as the last play through. Excellent game, historical and nostalgic value. If you value the Arma games, this is a must have for your library!

^creengy^
^creengy^

Truly worth it's pedestal, even today.
Still a personal favourite ArmA campaign.
You can find it 'rearmed' on the Arma 3 workshop.
Don't let your zoomey eyes prank you out of a great game.

DngrHighVoltag
DngrHighVoltag

I grew up playing this as Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis, in my youth this was the game in my opinion was better than any other military video game. The graphics are a bit dated now but still it holds true to its core as a military simulator. Still to this day, nothing new compares to this game. Highly recommend if your looking for something different than Call of Duty.

GH0$TISDEAD
GH0$TISDEAD

My friend broke his legs getting out of a truck that was fully stopped with the engine turned off. Definitely recommend.

MaxedPoin☻
MaxedPoin☻

1: "CONTACT."
1: "10, TARGET THAT SOLDIER."
12: "SOLDIER IS HISTORY."
1: "DAMN... 4, IS DOWN."

BLanK
BLanK

dark souls but with snipers in the trees

Step Jerry
Step Jerry

Great Game!
Graphics not too good but il be honest for a game made in 2001 Its really Fun .
The way the game is build is really awesome.
Great Story!
I had to Download The Red Hammer Campaign Because it was not added in the game for some reason.
But still It's A Thumbs Up From me!
I really Enjoy This game And I still play it.

Ajantis
Ajantis

Dreadful game. It's completely obsolete.
I really must stop trusting the steam reviews. This game is listed has "very positive" reviews, but then you find out the truth. 90% of the positive reviews at any game are written by FANBOYS, by die hard fans of the specific game, and those people are 100% subjective and 0% objective! They do not present the game as it is!

Take this game for example. This is not even a game, it's a battle simulator. Sure, it has missions like every war game but in every aspect it willingly presents itself as a SAND-BOX, a simulator. Of course, no body cared to mention that fact in the thousands of positive reviews that I trusted before making the bad decision to buy this game.

This is one of the most unforgiving games I ever played. You can get one shotted from 500m and BAM dead and you won't ever know who did it. The graphics is so bad, so you have to strain your eyes in order to spot tiny pixels in the distance that are so deadly.
You have to try again and again to find the way to win every single mission.

The handling of the tank, chopper, plane are so buggy, messy, unintuitive, frustrating. So the missions when I had to handle them, instead of being fun, were by far the worse. A real pain in the ass.
The missions where you are the squad captain are also a pain in the ass, because tha AI is stupid, unresponsive and it hardly does what you want them to do.
There are so many controls to learn in this game, I felt like needing a degree in physics in order to get a grip on the mechanics. Never have I played a game that is so NOT user-friendly. The tutorial teaches you about 10% of the things you need to know in order to enjoy this game.
In order to enjoy this game, you have to have unlimited time and patience to learn the mechanichs, but then again, is it worth it? The graphics is total crap so it destroys the will to put an effort in this game. I had to force myself to finish it, and I had to consult a video guide on you tube for many missions.

Badur1337
Badur1337

This game is my life, my first fps/tps game i played in 2000s.

Gale_Wolf
Gale_Wolf

This is where it all started - the birth of realistic milsim games. It's fun even today, although it's outdated you can still have tons of fun.

svilius
svilius

It's a classic. There isn't much to say about it. If you loved it 20 years ago, you will still love it now. Works just fine with windows 10.

HamSandwich (._.)
HamSandwich (._.)

This is truly a masterpiece at its finest, If you enjoy Arma come check this out!

bees
bees

i crawled in grass for five minutes and when i stood up a sniper killed me

Theo Theo
Theo Theo

It's the only arma I can play and run on my PC, therefore it's the best

Ian
Ian

I ENJOY THIS GAME BUT KEY CONFIG IS AWKWARD FOR A LAPTOP

Ephraim
Ephraim

I wanted to give this game a fair shot, since it is essentially the start of the Arma franchise. After seeing the main campaign through to the end (I can't say anything for the standalone missions, the mission editor, or the multiplayer), I cannot say I enjoyed the majority of my time with it. About 7 hours of my playtime was me having fun. The rest was sheer frustration and annoyance.

