We got a chance to play the PlayStation 3 version. Check our full preview on how the Fireteam Engagements Mode is churning out below.
Last week I was invited at a preview event at the Zapak Offices to check out the Fireteam Engagements mode in Operation Flashpoint: Red River. Let me start off by saying this. The modes present have a lot of depth and potential but unfortunately it looks like Codemastes have a lot of work to do ahead of the game’s release this month.
So the Engagements mode basically has four sub modes which are:
- Last Stand
- CSAR
- Rolling Thunder
- The Combat Sweep
Now let’s talk a bit about these modes.
The Last Stand was a bit of a mix bag for me. The objective here is to survive as long as you can while you face off against waves of enemies. The problem with this mode is that it might get a bit bland after some time since you have to wait for a pretty long time before you get to face the enemies. Enemy choppers will come around and drop more enemy soldiers once you take down a respective wave, again something which we have seen in AAA franchises like Gears of War. The good thing about this mode is that the player can bail out anytime, but you need to go to an extraction point.
The CSAR mode had a bit of variety in it with multiple missions. One of them was the Search and Destory mission wherein the player has to reach to a particular target and blow stuff. As usual this area is usually heavily guarded so you have to be on your toes as it will take only a few bullets to take you out. Next up is Extraction mission where you have to first save a pilot from enemy forces and extract the area with a helicopter. Again, the area housing the helicopter is pretty heavily armed, so you got to be careful. There was a general lack of enemies and initially this mode will start out as bland for some players.
Rolling Thunder was a pretty basic mode in my opinion. Here your objective is to lead a convoy from Point A to Point B and as you can guess you will have enemy vehicles stopping you. The mode requires the player to be pro-active as driving through lamely won’t help. You will often find yourself getting off the vehicle and take down snipers and gun men to clear the path for the convoy. Rolling Thunder is nothing out of the box, but it presents the player with some challenging objectives.
The Combat Sweep was one of the better modes that I witnessed in the game. As the name suggests, the basic objective here is to “sweep” out your enemies. This mode had two maps: Counter Insurgency and Ghost Town. This was one of the modes that I truly felt that the game was coming on its own with more enemies and a clear emphasis on what the player has to do.
Even though the mode themselves feel exciting, the game has several technical issues. The PlayStation 3 version had ugly visuals compared to its PC counterpart. Bland character models and lifeless environments will make some players sleep. Not to mention the controls are a bit hard to learn and the surprise exclusion of jump is questionable. The biggest irritating inclusion is the way the players can use their health packs. You have to press a respective button for atleast 5-10 seconds before your player can use health packs, which is oh so traditional method of gameplay. Add to that some really huge areas with a not so helpful map and you have a game that might bug out some players.
However I am still hopeful and optimistic that Codemasters will be able to turn the game on its head. Right now they need to pull their socks up and get the thing running so that it can be an enjoyable experience.
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