ARMA 2

About

ARMA 2 is a single player and multiplayer open world shooter game with a warfare theme. It was developed by Bohemia Interactive and was released on June 29, 2009. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and positive reviews from players.

Arma 2 is set in the near future, year 2009, in a fictional post soviet country called Chernarus. Players will be sent as members of a United States Marine Corps Force Recon squad to this country to prevent further civilian casualties and ensure ongoing stability there. Arma 2 is based on the latest generation technology, offering large ?scale game world, authentic and extremely detailed modern un…

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84%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,862 reviews

story34 positive mentions

stability58 negative mentions

Highly realistic military simulator with vast open maps and extensive vehicle and weapon options.
Strong modding community, especially with the popular DayZ mod, providing endless replayability and multiplayer variety.
Very immersive tactical experience that requires teamwork, strategic planning, and patience, appealing to players seeking authenticity over arcade-style shooters.

Steep learning curve and complex controls that can be frustrating for newcomers and casual gamers.
Numerous bugs, glitches, and clunky AI affecting single-player campaign and sometimes multiplayer experience.
Poor optimization causing performance issues on many systems and the original multiplayer servers are shut down, limiting modern online play.

story
176 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
75%
6%
The game's story and main campaign receive mixed to negative feedback, often described as bland, buggy, and sometimes frustrating due to mission design and technical issues. However, the realistic military simulation and extensive mission editor enable players to create and enjoy custom missions, which many find more engaging and rewarding than the official storyline. The community content and multiplayer experiences are generally praised for depth and replayability despite the campaign's shortcomings.
- “The game is so realistic in the way missions are given, the way the indigenous people treat you, in the way it lets you pass or fail depending on your creativity and ability to adapt and overcome, utilizing the map to figure out where you are and need to be, calling in helo support, air support, mortar support, artillery support, and transports, firefights, enemy movements, random firefights because you were in a place you probably didn't mean to be in, literally everything that happens in game feels so real compared to actually being at war.”
- “If you got into Arma only with Arma 3, I'd still strongly recommend Arma 2 for really great missions and campaigns - aside from OFP: Resistance, Arma 2 has the best campaigns available, and vastly superior to those in Arma 3.”
- “The missions are as detailed as a military simulator game can get, you have to take orders or control your squad and plan things out in the open world maps that are provided.”
- “The story of the main campaign is 'meh' at best.”
- “Overall, if you liked Operation Flashpoint, you will come out disappointed in the story and campaign, but this is still a game worth buying if you are into realistic military multiplayer shooters.”
- “The storyline for the campaigns you could care less about and it's pretty buggy.”
graphics
106 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
47%
14%
The graphics of the game are generally considered dated and below modern standards, especially when compared to newer titles like Arma 3, though they were impressive for their original release period. Many users note that with mods and higher settings, the visuals can still be quite detailed and immersive, but performance issues and graphical bugs persist. Overall, while the graphics may not impress new players, they remain sufficient to support the game's tactical and realistic gameplay experience.
- “Arma II's highly detailed landscape is a meticulous facsimile of real terrain, modeled using extensive geographical data.”
- “I have since upgraded my PC, and am now playing on near max graphics; the game is beautiful regardless of how you decide to play.”
- “Awesome squad mechanics, sound engine is on-par, graphics are outstanding considering its age.”
- “The graphics look dated, considering that the game looked just okay even back in 2009.”
- “The graphics are total crap on default settings, and I was only able to play on maxed settings to see anything more than 3 feet in front of me.”
- “The graphics are terrible, and it's buggy as hell.”
gameplay
104 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
58%
13%
The gameplay is deeply realistic and tactical, offering complex mechanics and extensive military simulation that appeals to players seeking authenticity over arcade-style action. However, it is often criticized for outdated controls, a steep learning curve, clunky mechanics, and slow pacing, which can hinder accessibility and enjoyment for some. Despite these drawbacks, the gameplay is praised for its depth, variety, and the unique experiences it provides, especially when enhanced by community mods like DayZ.
- “This is your mil sandbox with a large selection of audio overhaul mods, graphic improvement mods, mechanic implementation mods to either enhance realism or adjust it to your preference, all created by the community.”
- “If you're looking for military action that doesn't involve arcade-like gameplay, cheesy stories and overly ridiculous firefights but actual tactics, realism and immersive gameplay.”
- “The gameplay, physics, and balance (or lack thereof) is the most serious fun I have ever experienced, to borrow a phrase from Shacktac.”
- “To me, the gameplay is outdated (no mouse sensitivity customization?! Forced right-click toggle ADS?!) and the voicing is mid at best.”
- “I'm sure for someone chasing a complex and detailed simulator (especially back when it came out) it filled that role, but even though that interested me, I just couldn't get past the poor fundamentals of gameplay to get to the point I could enjoy what it had to offer.”
- “Awful controls, awful gameplay, awful physics.”
stability