To start off, there are four main types of play styles in the campaign: standard infantry combat, tank combat, aerial vehicles (primarily helicopters), and stealth-based missions. These four aren't mutually exclusive, as getting seen while sneaking will obviously turn things into a firefight, and the late game provides the infantry with all sorts of land and aerial vehicles to use at their disposal. After getting the hang of the controls, I found the tank gameplay to be the most consistently enjoyable. There is just something innately satisfying about driving straight through the Soviet lines and blasting apart anything that tries to shoot you. The only real issue I had here was sometimes the driver AI would just start driving off in the complete opposite direction from where I ordered him, but even in the worst-case scenarios, this could be remedied by immediately swapping to the driver's seat with the push of a button.

The infantry combat could also be fun at times, but it is also the one that suffers the most from the game's issues. For starters, the game does a horrible job teaching the player key components of gameplay before thrusting them into a firefight. The tutorial teaches you the bare minimum: how to move, shoot, and reload. It fails to mention anything about aiming down the sights, a vital component for actually hitting anything more than 20 meters away from you. It fails to discuss how to use any of the secondary weapons, meaning when you do acquire one, using it is up to trial and error. When the radio and squad mechanic is introduced, you are given no explanation as to what most of the options actually mean, so you have to issue an order to the squad and hope it means what you think it does; otherwise, your soldiers are lambs for the Soviets to slaughter.

Speaking of the AI, even if you do understand what orders to give them, there is no guarantee that the AI will actually follow them like they should. "Take cover" usually means finding something solid to hide behind, or at least hitting the dirt to minimize your size. But some soldiers take it to mean "charge the enemy across an open field." Other times, the AI will stare an enemy soldier in the eyes and suddenly become a pacifist, refusing to fire a shot even as a Soviet turns him into Swiss cheese. Sometimes your allies will have startlingly good accuracy, nailing enemies hundreds of meters away, but other times they resemble Stormtroopers with their accuracy. Very often, you will give your squad orders to move to a specific location, but they will try to go the most meandering, roundabout way to get there, if they even get there at all. The game introduces a "tactical view" mode, or something of the sort, to help micromanage your troops for, say, defending a position or staging an ambush, but it really doesn't tell you anything more than that it exists, so I could not really use it to to my benefit at all. When the AI works properly and everything falls into place, these make for some of the best moments of the game. Seeing enemy after enemy drop from bursts of rifle fire and hearing "enemy soldier is history" over the radio chatter is very satisfying, but it is only some moments this happens. Most often, the AI will find some way to screw up your plans, making each firefight more of a hassle than it needs to be.

As for flying a helicopter, the controls are actually fairly well-explained. The default key mapping may not be the most natural, but it wasn't a big issue. The only thing I truly struggled with was accurately landing my helicopter, as I'd always land a few hundred meters away from where I intended to touch down (this may also just have been a "me" problem, not something inherent to the game). On the other hand, combat with the helicopter was an absolute trainwreck. Most of the helicopters have three types of weapons: a machine gun, homing missiles, and unguided missiles. The AI gunner will NEVER hit anything with its machine gun, even stationary targets. No matter how I positioned my helicopter, he would always overshoot and miss the target. As for the lock-on missiles, the homing functionality is again not reliable, even on stationary targets, and especially not on moving ones. These are particularly frustrating since your helicopter will be armed with, at most, 8 missiles, which will have to last you for the whole mission. The unguided missiles are very unwieldy to aim, since you need to point the nose of your chopper at the ground target and then score a direct hit with the missiles. Since pointing your nose at the ground means your chopper will be accelerating, it may take several passes and over a dozen rockets just to take down a single tank.

Finally, there's the stealth missions. A lot of the same problems as the infantry section apply here, but with the added caveat of questionable stealth mechanics. Sometimes you can be basically right on top of an enemy (within 20 meters) and they still won't see you. Other times you will be spotted while prone from over 200 meters away. Sometimes the whole base will be alerted without any indication that you did something wrong. But the most frustrating part is the game's "needle in a haystack" approach to having you achieve the objective. The game reminds me a lot of the early Hitman games in that yes, the level is open for you to try a bunch of different things to meet your objective, but there's really only one arbitrary, "correct" way that will actually work, and the only way you to find that out is trial and error, an issue compounded by the game's horrible checkpoint system. The checkpoint system and the slow pace of the stealth levels means each attempt can be upwards of 10 minutes, often of little more than crawling on your stomach for hundreds or even thousands of meters. Not helping this fact is that the game's "suggestions" will actually hurt more than help. "Try destroying the AA vehicles one at a time!" Except after the first one is destroyed, the other two are alerted and start moving, making it impossible to plant bombs on them. "Instead of silently killing the guards at the base's front gate, blow a hole in the fence!" Thanks, now the entire base, including 5 armored vehicles and dozens of guards, are alerted and are converging on my position.

