http://www.flashpoint1985.com/

It's only a demo but I had a lot of fun with it. It's a realistic, cold war scenario that kept me engaged for way too late one night last week.

-an enormous map, complete freedom of movement
-able to drive trucks, jeeps, jump in helicopter
-"jumping dot" for aim an point

At one point after my squad had overrun the small village, but before the tank arrived, I found an abandoned tanker truck and jumped in. I happily revved up the engine when someone announced the arrival of the tank and the next thing I knew I heard a shell come whistling in and I was a smoking hole in the ground. heh.

I didn't really spend too much time worrying with the radio, although there seems to be a fairly robust system for communicating with your squad. Instead, I just tried to stick with the group while taking over the outposts, and then find cover for when the small village attacks. Hunkered down under some bushes by a tree, I dropped into the fixed crosshair mode and picked people off at the bottom of the hill. Ran out of ammo at one point and had to run down and pick up an enemy AK47. I'm looking forward to the full version, msyelf.

Anyone else try this yet?

I haven't, but I may download it this weekend. It might be a nice antidote to Black & White.

Uh oh. It's too early to be getting tired of Blach and White already, Mark! It's only been out a few days!!

Tim,

Pick up a LAW or RPG off one of the dead and take out a tank!

I'm really looking forward to this one. Seems to be just my cup of tea.

aye, this game looks cool.

BTW, this is another European developer...what with lots of other European developers, pc gaming looks to be getting a lot better because of it! And to think pc gaming is dying bleh.

etc

Wow, I am impressed. I have been saying for years I wanted a game that gave me the feeling I was a soldier in a larger conflict, and this is pretty damn close to the mark.

You can try and be Rambo, and you might succeed, but mistakes will kill you. I tried staying behind in the village to see how much damage I could do with a captured RPG and four rockets. Got a BMP full of men, then started hunting a T-72. The first try the supporting infantry got me as I manuevered for a better shot (three cheers for the designers!). The second try the rocket just scorched the paint on the front hull, then the tank turned its turret toward me and machinegunned me. The third try, I tried an angle shot on the side armor, failed to penetrate, and the tank nailed me with a 125mm round. Ouch!

Another time, I captured a PK machinegun very early in the battle, and had a lot of fun hosing down village defenders. Sure, I could only carry two magazines for it, but they hold 100 rounds each!

There are a lot of details that still need attention (like a T-72 moving back 10 feet when a hand-launched rocket hits it, and no ballistic model), but I assume those are being addressed as work continues. The demo has done its job, and this game is the top of my must-have list now.