Sean Drummy examines this unique modification for the tactical shooter Operation Flashpoint which allows players to control an almost strategic-level force.

The storyline isn't anything of interest, but let's just say that the Cold War seems to be brewing once again. A renegade Russian general has decided to take his massive army and storm the Malden Islands, a vital strategic point that coincidentally hosts a ton of crude oil.

Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis is one of the most realistic war simulations I have ever played. At times this can be both wonderful and frustrating at the same time. You start out in the campaign mode as a single infantry soldier.

All too often we see games that are released prematurely with half-baked scenarios or a ton of bugs. Operation Flashpoint isn't one of them. It feels like the developers took their time and paid attention to detail. This is a rich game full of innovation, atmosphere and rock solid gameplay.

Rock solid gameplay; innovative, compelling atmosphere

Twitchy interface; questionable AI; confusing missions

I have to preface this whole review with a little piece of information that you must keep tucked away in that itchy little brain of yours: this game is a whole buttload of fun. There hasn't been a realistic shooter that has really gotten a lot of people excited around the office like this since...

When Rainbow 6 came out, I tried it, and was fairly impressed by it. After all, here was a game where you could actually get killed realistically, instead of taking two rockets without dying, which seemed to be a predominant trend of the time.

It's 1985 and Gorbachev has become leader of the Soviet Union, bringing about the end of communist rule. But while we survived perestroika and the collapse of the eastern bloc more or less intact, Operation Flashpoint offers a "what if" scenario in which a maverick Russian General opposed to...