I don't want to be entirely negative. There were a few things I did genuinely enjoy. Like I said, the tank sections and moments of the infantry combat clicked with me and were enjoyable. The core idea is fairly interesting, since not too many FPS games go for the late Cold War aesthetic, where both American and Soviet weapons were sophisticated, advanced, and designed to counter one another. The premise is also great: a forgotten conflict on a seemingly random island that could have easily boiled over into World War III, but was stopped thanks to the success of the protagonists. Also, the scope of the conflict is presented well, since you see the same areas of the map in different contexts as the war progresses. A town you failed to defend from the Soviets may later be used by them to fuel and repair their helicopters. Your tank offensive fails because of anti-armor emplacements, so your infantry squad in the next mission is sent to eliminate them. Of course, the best of this is in the aerial levels, where those villages you fought to capture, level-by-level, all come together on this large island, making it feel like you've truly made progress in pushing back the invasion, regaining the kilometers you once lost.

lynx
lynx

I CLOVE THIS GAME SOOP OGODO \]XGKDGIOPEI

Drillbit! <3
Drillbit! <3

10/10 worst 99 cents I've ever spent.

Helljumper
Helljumper

Contact!
2 o'clock, enemy T72, 200!
3, attack T72!
Roger!
T72 is history!
12 o'clock enemy Shilka, 500!
Oh no! 3 is down!
6 is down!
7 is down!
2 is down!
Medic!
4 report status!
4 is down!
All, fall back!

Ah, I love that game. Love the missions and the different aspects. It has a special place in my heart. I can recommend it to every sim fan to try this out.

FarisAsh
FarisAsh

amazingly shit graphics but the campaign pays off

Joseph
Joseph

i remember first playing this on a CD with a bunch of games demo, there was only one mission available , i didn't understand half the mechanics back then, neither what i should do but embarking on truck with controller AI soldier and fighting beside them was breath-taking experience for me .... i remember replaying that very mission for like 200+ hours.

Poobischild
Poobischild

Ok so i love this game and here are some reasons why;
1: Great story
2: Amazing gameplay
3: It is the most accurate milsim i have played
4: runs on any computer that can run steam
5: WAR CRIMES

Rommel
Rommel

[H1]Tʜɪs ɪs ɪᴍᴘᴏssɪʙʟᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴘʟᴀʏ.

cichociemny_norge
cichociemny_norge

Played back in 2001 and I`m playing now :-) Simply the best there is !

Mark9013100
Mark9013100

god tier character design, voice acting, and gameplay

Xenowolfraptor
Xenowolfraptor

Timeless Classic. Very nice story and campaign. Doesn't cost much. Get it if you havent.

VIC
VIC

Timeless Classic. Very nice story and campaign. Doesn't cost much. Get it if you havent.

zTiren
zTiren

Hellooooooooo can you hearrrr meeeeee? Whooo's in chhaaarrge over theeree? Over.

JocoM
JocoM

Instead of releasing the original Operation Flashpoint v1.0 from 2001 they released the 1.41 version from 2002, just rebranded as Arma: Cold War Assault. This has little to do with original Flashpoint from 2001. Enemies now see through vegetation, have no problem hitting you from 3 miles away in impossible conditions, night isn't hampering their vision, I could go on forever. Not to mention the smooth mouse thanks to which you cannot even aim. Weapon sounds and radio chatter are totally ruined, they sound ridiculous. Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis is a brilliant game but this isn't it. You can still taste the real Flashpoint if you manage to find a working V1.0 demo.

NefariousNinja
NefariousNinja

Completely broken on new gen and last gen hardware. Even for the $8 price point it is a waste of money for what it is. If you even buy this game, buy it for the absolute cheapest you can as this game is a waste of money. Sure, it’s fine on old hardware but come on, who plays games with a GT 610 am I right? It’s a pretty big waste of money if you ask me and no I don’t recommend you buy this game unless it’s on sale for cheap.

균열 머리
균열 머리

Best war simulation game of all time, no question about it.

Adrithgor
Adrithgor

NPC's faces makes this game worth buying.

tgchan.com
tgchan.com

If you always wanted a military life but things have just not quite worked out the way you hoped for... This is the way¬!! This is your second chance¬!!

