6 Jun, 2011
Developer: Codemasters
Producer: Codemasters
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 3 & Xbox 360 [360 version used for review]
Release Date: Europe: April 21st, 2011; North America; June 7th, 2011.
In Ten Words Or Less: The new precedent for battlefield realism. Flawed, but excellent nonetheless.
Family Friendly? Not in the slightest. Read here for our full explanation.
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Amidst its peers, Red River is certainly the odd one out. In a genre awash with cliché ridden clones and scripted high budget action sequences, Codemasters has endeavoured to produce the most realistic – and more importantly, human – war game possible. Whilst Operation Flashpoint might not bring you the thrills-per-minute action of other games of the same ilk, it does possess some of the best narrative and direction encountered in a war game to date. The tight-knit squad shooter really connects on all levels, and it generates an atmosphere unrivaled by any other game in the genre to date.
It just has to be said – the choice to emulate rather than innovate has certainly paid off in this case. Games such as Battlefield and Call of Duty thrust set pieces and romanticised warfare into your lap, but Flashpoint gives you nothing of the sort. There are no toppling skyscrapers. There are no earthquakes. Rather than letting the player don the mind-set of a near-invincible god, Red River chooses to makes you feel vulnerable, and exposed. It might not be the cinematic behemoth of the genre, but it never tries to be. It’s something far more genuine, and it’s all the better for it.
The game does away with the more common variants of competitive gameplay in favour of a four player co-operative mode, with the inclusion of leader boards for those who really must be the best of the best. Codemasters have made the right call here – this is a game that begs to be played with others. The sense of camaraderie and fellowship the campaign offers are only bettered by replacing the AI with friends or other players. The game’s dialogue is wrought with authenticity and wit (even if it does spout one too many military clichés) whilst still painting a grim picture of war; definitely something missed by video games in general. The banter and constant reinforcement of basic fire fight rules are destined to annoy some gamers somewhat as is the pacing of the four-act campaign; but again, it is all part of the cost to experience actual military service on the front lines.
Orders are dished out to your comrades through the use of several radial command wheels, which are then executed to the tee by your fire team. Whether you need suppressing fire on a reinforced position, a sprinkling of aerial support, or the repositioning of a friendly asset, it can all be done with a flourish of the analogue stick and a couple of button presses. Be warned – whilst the AI of your squad mates is commendable, they are at your mercy. Even with overwhelming odds, your order is final, and they will perform it with startling precision – even if that means the certain death of the whole team.
The game rolls out with four playable character classes, each with distinctive perks and load outs; the infantry standard Rifleman, the sniper based Scout, the close quarters Grenadier and the belt-fed machine gun touting Auto Rifleman. The exact composition of Bravo Team falls to you, allowing you to deal with situations in your own manner. You have complete control over the weapons and add-ons that each member can utilise also, further emphasising unique approaches to the games variety of challenges. These are unlocked via the cross offline/online XP system, which gives the class you play as experience towards levels, as well as providing key skill points shared across all classes.
Beyond the engrossing campaign, Red River also packs four varieties of Fireteam Engagements – additional scenarios, each with their own distinctive flavour. The Last Stand mode will surprise no first person shooter veteran, but combine this with Flashpoint’s efforts in regards to realism, and it really jumps up a notch. As a result of this, regardless of difficulty, it is nigh on impossible to complete. The enemy will be too numerous, too heavily armed, and will almost certainly defeat you. It’s up to you to get to the evac point before the inevitable, and watching your team mates fall as you make a mad dash for the chopper is one of the memories that will stick with you, long after this game runs its course.
The other three modes – CSAR, Rolling Thunder and Combat Sweep, are also very entertaining additions. Combat Sweep has you clearing an enemy village of insurgents, as well as destroying ammo caches as quickly as possible, whilst Rolling Thunder requires you to protect an armed convoy from RPG attacks, enemy troops and assorted vehicles. CSAR, however, is where the game really comes into its own, dropping your fire squad behind enemy lines and ordering you to rescue a pilot. It may well be lifted straight from Black Hawk Down, but when turned into a game mode as immersive as this, I doubt there will be many calls for complaint.
Despite the many excellent aspects of the latest in the Operation Flashpoint franchise, there are still a multitude of shortfalls. Red River comes with some jaw-dropping backdrops, but also possesses some serious close quarter issues in the graphics department. Shadows are jagged, foliage at shorter ranges is especially pixelated and the AI occasionally glitch quite noticeably – there isn’t anything quite as irritating as lining up a headshot, only for the enemy to inadvertently teleport three feet away. PC gamers don’t have the graphical problems to the same extent as their console-owning brethren, thanks to the anti-antialiasing options available, but the low draw distance and poor shadowing is apparent even on high end systems.
The setting does the game no favours in this respect either, thanks to the copious shades of brown that Codemasters feel Tajikistan is made up of. The promise of fire fights in beautiful locations never rings true in Flashpoint, and for all of the countries lakes, forests or mountain ranges, most of the missions see you fight through sand and dirt, with the occasional settlement. Again, arguably, real life service rarely takes place in wondrous, picturesque locations, but a bit of variation would have prevented the game from falling victim to some of its pacing issues, and wouldn’t have distracted too much from the game’s realism. It’s also worth noting that despite the developers driving game pedigree, in the form of the highly acclaimed DiRT series, the vehicle controls and sections of Red River feel cumbersome, and portray themselves as rushed after thoughts.
The key positive aspects of this game also serve as its biggest barrier to entry, in terms of enjoyment. Red River is by and large a memorable, exhilarating squad shooter, with an unparalleled level of realism to boot; when played in the company of three serious players, this game rivals co-op experiences of the highest order. The level of realism is only spoilt by some graphical issues and some letter-perfect AI, but that same level of realism will be the bane of many a gamer’s chance of enjoying this release. Those of you looking for a bridge between simulation and squad shooting will find heaven in Red River; those of you looking for anything less will probably find almost nothing but irritation and annoyance in it.
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With constant expletives peppering every radio transmission and the most faithful representation of modern warfare ever to be seen on a console, Red River is not meant for little Jimmy. Rated a 15 by the BBFC, and rightly so, this title shouldn’t be something experienced by the young.
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