Introduction

A large economic boom has caused China to deplete their oil reserves. However, when the credit bubble bursts and the global recession arrives, millions of jobs are lost and they are left without a means to acquire the oil they need. This leads to political destabilization and popular support for radical action. Meanwhile, sizeable quantities of oil are discovered on the Pacific island of Skira, which was taken from Japan by Russia at the end of WWII. China claims rightful ownership of the island, having originally colonized it centuries ago.

The Chinese military has mobilized to threaten Russia for the rights to the new-found resources. During a full-blown military standoff at the Sino-Russian border, PLA forces seized the island practically overnight. In honor of the formation of an alliance when the Cold War ended, the United States is asked to recapture Skira in an attempt to quell a disastrous conflict on mainland Asia. The USS Iwo Jima is deployed and the USMC takes charge. You play as 2nd Lt. Mulholland and Sgt. Hunter in various roles throughout the course of 5 days and 11 missions to aid in accomplishing this task.

A slick introductory cinematic explains this scenario as the backdrop of Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising, the tactical shooter from Codemasters. If you believe them when they say it’s the sequel to the highly-regarded original, you would be wrong to do so. Bohemia Interactive, the creators of Operation Flashpoint, parted ways with the publisher and somehow managed to retain the rights to all of the intellectual property except for the name. They went on to create spiritual successors ArmA: Armed Assault (Combat Operations in the US) and ARMA 2, which was released earlier this year.

For whatever reason, Op-Flash 2 PC retails for only $40. This might seem a little bonus, but as it turns out, you would do well to take it as a warning. When you begin playing, it soon becomes apparent that this game is a pretty lazy console port, but how much will your experience suffer? Turn the page and find out!