+ what other game lets you escape rogue military force and navigate your way throughout the darkest night only by stars!? (I am actually heading to google to learn how to do it lol)
+ amazing feel
+ runs of pretty much anything
+ awesome controls
+ cool missions
+ huge maps
+ tanks, jeeps, lorries, bmps, helicopters, gunships and cool missions where you actually get to drive/shoot/command/ them.
+ 1-2 bullets is enough (works both ways)
+ different time of the day (pretty much all round the clock)
+ typical squad missions, black ops/special forces, tank battles, ambushes with cobra helictopers, transporting troops from one place to another, evacs thrown somewhere in between/.
+ you play as a few different soldiers fighting the same war/battle and you can see/experience it through different means
+ it feels like war
+ you can't see sh1t from far
+ gun fights seem very reasonable and fair (cadet difficulty, will definitely play on veteran difficulty right after )
+ you are genuinely scared of everything that has armour and you have no means to take it out
+ you fear when you are outnumbered because it's bloody hard to shoot from far and hit = if you are not accurate and fast enough you will catch it.
- apparently special forces guys can't swim... (I've just found out trying to get to evac boat...)

It reminded me why I have always loved games in the first place... They let you do things that normal life will not most of the time...

Get it, enjoy it, spread out the word/

Works straight "out of the download" No fixes, updates, nothing. Pure gaming pleasure at its best/

EDIT: I have completed Cold War Crisis = main operation flashpoint campaign and now I am working my way through RESISTANCE (dlc which is already in the pack)/

It is just as good if not better. You start with nothing but a hunting shotgun to fight for your own and your friends' life and later on you get to steal tanks, have big armoured battles, ambushes to get some gear, etc.

This game was way ahead of its time... I mean like WAY WAY WAY AHEAD OF ITS TIME. I can't wait for more armas games... But for now... I am so enjoying this guerrilla warfare I am not even in a hurry./

It's hard to explain if but this game is a unique masterpiece in gaming history. 60h and I have not encountered any bug. It's crazy taking the vastness of this game/

For a second I thought I have lost my love for the game because of something even more incredible = Project Reality (standalone free bf2 mode = which is basically a multiplayer only arma x10 experience)/

It is so good I had an incredibly hard time going back to arma... I have actually deleted it because I was so angry with the stupid friendly AIs and all that micro-managing...

Not to make it about Project Reality but it is unforutnale overwhelming and without friends... well... Imagine a war with random people, all going for the same objective, etc. but if you do not have friends... It kinds of getting really frustrating and boringly tough.

Arma gives you purpose, you have war to fight and you genuinely feel the importance of your deeds. That stupid micro-managing of your squad is absolutely awesome when it works and it does work¬!! You have to really think and experiment but once you understand it, it just all make sense...

Super fun, engaging, unique gameplay that cannot disappoint if you love military and realism/ I just hope newer ARMAS are only better and have not lost what I enjoy so much in the game from 2001.

21years... still so much fun and still so unique...

Can't wait to support Bohemia some more/

ediT 2021-12-24

Once again I have to stop playing it and just add a few words...

Absolutely play the campaign cold war and then resistance, single player missions as well. I almost omitted single missions after completing the both campaigns (wanted to jump into another arma game ;p - I am so glad I have stopped and stayed with arma cold assault some more) but they are just as much fun as campaign. Just single missions without continues story/campaign but you still feel like it is.

AND NOW the most important thing... ABSOLUTELY DO NOT, I REPEAT DO NOT omit the RED HAMMER dlc which is not in this pack because it was made by codemasters and legally couldn't be in this pack with two other dlc (ressitance) BUT it is flipping just as cool. You play as Russians and you get to get to SpetzNaz special forces¬!!

There's something else to this campaign you feel like hmm you really finally deserved to be in special forces.
Now you really are a guy with experience and you feel that confidence in yourself of being really good at it.
After so much struggle and experience you've had (well you died like 999 times lol) so now you know what works and not.

You appreciate the strategic point of view as well of the game. You take more fun in planning attacks, ordering your squad, etc. I still cannot believe that this game gives me so much fun in 2021...

Just an old pc, a keyboard and a mouse... that's all you need to experience this beauty. You do not have to buy newest gen consoles, graphic cards, etc. Stop chasing other sheep, there are absolute gems that do not require you to buy new stuff to enjoy one of the best gaming experiences there are.

