A military simulation that strives to get closer to real-world conflict

Feb 12, 2013 01:41 GMT  ·  By

What we know: ArmA 3 is the next installment in the long-running military simulation from Bohemia Interactive that aims to inject as much realism as possible in the first-person shooter genre, with full details for terrain, weapons and hardware.

The game will take place on a number of Greek islands in the Aegean Sea, which are under attack by Eastern forces led by Iran, and which NATO resolves to defend during Operation Magnitude.

ArmA 3 is set in the near future, which means that developers can create more hardware for the various armies while working within the limits imposed by the current generation of military vehicles and weapons.

The new Real Virtuality 4 engine will allow the game to draw objects up to 20 km and will deliver an improved model for light use and general movement.

There are also more customization options and a better six axis movement system.

Gamers will also get access to an improved mission editor.

ArmA 3 will be launched exclusively on the PC at some point during the year.

Why it matters: ArmA 3 is a niche game, a first-person shooter that has always been praised for its commitment to realism, but has failed to get a big audience because most players like accessible experiences like Call of Duty.

Bohemia Interactive wants to bridge that gap with its upcoming project, but it’s unlikely that they will be able to mix pure entertainment with a military theme.

The biggest problem with ArmA 3 is that two of its developers have been arrested in Greece, while allegedly on holiday, on espionage charge.

It’s unclear how the incident affects the launch schedule for the game or if Bohemia Interactive will need to make massive changes to the product in order to eliminate the espionage charges.

The full Incoming 2013 series of articles can be read on Softpedia right here.