58 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is widely regarded as highly buggy and unstable, with frequent AI navigation issues, mission scripting errors, and glitches that often disrupt gameplay, especially in the campaign. Despite these technical flaws, many players appreciate its massive scope, realism, and multiplayer fun, though the persistent bugs significantly impact overall stability and user experience.
- “The mission scripting is extremely buggy, involves a lot of just sitting and waiting (which may be realistic but is horrible design), the controls are horrible, the AI might as well be doing stuff completely at random and the voice acting is a complete disaster.”
- “Since the missions are so long the fact that the scripting is buggy is especially atrocious, since you may be left with no option other than to restart if you get stuck on an NPC that simply doesn't appear or an event that fails to trigger.”
- “The campaign is almost unplayable due to glitches and bugs involved with scripting.”
optimization
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
12%
57%
31%
Optimization for this game is widely criticized, with frequent reports of poor performance, crashes, and lag, especially compared to its predecessors. While the gameplay and simulation aspects are praised, the game often feels clunky and unoptimized, requiring players to tweak settings for better FPS. Fans tolerate these issues for the unique experience, but it remains a major drawback.
- “An instant classic that has its obvious performance issues.”
- “Controls are somewhat screwy, and the game could have been optimized a bit better, but the intense gameplay makes up for the negatives.”
- “Not quite as difficult of play control as I expected, once you get the hang of it - it's second nature... great graphics, but read up on tweaking it a bit for much better FPS/performance.”
- “I started this series on the End of Days with Armed Assault and into the hype of Arma 2... finally released it had terrible crash issues and performance issues.”
- “This game is terribly buggy, unoptimized to the core, needlessly slow and infantry movement makes you feel like you have a refrigerator tied to your back at all times.”
- “Horribly optimized and the game, overall, runs about as smooth as Tin Man with no oil.”
humor
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is often described as unintentionally hilarious due to frustrating gameplay, awkward voice acting, and bizarre bugs that create comedic moments. Players find amusement in the game's absurdities, from its disjointed audio to the unpredictable AI and unexpected events, making it entertaining despite—or because of—its flaws. Overall, the humor adds a quirky charm that keeps players engaged even amid frustration.
- “It's a hardcore FPS experience that will leave you extremely frustrated and laughing your head off; hours have literally flown by playing this game and messing with the editor.”
- “Whether it's the difficult and hilariously bad campaigns, the dumb Hotshot McGee AI, the trolls, the variety of weapons, vehicles, mods, skins, DLC, or the numerous gametypes (Wasteland, Life, clan activities), you will be pleased.”
- “You can be doing great or enjoying yourself and then all of a sudden something will happen that will put you in a real down mood (death, deadly bugs, scripters), only to be put right back up whether it's revenge or a very funny bug.”
music
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
58%
25%
The music in the game is widely criticized for being poorly integrated, often too loud and disruptive, drowning out important dialogue, and feeling generic or misplaced. It fails to enhance the atmosphere, with some reviewers finding it distracting and unmemorable rather than compelling or fitting.
- “I switch to third person view for the landing, as is my habit, and brush the branches of a tree during my descent, which naturally made the helicopter explode and stop moving, falling straight to the ground while a sad little song started.”
- “This should only happen if the music is literally happening from something in the environment, like a concert or something.”
- “Once you get past the looks of the game, get ready for a mind-bogglingly bad control scheme, unusable menus, and possibly the worst voice acting and music you've ever heard in a game.”
- “I'm not saying it's bad music in itself, but with scenarios they play it in, like walking across a deck, they've decided that blaring rock solos so loud, to the point where you can't even hear character dialogue, is appropriate.”
- “The music should never drown out dialogue in a game, especially when it's ambient background music.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The game offers high replayability through its engaging campaign, varied multiplayer options, and numerous DLCs that extend gameplay hours. Additionally, the mission creator feature significantly enhances its fun and lasting appeal.
- “This game is one of my favorites, with the campaign replayability and the multiplayer with different options.”
- “Great replay value and tons of DLCs which add even more hours of great gaming time.”
- “The missions are amazing and the addition of a mission creator just makes the game's replay value high and extremely fun.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users find the grinding aspect tedious and time-consuming, particularly due to the cumbersome controls required to manage squad mates effectively.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “I found it quite tedious.”
- “Controlling your squad mates and telling them where to go, what to attack is tedious at best.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere is praised for its immersive and detailed depiction of a war-torn environment with roaming wildlife, creating a compelling and realistic setting. However, some players find that this atmosphere doesn't fully resonate with them personally.
- “Wild animals roam the atmospheric forests while the people of Chernarus try to live out their lives among the war-torn streets.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users feel the monetization approach is intrusive and outdated, citing forced ads and limited customization options that hinder the gameplay experience.