THIS IS ONE OF THEM.

I strongly suggest to play it the way I have played it in this order for best experience.

1. Cold War
2. Resistance
3. All single player missions from resistance and cold war
4. Red Hammer (https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=701549986)

5*. I have only downloaded it but I have not installed nor tried it yet so I don't know but

(http://ofpr.info.paradoxstudio.uk/6428-retaliation-campaign-peacekeeper…)

...someone mentioned it and some other bloke said it's much better than RED HAMMER. It was made by Russians or a Russian. What I have learnt is, it's a Soviet Campaign but much better. We'll see. Red Hammer kicks arse so far/

*not official DLC.

More than 100h+ of amazing gameplay. You just cannot not love it if you love military.

dejinva
dejinva

I'm a veteran of the Cold War. If things got hot, these were the weapons and tactics to be used against us. If you're young , these scenarios are probably be what you would face in a non nuclear confrontation in the late 1970s or early 1980s.

akecheta
akecheta

Takes time to get use to. You will rage, but is pretty fun in the end.

salamander7688
salamander7688

It's old, it's a bit janky, the graphics are quite dated, and you'll be shot and killed without warning or mercy.
Still got the original disks, and this is probably my fourth rodeo..

( Look in discussions/guides - get the Red Hammer campaign extension! )

Mister Kasch
Mister Kasch

A very nice game for its time period. Can be challenging, but also fun at times. If you are ever stuck on a mission, I'd suggest searching on YouTube for a walkthrough, or figuring it out for yourself. Closing on this review, I give it a 4.5 star rating. If you were expecting a Cold War game, then you came to the right place (obviously).

TrackSuitSlav
TrackSuitSlav

i love it but i cant get use to the way you aim in this game

fmaster
fmaster

if you even touch the cursor speed (separate configuration for x and y-axis), movement will only be possible in a manhattan-grid style. Also, no matter in which mode I start this game, it messes up the resolution of other displays and shifts all apps.

Piska
Piska

Awesome game, a bit old. worth the price on Sale!

cooper#1685
cooper#1685

[!YPLAY?]

/
:if
re-securing objective;
then:
commute widest road(s) there;
\
/
:if
defending objective;
then:
patrol narrowest road(s)
\
/
:if
contact made re-securing;
then:
drop to ground;
engage;
\
/
:if
contact made defending;
then:
stand ground;
engage;
\
/
:if
officer;
then;
find water by following goats;
forge trails by leading a horse to water;
\
/
:if
covert ops;
then:
understand there is no such thing as a dirt road;
understand allied military would never drive personnel carriers off-road;
\

El Machia
El Machia

The father of the modern milsim genre. Very realistic and immersive, with great story and characters, however the gameplay, combat and experience is the closest you can get to the real thing. It has even been used by real military for simulations and exercises. Top notch 10/10.

Monty
Monty

Though old, this game is still one of the most realistic combat simulations.

ArmAVerse
ArmAVerse

I discovered this game shortly after release. It was at that time called Operation Flashpoint - Cold War Crisis. I got really hooked and over the years I played thousands of hours on the retail version. What was really fascinating to me was the open game-play approach of the sandbox design. Up to that point I played the war-games which have been previously released like Medal of Honor Allied Assault etc. These games had all a linear game design and for the first time I had the possibility to move wherever I saw fit.

This openness of choice prevented me for a long time to enjoy other First Person shooters or war-games. None allowed me the same freedom to tackle the missions how I wanted to. Another big plus is the editor. I learned how to use it and released together with a friend a user-made campaign called "Too young to die" under another moniker though.

The modding scene was huge. I got plenty of mods on my hard drive.

IMHO if you can overlook outdated graphics and clunky controls this game is definitely a must play. It is challenging. You gonna love it or hate it. There's no in-between.

I give this game a thumbs up. I started a new campaign play-through on Christmas and I love every single bit so far.

>>>-ROWDY-RICO->
>>>-R…

I'm gonna tell my kids that this was Operation Flashpoint.

Dae
Dae

Incredible game, shoot bad guys, win and be a baaad muthafucka. HELL YEAH BABY!!!

Lind
Lind

Great game I am still playing. The only thing I don't really 'like' although I don't mind, is that if something happens, with the games triggers, you cannot complete the level or mission without going on a hunt for a single unit.

