Just get Arma 3, or even Arma 2 if you'd like to save money. Codemaster pulled an Activision (or rather, Activision pulled a Codemasters) when they removed Bohemia Interactive as the developer behind the Operation Flashpoint series. Although it bears the Operation Flashpoint name, the true Operation Flashpoint series lives on in the Arma games. This and Red River were just cash grab attempts by CM (who have since shut down their FPS studio and are probably going to be shutting down their racing one too soon).

*my lack of time can be explained by the fact that I owned this game on Xbox 360 and only bought it on steam to see if the PC version was any different from the console version (it's not, although console has more players last I checked).

It is not a bad game
Sorry,that is not similar to ARMA,too linear
But you can play and even pass it

warning to those who want to play co op or MP the servers are shut down for good

This game could of been great if we weren't lied to. When it first came out the servers weren't up and running. We were told very soon and we'd be seeing a patch first. Guess what, no patch, no servers no nothing. It took about a month before we saw the first patch and were told the game wouldn't be supported.

Talk about a kick in the ♥♥♥. People were so upset that CodeMasters started banning everyone who complained on their web site. They are a company who doesn't give a damn about it's PC customers. Stay away from that ♥♥♥♥ hole company.

do you like ArmA series?
you think ArmA 2 has bad graphics? and your PC isnt good enough for ArmA 3?
buy this game.

pros:
1.good graphics.
2.very realistic.
3. easy to give commands.
4.nearly no glitches. a must play.
5.of course, the map editor.

cons:
1.cant sign up for multiplayer
2.you are 4 men against 100 chinese guys.
3.NO JETS.

tips:
1.if you want to be unstoppable, equip a m21 and a javelin. now you are unstoppable.
2.did your teammates die in campaign? in the checkpoint they'll respawn back. (THX GOD)
3.use your air support and artillery support carefully. its insanely insufficient.
4.PROTECT YOUR MEDIC. he can resurrect you.
5.m82 is the best weapon. i killed a guy at 700meters with it.

Friend got trapped in a small shed with no ammo left, he equipped his combat knife as 1000 angry chinese men assaulted his position screaming KUAI KUAI KUAI (GO GO GO!) in chinese at the top of their lungs.

11/10 Never laughed so much in my entire life

multiplayer not supported anymore.

So many negative reviews! This game is perfectly competent. It's not ARMA and it's not CoD. The co-op and multiplayer (if they're still up and running) were a blast. Lots of fun to be had with a few friends fighting over the bridge or playing together against waves of stupid AI. The AI will blunder often, but it's got a fair amount of content, a reasonable campaign even when played alone, and smooth enough controls to be a perfectly reasonable middle ground between two vastly different genres of shooter.
I Had Fun and Dont Know What Everyone is Talking About/10

Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising is one of those gems that is overlooked by most players. Personally I think the way to get the most out of this game though is running multi-player Co-op.

This is no Call of Duty or Medal of Honor shoot 'em up, but rather a tactical combat simulator. If you are a solo player I would probably skip this title. However if you like to roleplay and really get into your job, then team up with up to three others and run this game in multi-player campaign mode (Co-op).

There are four roles to choose from. Engineer, Medic, Sniper and Squad Leader. There is only one squad leader and he sets up and calls out the waypoints and strategies through the missions. The game can be a bit glitchy at times, but the fun factor far outweighs the technical glitches. The first mission is probably the worst, so if you pick up this game don't let the beginning stop you. By the third mission you will be wading through the foliage calling out targets for your sniper while your engineer sets some demo up on an enemy APC. I cannot emphasize enough that this game is best played with others and is definitely not a solo affair. You will need to use 3rd party software for headset chat. You will need to use a headset as well as the in game communication is very poor.

I always played Squad Leader, as I was the host for our game sessions. One of the most memorable moments in this game for me was when our sniper got pinned down behind a wall and was getting hammered by a .50 cal from an enemy technical. I sent in the engineer with this heavy weapon and before he reached the wall he went down hard. He was still alive so I instructed the medic to lend support to the engineer while I drew fire from the technical. The screaming going on over the headset was intense. The medic got the engineer back on his feet and behind the wall while our sniper bugged out of the area. I was getting attention form that .50 cal and hiding behind a tree and was also drawing fire from some infantry that heard the ruckus and started closing in on my position. Just when I figured that I was going down the technical blew up thanks to our engineer's heavy weapon and the inantry closing in on my position started dropping like flies from our sniper. We were back in business doing what we did best.

When it comes right down to it, it's times like this that I game for. I would highly suggest this title to anyone that likes to game with friends. Operation Flashpoint: Red River is even better and provides a smoother ride. If you can pick this title up on a steam sale with Red River I wouldn't hesitate.

Dragon Rising is the result of Codemasters' attempt to focus the open world, squad based, combined arms, realistic tactical shooter "Operation Flashpoint" series development around gaming consoles rather than personal computers, in contrast with Bohemia Interactive's "Arma".
As a result, the command menu was simplified into a more controller appropriate quadral rose, the group size was reduced from a 12 man squad to a 4 man fire team, and the number of entities permitted on a map at one time was reduced from hundreds to around 60.

Compared with Arma or OFP:CWC & R, the OFP:DR AI move slower and more cautiously, are more alert, flank more effeciently, and yet are less likely to hit the player (exception given to AT weapons). Voices are clearer and more natural. Physix, a more advanced tiring system, and individual medical kits were used in this before being incorporated into Arma (3). Overall, the Arma games have more to offer though, with an easier to use mission editor, greater mod friendliness, continued support, the ability to lean, customizable faces and voices, free editing software for a user to produce their own content, aiming without having to constantly depress the aim button, and much more.

Here are some comparison videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWkbNboZwUg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ns0-5O1tf1U
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPxoLj1O0UY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TW8sPQDVJSs


Here are some useful sites to visit:
http://sar.n1bus.eu/
http://filebeam.com/folder/6934
http://www.justallinone.com/index.php/component/jdownloads/viewcategory/64-island-wars-2-0?Itemid=493
http://www.tunngle.net/en/