Oh man. Where to even begin with this one. It would be an extreme disservice to simply call Arma 3 a shooter, as it is so, so much more than that. Arma 3 is a military simulator. This is a distinction that it’s developers hold sacred and are proud of, and one to which I can attest is completely accurate and deserved. But it’s even more than that. Arma 3 is a gaming platform, upon which so much has already been and will continue to be built for years to come.

At its core though, Arma 3 in a supremely excellent military sim. The graphics are stunning, the gameplay is excellent, the mechanics are solid, and Bohemia Interactive has done an absolutely amazing job packaging this all together. New comers to the Arma series (as I was) may initially be overwhelmed by the game’s complex mechanics and decidedly different pace from your typical FPS/shooter. Enemy engagements happen at much greater distance than is typical in the genre and are often brief, brutal, and more times than not will conclude with your demise. There is no handholding here. No mini-maps, no enemy UI icons/indicators, no hit markers, no health bars. If you get shot a couple of times, you will find yourself unceremoniously dispatched. While this creates a high barrier for entry and a steep learning curve for new players, it provides a unique and distinctive play style. Situational awareness, cover, teamwork, suppressive fire, and generally moving purposefully and as if your ass depended on knowing what was behind the next ridge or hiding in the bushes are paramount to your success. Add to these infantry mechanics the amazingly rendered vehicles, armor, helicopters, and planes, each with their own realistic mechanics to learn and master, and you end up with a truly amazing military simulation experience.

Out of the box, Arma comes with a great single player campaign comprised of 3 separate acts, each containing ~12-15 missions. The campaign focuses on a well crafted story of a military conflict that has erupted over Arma 3’s two HUGE islands of Stratis and Altis. You play the part of a NATO soldier who finds himself stuck in the middle of a complex engagement. The campaign is rewarding, and challenging. (I have yet to complete it as I’m stuck on one mission that I simply can’t seem to complete.)

However the single-player campaign is FAR from the end of this title. The mission editing tools have allowed this amazing community to develop some absolutely awesome single player missions, all of which can be downloaded free of charge from the Steam workshop and numerous other sites around the interwebs. I would also recommend you check out the supremely excellent full game conversion single player mods Whole Lotta Altis and Dynamic Universal War System which will provide countless additional single player hours and could be completely stand alone titles in themselves.

Oh and the multiplayer, oh god the multiplayer. Wasteland, King of the Hill, Invade and Annex, Battle Royale, Breaking Point, so many Co-Op opportunities, the amazing looking upcoming Epoch (currently in closed Alpha). I’m sure there are so many others that I haven’t even discovered yet. Each of these represent COMPLETELY USER GENERATED and totally disparate ways to play Multiplayer within the Arma 3 platform. By purchasing Arma 3, you immediately have access to each of these completely gratis and each could essentially be considered totally separate game.

In wrapping up this lengthy review, Arma 3 is an amazing experience and a true accomplishment in game development. It is the only game in recent memory that I can say with confidence that I never get bored with playing. Bohemia Interactive has made it clear that they plan to support this game for years to come, and they have built something amazing on which the possibilities are truly endless.

Purchase this game. Purchase it now. Thank me later.

(IF YOU DO NOT FIND MY REVIEW HELPFUL, please leave a comment as to why. I welcome the constructive feedback.)