Operation Flashpoint is now available in Australia. I have just picked up my copy from EB at Macquarie Shopping Centre North Ryde (Sydney). RRP is AUD$89.95, pre-orders AUD$79.95.

The packaging is interesting. The CD and manual ship in a DVD-style plastic case which is placed inside a standard game box. Obviously they wanted (or paid for) shelf-space. The game also comes with a very nice foldable glossy reference card.

How buggy is it? I've got a copy on order.

Gordon this is one seriously good game ! I was playing it last night for six hours without a break and I did not experience any glitches, bugs, freezes, or CTD's.

Remember though that I am running on a two year old PIII 550/TNT2U/BX mobo computer which is far more stable than those GeForce and Via Apollo thingy's. laugh

But seriously I am running at 1024x768x32 and on my rig above the full game is smooth which sure did surprise me.

The graphics have improved since the demo and I also notice they have added more death animations to the soldiers. The crump, crack, and thumps from weapons fire has improved as well.

I was playing one mission last night where you have to stop a convoy that was exiting a town so I placed three satchel charges at 30 metre intervals on the road outside of the town. I then climbed up a hill and waited scanning with my binos.

As the convoy rolled over the mines I set them off. Took out the first T-72 at the begining of the convoy and a BMP at the end of the convoy. Another T-72 in the middle could not maneuver and I tasked my support squad to take it out with shoulder launched missiles.

The BMP at the end then cooked off with secondary explosions which then damaged a truck full of troops next to it (deflated its rear tyres). The troops proceded to jump out and started laying into my AT squad. So I then picked them off with my sniper rifle one by one.

A second enemy squad came down the road behind the convoy and then must have spotted my sniper fire as they tried to flank me by coming up the hill on my left side in a defilade position. My sniper fire and my other squad managed to pick them off.

By this time my AT squad had finished their work and proceded to the enemy held town. I jogged to another part of the hill to take a sniper position. By the time I got there another of my squads was fully engaged with the remaining troops in the town. I managed to supress the enemy troops with sniper fire but many went to ground and hid amongst the buildings.

My squad then proceded to advance on the village (using proper infantry tactics I might add) and clear it out. This game is fun taken to the n'th degree !

What is equally impressive in this game is the huge viewing distances with trees and buildings no less. They have done an amazing job with the graphics engine.

Ah yes, it is an excellent game! I just got my order from Compuexpert (they had import version for sale!) Like Dave, I got a spiffy DVD case with a passable manual. I like it, they should sell more games in this DVD case... would make it easier to sell more pc games on shelves... like current DVD shelves.

And yes, this game is good, its about 20% faster in the full version than in the demo. I'm on a 1.2 gig amd now, and it runs smooth as buttah. The campaign is fun (only one bug so far, mission didn't end when supposed to, had to restart from save in middle of mission, other than that pretty bugless), and the tank missions are actually the best i played for ANY tank sim... simple and easy! they really beefed the AI for driving AI from the demo! makes a big difference! and fear the Hind and Cobra! The one mission with air support from AH Cobras... two words... Apocolypse Now! Some of the missions in the game FEEL like war movies. Man oh man.

ah, and i made a few skirmish missions! what a great game... i hope you guys all try it out. Its my pick (as ive been saying since the demo!) for GOTY! though we still have 6 months to go about.

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BTW I would like to apologise for the bad spelling in my previous post.

Revelation ! A friend at work (thanks Andrew) reminded me that Operation : Flashpoint is very similar in gameplay to Midwinter and Flames Of Freedom.

Refer :

http://www.mobygames.com/game/sheet/gameId,1479/ for Midwinter and http://www.mobygames.com/game/sheet/gameId,2535/ for Flames Of Freedom.

Ok, I'm on board. I just placed my order, next day fed ex. I am so excited about this game it hurts. Thanks for the comments guys.

-Rob

Oh yes I remember Midwinter... that was a cool game... wasn't it Domark or somesuch company? Yes Op Flashpoint does represent that game in a way, though its not on a snowy island iirc.

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Thanks for the review, Sean. I'm looking forward to this one ever since I tried the demo. Good to hear it's a solid game. Your description makes me eager to give it a go!

Does anyone know when it'll be out in the States? Trying to decide if I should order now or wait.

Thanks Tim. It's a great game and one of the rare instances where the shipping product has a noticeable improvement over the demo version. I think it is due for release in the states sometime during Aug/Sept. The 2nd/3rd patch is due during August and I believe this has the full multiplay functionality.

You could try the Euro version as the patch will bring it to the same level as the US version.

It is interesting to note that some people are complaining about the difficulty of completing certain missions. One guy mentioned he had problems with a spec op mission to blow up tanks. He was trying to sneak in the front gates to a compound.

People have to realise there is no right or wrong way to completing an Operation Flashpoint mission. Sure you have to achieve the objective but how you get there is completely up to you.

In this particular instance if I were him I would have set a charge and blown up one of the compound walls next to the tanks. There are countless creative ways to complete OFP missions. The game is very open ended.

Oh and I can also confirm here that my F16FLCS/TQS no longer works in the production version even though the joystick option is turned on in the setup menu. Hopefully this will be turned on again in the next patch.

Midwinter...I still have it somewhere in my bottomless closet. Neat game, a really fascinating concept. I want to say that Microprose published it, but Domark/Eidos did the fantasy version, Lords of Midnight, which is probably why Mtkafka mentioned them.

I never played Midwinter's sequel, if anyone did, was it any good? And it's interesting to see that similar play will be in Flashpoint. I can't remember exactly what Lords of Midnight did wrong, but IIRC the formula didn't work as well and created very tedious play.

Yes I did play Flames Of Freedom but the developers went for more instead of better. It lost the tight intense feel that the original Midwinter had.

Actually I think NOLF is very much a spiritual successor to Midwinter as well.