NeWworld
NeWworld

This WAS, and will always be, one of the greatest games of all-time.
Had so many great times on this game.

ALiteralNobody2.0
ALiteralNobody2.0

10/10 would waste 1 hour again per mission. This game's too good.

andriuha
andriuha

Yeah this game is good :D best story in all arma series
everything is so realistic
Sometimes soviet soldiers are overpowerful so that sucks
nice job to this game creators :D
9/10

MartinBFFan
MartinBFFan

The year is 1997. Two brothers from Czech Republic, Ondřej and Marek Španěl, alongside their business partner Slavomír Pavlíček started working on a new game. The team had envisioned an open world realistic tactical shooter and so Poseidon entered development. Flash forward to year 1999. The three form a new game development studio titled Bohemia Interactive and Poseidon eventually gets released in 2001 as Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Rising, published by Codemasters.

Following it's massive success, Bohemia started working on so called "game 2", a sequel to Operation Flashpoint. However BI and Codemasters went separate ways after several conflicts and Codemasters kept the flashpoint licence. Eventually in 2005, Bohemia released a sequel to Operation Flashpoint, titled Arma: Armed Assault. It's massive success led BI to kickstart the Arma franchise as the official sequels to the original Operation Flashpoint.
Inspired by their success, Codemasters followed and released two of their own Operation Flashpoint games, Red River and Dragon Rising. Their failure led Codemasters to abandon the franchise while Bohemia Interactive's Arma series thrived thanks to Arma 2.

In 2011, Bohemia signed an agreement with Codemasters and Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Rising was handed back to Bohemia Interactive, who re-released it digitally as Arma: Cold War Assault and so the series went full circle.

The game uses photoscanned textures and environments. While the models may look a bit blocky by 2001 standards, the textures hold up really well and the game also sports a good lighting system for the time and it also has a really nice visual style that holds a lot of magic. The sound design is pretty good for the time aswell, especially with the EAX sound system. The gunfire echoes realistically through the environment, the developers even coded sound travel time simulation, the gunshot sounds are meaty and the ambience is pretty good. The voice acting sounds a bit unnatural due to the way the voice lines are handled but this system also allows for a huge variety of different situational voice calls that very few games have even today.

The soundtrack is also pretty amazing. Composed by Ondřej Matejka, it is a combination of orchestral music and synths and feels like a 1980s action movie score. There are plenty of great and memorable tracks and it's definitely worth giving it a listen even outside the game.

What really sells this game though is it's unpreceeded attention to detail and raw realism. While it may not seem that advanced nowadays, it's pretty damn impressive for 2001. The maps are huge, have realistic terrain and a lot of small hidden details and easter eggs. You can use gas stations, climb up elevator shafts and so on. Since the game is set in 1985, it also faithfully replicates the atmosphere and feel of the 1980s with period accurate uniforms and weaponry (with the exception of the PP-19), vehicles etc.

You die in a few shots, there's a radio calls system and different soldier specialisations with different equipment and role. The levels are huge and very open aswell, allowing you to approach situations in a lot of unique ways. You can also drive a variety of vehicles and the game sports strong mod tools as well as a very nice mission editor. The game does feel a bit janky but you'll quickly get accustomed to the controls and gameplay. It's a hardcore shooter which requires you to tacticise and you cannot go in guns-blazing.

The main campaign takes place in 1985 and follows 4 main protagonists from the US Military: Corporal David Armstrong, Lieutenant Robert Hammer, Captain Sam Nichols and Captain James Gastowski fighting in an armed conflict on the Malden Islands against the Soviet Army.
The Steam version also gets pre-packaged with the Resistance expansion where you play as Viktor Troska, a guerilla fighting against the Soviets on the island of Nogova three years prior to the events of the main campaign.
You get a nice variety of different missions on several different islands. The missions are unique, the storyline is cheesy but fun and memorable.

A second expansion titled Red Hammer also came out, but it was developed by a different studio and is non-canon.

Simply put
+ Soundtrack
+ Sound design
+ Story
+ Graphics
+ Mission structure
+ Realism
+ Level Design
+ Resistance is included

- A bit janky in some areas

Simply a great game made by a passionate and small team from Czech Republic that deserves more recognition. If you've ever played any of the newer Arma games, make sure to get this one aswell to see how the franchise began back in 2001 and you'll definitely feel right at home here and get a lot of fun outta this one. This game is the father of the modern milsim genre and is definitely worth getting.

