Enter the Dragon...

It's been more than eight years since the first Operation Flashpoint was released for the PC. That title won plaudits and awards across the game's industry for its realistic gameplay and graphics. In fact, Cold War Crisis was even adapted and used to train real soldiers to give them a taste of what battle could be like.

So the arrival of follow-up Dragon Rising for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 means there's plenty of reasons for your trigger finger to get itchy with excitement.

Operate to liberate

Swapping Cold War Russia for the present day, it sees players embark on a mission to take control of a disputed Japanese island. Skira may be under the control of the Chinese, but both the US and Russians want its vast oil wealth and so begins a joint mission to liberate it.

At first glance you'd assume this was just another first-person shooter and with Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 on the way, it will face some heavy-duty opposition. But the wealth of options available to you as a soldier in the field ensures this game can stand to attention against its rivals. With 11 missions to complete, keeping your head is the only thing that is going to keep you and the rest of your troops alive.

Knowledge of military tactics is optional, but it certainly helps as the open gameplay here encourages you to make constant decisions. You won't be able to let your guard down for a second and like in the heat of a real conflict, there's no "right" way for your four-man US Marine team to succeed. There's simply an objective to complete such as taking out a radar system or clearing an enemy village. How it’s done is in your hands.

In story terms Dragon Rising is hardly ground-breaking, but the flexibility you have to reach your goal overrides this as you create the tale. Check out the terrain, find some cover, lay down specific orders to your men, let them supply some covering fire and then set off to engage the People's Liberation Army. Or, if you're silly enough to think it'll work, simply charge down all guns' blazing in a gung-ho bid to take wrest control from the PLA.

Total command

By putting you in total command of your own destiny, Dragon Rising raises the bar.

True, this will not suit everyone. Hardcore players looking for a less linear style of gameplay will find a greater appeal than anyone hoping for a quick fix of success in a hail of bullets. But the AI is excellent and as with any real battle, the enemy won't stand around waiting for you to think out your next move.

Your own soldiers also won't take too kindly to orders that leave them exposed or over-stretched. A good General knows when to retreat as much as when to push on.

While planning is a key strength in any war, knowing when you've taken on too much is just as important. There are lives at stake here, including yours.

The controls are laid out as you'd expect with the right trigger discharging your gun, and the left side helping you aim or throw a second weapon like a grenade. Your first-person view is also set out simply despite the wealth of information available. A Quick Command Radial is used to make decisions that influence tactics within 1km of your position, ordering either single Marines or full Units. And a fuller Command Map can be pulled up for more complicated plans.

Dragon Rising forces you to play a tactical, well thought-out game. To simply try and shoot your way through would be a waste of time and a waste of a glorious opportunity to gain major mission satisfaction. Only a real solider could tell you whether it's accurate but it certainly feels and acts more lifelike than many of the war games on the shelves today.

Blown away

Graphically you'll be blown away by the visuals and the sights and sounds on the battlefield.It's not just a foot-based actioner though. Later missions will require you to drive one of 39 different vehicles or fly in 11 different helicopters. With a selection of 66 different weapons in your armoury too, from close-quarter knives to heavy machine guns, it's also important to choose how to fight as well as where and when.

Lead AI designer Clive Lindop says the production team interviewed British and American servicemen returning from Iraq and Afghanistan to tap into their experience of war and it shows. He believes this gives Dragon Rising the edge saying: "I believe it will give people at least a small appreciation for what our troops have to face in real combat.

Just don't be surprised to find yourself emotionally-drained by the end of it.

GAME's Verdict

• A tactical, deep and diverse military shooter.
  
• Giving orders and coordinating strategy is a cinch.
  
• Co-op play and multiplayer modes make the experience feel all the more real.
  

• Not a shooter for the run-and-gun arcade gamer.
  
• It can be harrowingly real at times.
  
• Online console multiplayer is only 4v4 - although A.I. soldiers make up for this somewhat.
  

Review by: Jon 'War Dog' Weinberg
Version Tested: PS3
Review Published: 17.09.09