Arma 2
- June 17, 2009
- Bohemia Interactive Studio
A brilliantly in-depth and vast war simulator that rewards your patience. But buyer beware: this game has AI issues.
"Arma 2" is an open-world warfare game set in the fictional post-soviet country of Chernarus in 2009. As a member of a US Marine Corps Force Recon squad, players will work to minimize civilian casualties and maintain stability. The game boasts large-scale environments, detailed modern units, weapons, vehicles, and a variety of single and multiplayer options, including co-op and multiplayer for up to 2 players.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Arma 2 offers a vast and detailed military simulation experience, with a large map and a variety of weapons and vehicles.
- The game has a strong modding community, with user-created content that enhances gameplay, particularly the DayZ mod.
- Despite its age, many players find Arma 2 to be enjoyable and rewarding, especially for those who appreciate realistic military simulations.
- The game suffers from poor optimization, leading to performance issues and bugs that detract from the overall experience.
- AI behavior is often criticized for being unintelligent and buggy, which can lead to frustrating gameplay moments.
- The multiplayer aspect is largely dead, with many players unable to find servers or experiencing connectivity issues.
- story12 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game is widely criticized for its lack of depth and coherence, featuring a weak narrative, robotic voice acting, and numerous spelling mistakes. Players find the campaign tedious, primarily consisting of repetitive missions that require memorization of locations rather than engaging storytelling. While the game offers a sandbox mode for creative players to design their own content, the main campaign fails to deliver a compelling experience.
“If you're the type of gamer who is creative, this game offers a sandbox for you to create missions and I think campaign, not just creating your own missions but to create content.”
“Arma 2 is virtually dead at this point in time, but in this game's prime it was an extremely fun game to play, the map is huge, the guns and vehicles are expansive and there are lots of user-created game modes, missions, and mods available.”
“So badly optimized that it runs worse than Arma III, with stupid AI, buggy mechanics, and some of the worst FPS menus ever, not to mention the amateur dialogues and weak story.”
“Campaign is a big joke, with spelling mistakes, only about 10 missions, robotic voice acting, and very boring.”
“All the missions were about memorizing places to go with my squad to do things there.”
- optimization6 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The game is widely criticized for its poor optimization, with many users reporting significant performance issues even on high-spec PCs. Complaints include buggy mechanics, subpar AI, and frustratingly unresponsive menus, leading to an overall negative experience compared to better-optimized titles like Arma III.
“So badly optimized that it runs worse than Arma III, with stupid AI, buggy mechanics, and some of the worst FPS menus ever, not to mention the amateur dialogues and weak story.”
“Poorly optimized, poorly playable; Arma 3 is way better.”
“This is the first game I have to thumb down due to optimization issues.”
- gameplay3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The gameplay is described as fun but hampered by server shutdowns, leading to a lack of online action. Players note significant optimization issues, buggy mechanics, and poor AI, alongside frustrating menus and weak storytelling, while acknowledging that Arma 2 offers a more challenging experience compared to typical first-person shooters.
“The gameplay, in my opinion, provided tons of fun, but with the shutdown servers, you can't get any hot online action.”
“Arma 2 has challenging gameplay; it's not like other first-person shooters.”
“So badly optimized that it runs worse than Arma III, with stupid AI, buggy mechanics, and some of the worst FPS menus ever. Not to mention the amateur dialogues and weak story.”
- stability3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game suffers from significant stability issues, with users reporting poor optimization, numerous bugs, and frustrating mechanics. Many find the experience to be janky and unpolished, leading to a lack of enjoyment and recommending potential players to avoid it.
“So badly optimized that it runs worse than Arma III, with stupid AI, buggy mechanics, and some of the worst FPS menus ever. Not to mention the amateur dialogues and weak story.”
“Everything was buggy and full of ultra jank.”
“Might be going cheap but is boring and buggy; give it a miss.”
- graphics2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The graphics are generally well-received, featuring appealing maps and visuals that enhance the overall experience.
“The graphics are stunning, with beautifully designed maps that enhance the overall experience.”
“The visuals are impressive, showcasing intricate details and vibrant colors.”
“The game's graphics truly stand out, creating an immersive environment that draws you in.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Users feel that the presence of admins in all Arma versions negatively impacts the game's atmosphere, detracting from the immersive experience that the game aims to provide.
“The use of admins in all the Arma versions ruins and destroys the basic atmosphere of the game.”
