I’ve played Arma 3 for about 70 hours. At least 20 of those hours involved me loading up the editor, planting a helicopter and pilot on the map, and just flying all over the island. Altis is a breathtaking creation. I can’t get over the fact that it exists. Bohemia’s main duty since October has been to create a single-player campaign that uses their remarkable creation and engine, and the final part of The East Wind series of episodes was released a short while ago. I’ve played it and completed, and here’s Wot I Think.>

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That almighty mighty thump you just heard was Bohemia deploying the island of Altis into Arma 3. The first stage of the full release is the delivery the huge landmass into the development branch of the game (Steam > Arma 3 Beta > Properties > Betas), prepping it for a load of content to follow. Unless you’re handy with the editor, or download one of the early missions on the game’s Steam Workshop, there’s not much to do yet, but that shouldn’t stop you from loading it up. The detail they’ve put into Altis is reason enough to play it. It’s beautiful. A landmark creation for the PC. I’ve put together a little tour of the island if you fancy seeing the sights. (more…)

All good things must come to an end, and the Arma 3 Alpha is pretty good (Steam says I’ve played it for a healthy 36 hours). If you’re still considering buying it, you only have one more day left to buy it at the alpha price of €24.99, £19.99, $32.99. Tomorrow the Alpha fades out, like a flare sputtering its last embers of warning light, and the beta replaces it. It has more official content: 10 vehicles, 7 weapons, more showcase missions (Combined Arms, Supports, Commanding & Night), 2 multiplayer scenarios and 4 challenges, and with it comes a base price of €34.99, £29.99, and $44.99. Think of it as a military upgrade, or a nice new pair of trousers. (more…)

The scenario: you have the Arma 3 Alpha and you’ve exhausted the stock missions the game comes with. You’re also rubbish with the editor, and you don’t live with someone Arma Arm Armasson, who can show you what to do with it. Don’t worry. There’s no such person, so you’re not missing out on his sage wisdom. And Arma 3 is pretty easy to have fun with. Here’s what people have been up to (more…)

Bohemia Interactive is doing smart things at the moment. The first smart thing they did was to give me access to Arma 3 before everyone else had it, which made me happy. That is a smart thing, because I am very important person>, and my mum says I am handsome. The second smart thing they did was to release the Arma 3 Alpha to people who are not me, because it makes multiplayer games a lot more fun, and it means they can get to work with optimising their Greek pixels. The third smart thing was just launched: everyone who owns a copy of the Arma 3 Alpha has copies of the Lite edition to give away. Check your Steam Gifts, everyone. A heavily armed Santa Claus has been!

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Over the past few years I’ve noticed a theme of players seeming to “get” certain games as well as – and often even better than – the developers of said games do. The Arma games are one such series, where the input from ultra-dedicated players is one of the most powerful assets to the series. Who better to captain the Arma 3 trailers, then, but one of Arma’s own superfans, Andrew ‘Dslyecxi’ Gluck, who helps run the ShackTactical community.

This new trailer series (first one below) is ostensible about the Arma 3 Alpha, but this first trailer ends up being about the series generally. If you’ve not ever dabbled and want to understand the appeal, this is where to look. (more…)

The Arma 3 Alpha has shot to the top of the Steam charts, and for good reason. It’s looking like Bohemia’s most potent offering yet.

Trailer and thoughts below. (more…)