Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising – hands-on

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Time to chase another Purple Heart

Dragon Rising is ultra-realistic, far from the medipacks of Medal of Honor and even further from the regenerating health magic of Call of Duty. Yes, it’s one of ‘those’ games, the ones where bullets make you absolutely dead, or where, if you’re simply grazed by some shrapnel, the wound will pump blood realistically all over your uniform.

The AI in Dragon Rising has, according to the devs, had its systems built around an actual army handbook – a guide to, among other things, the correct way to move across a battlefield, the correct time to attack, and the correct time to take cover. In this instance, walking in a straight line towards an enemy encampment was not something the handbook would suggest.

Over the next few attempts we approached the situation using different methods. Taking pot shots from a distance worked well enough, causing the two enemy troops to remain behind cover. Coupling this with a command to our fire team to flank led to a successful bit of soldiering. Our men swept through a forest on the western side of the hill, meeting the enemy side-on and fatally propelling small bits of metal into their bodies. On another occasion, we sniped the enemy before they could get behind cover, only to have them jump out at the last minute in an I-wasn’t-dead-after-all sort of movement and shot us dead.

Steve Hogarty
Steve Hogarty

Steve Hogarty is a London-based freelance journalist covering games and technology. His bylines have appeared in publications including GamesRadar, The Independent, Yahoo, VICE, Eurogamer, and more. He is also the co-host of the pocast, Regular Features.