Wattson
Wattson

i love it still :D was the first video game i ever played years ago

garjayden53
garjayden53

can someone help me because when i play my screen rotates pls help

EOussama
EOussama

This game is nothing but a nostalgic relic of the past.
I don't know about you, maybe you're a video game collector, because if you're here to play the game as a newcomer, I'm afraid to say that you're decades late.

The game doesn't feel good, doesn't look good and most of all, doesn't play good. At a time, it was a technical achievement, but as a fun game now a days, fortunately, we've been spoiled.

Sky_W0lf
Sky_W0lf

wacky military game , fun for the whole family

fr tho this game for being nearly 20 years old is a great pick up for all of military sim enthusiast

Jay_mar
Jay_mar

I've played ALOT more than 17 hours on this sim. This game was featured on a demo disc that first came out in 2001 and as soon as I played it I was hooked. I searched and found the full version and bought it instantly, and now I have flashbacks to moments in the game still to this day. Never again will we see such a huge leap in technology and gameplay as we did when Opflash came out. A masterpiece!

FlavorCountry
FlavorCountry

Remember Operation: Flashpoint?

Oliverandom
Oliverandom

What the hell is your problem people?! (Im talking about the recent negative reviews that brought this game down to mixed) Youre buying a 21 year-old game, what did you expect? AAA graphics? Call of duty gunplay? Taredown level destruction? The industry has had 21 years of time to evolve and improve since the release of this game, and you expect a game equal to todays standarts? I would even argue that Arma 1 is better than most shooters today. Can you name a game where you can actually use the numbers on the sniper scope to actually estimate distance, and they're not just there because 'random sniper scope numbers and shit go brr'? A game where you have freedom to adapt while on mission and are not stuck to a linear path telling you exactly what to do, or else unlce rockstar is gonna be sad? (looking at you Red Dead 2..). A game where you're not an effing super-soilder that can take 20 bullets to his face, and have to carefully plan out your mission, or you die in 1 bullet? Where you have the freedom of commanding your squad, and have them do bascically whatever you would need? A super robust mission editor, where i, a veteran player, am still learning new things even after 7 years of palying this game (I played on older systems beforehand, I have more than just 19 hours.)?

Also Graphics dont mean shit. 'I dOnT lIKe thE fAcEs' ugh.. I actually prefer games with 1990s - 2000s grapchis, where 'thE fAcEs' are 4 polygons, because it reminds me that grapchis arent everyting, and if a game has shit gameplay but good grapchis, then ultimatly its worth shit.. becasue If it was all about the graphics, then it wouldnt be called a 'game', but it would be called a 'graphic', for gods sake.

If you are experiencing performance isuies, Id be more supprised if you werent. Running old software that was not optimised for 16 or how many core procesors, which more and more people have these days, then there are gonna be some issues.

In short, if you are expecting a modern AAA level grapchily photoreal, hold-my-hand difficulty, compatible with modern hardware expirece, then please stop shitttting on Arma 1's legacy, and please stop expecting miracles from a two decade old peiece of software.

Dakujem za strpenie.

Čus

RE Gamer
RE Gamer

it a fun game for those who like to be an army guy.

VERCE 🇺🇦
VERCE 🇺🇦

a game where i can kill russians 10/10

SmazySamshy
SmazySamshy

A great title which still has two of the best campaigns of any ARMA title.

Just make sure to use a steam guide to restore the Red Hammer expansion developed by Codemasters, while it's inferior to Cold War Crisis/Resistance, it's still worth a play and uses some weapons/vehicles underused in the other campaigns.

NoName
NoName

This game is a broken mess with some of the worst ai I've ever seen. There is so much potential here in the story and gameplay that is ruined by terrible scripting and ai. If you like the game, that's great, but I don't. I'd rather play Arma 3.

I have the feeling that if Bohemia wanted, they could fix it. With the release of Reforger, they're already 1/3 of the way to a remaster. If there was a remaster that fixed the dogshit scripting, I would probably buy it. I'd probably even recommend it. I can't recommend this though. I thought it sucked.

Honk!
Honk!

good game, if you like it and havent already buy the other ArmA games

actually just buy the other ArmA games anyway, do it. NOW!

Graf
Graf

I played this a lot when it was released and was very impressed for the simulation it is.

MommySalmon
MommySalmon

good game, wish there were more uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh content

dancarney2
dancarney2

Boring shit game with awful graphics.