Arma 3 is one of the best FPS games on PC, especially if you find most other shooters a bit fanciful. There are definitely no jetpacks or double jumping here: just tactical, team-based, boots on the ground military combat. If you're yet to try it, it's currently free on Steam for the next four days until January 19.

If you end up a convert, the game is currently very cheap as well: the base game is 70 percent off, while DLC packs are up to 66 percent off. There's a little scene setting trailer embedded below.

While the game has grown a lot since its 2013 release, Evan expressed admiration in his review. "Even its modular inventory system has produced little rituals for me in co-op, where I have everyone vocally recite the gear they're carrying to make sure we've got enough versatility," he wrote. "Sometimes, like some sort of weird mom commander, I inspect their backpacks to see that they're storing enough C4 and medkits. In these moments, you realize that the majority of Arma's realism doesn't exist for the sake of realism."

I really like the idea of extraterrestrials in Arma 3. There's something about a modern military FPS that's famously devoted to realism being overrun by an alien invasion that just tickles me. Of course, this is Arma, and so it's not a full-on Mars Attacks scenario: Instead, Arma 3 Contact is a confused first contact situation where no one knows what's going on, and you're one of the front-line flunkies who gets to stick his finger in the water to see if it's hot.

Arma 3 Contact begins with the discovery of an unknown object beneath the surface of the fictional Eastern European nation of Livonia, which precipitates the arrival of a massive alien ship above it. You, a drone operator for NATO, are sent on a recon mission to figure out who they are and what they want. But the situation is complicated by the pre-existing tensions in Eastern Europe, and the fact that there are a lot of high-strung humans with guns running around.

This still being Arma, there will be "infantry combat encounters," but "non-shooting gameplay" makes up a large portion of the campaign, developer Bohemia Interactive said. That includes things like studying alien anomalies and manipulating the electromagnetic spectrum with the "Spectrum Device," which can be used for intel gathering, signal jamming, and other means of electronic warfare.

"Looking back at Contact's concept phase, I'm very proud of how we managed to convert the many ideas into the original experience we're releasing today. It tackles the 'first contact' premise in a way not yet seen in other games, while also showcasing the diversity of the Arma 3 platform," Arma 3 Contact Project Lead Joris-Jan van ‘t Land said.

"Beyond the campaign experience, we're also glad to be expanding the traditional Arma 3 sandbox with loads of cool content. I'm confident our community will be able to put this expansion to good use, and we hope everyone will have a lot of fun playing. The truth is out there!"

That new content includes 163 square kilometers of Livonian terrain, the Livonian Defense Force and Russian Spetsnaz factions, five weapons, two vehicles, new gear (like the Spectrum Device), new multiplayer scenarios, and "bonus content" including decorative props, terrain objects, and new civilian clothing.

The Arma 3 Contact DLC is available now for $28/£22/€25 on Steam and the Bohemia Store. You can also opt for the Arma 3 Contact Edition, which includes the base game and Contact DLC, or the Ultimate Edition, with all previously-released DLC and expansions developed by Bohemia.

And speaking of aliens: See you in September.

Arma 3, Bohemia Interactive's serious military sim, is going a bit X-Files. Arma 3: Contact, announced last month, is a spin-off expansion set during first contact with alien life, and while it could have been a tongue-in-cheek novelty, so far it appears to as straight-faced as its predecessor. 

Along with the sci-fi campaign, the DLC will also introduce a lot of new assets that can be used in the rest of Arma 3, and Contact's new trailer gives us a look at what we'll be able to play with outside of the missions, including the 164 square kilometer map with new terrain. 

Livonia is a temperate summer map with lots of forests and fields, the perfect place for a peaceful wander, and peppered with towns and railroads. Landmarks include lots of old World War 2 bunkers, an old munitions factory and a radar station. It looks nice! Very bucolic. Hopefully the aliens don't mess it up. 

While Contact lets you get up to a lot of non-combat stuff, it still introduces plenty of new military toys that can also be used elsewhere. Five new weapons have been thrown into the mix, along with reskinned Arma 3 vehicles and gear unique to the new factions, the Livonian Defense Force and the Russian Spetsnaz.  

You'll also be able to drive a tractor. 

Everyone that owns Arma 3 will also get free stuff, including new camouflage options and more than 100 new terrain assets and decorative objects that can be used in your own mods. 

Arma 3: Contact is due out on July 25. 

Bohemia Interactive has unveiled an all-new "spin-off expansion" for Arma 3, its ultra-realistic first-person military combat simulator. Entitled "Contact" (a play on the first word Arma's automated soldier voices utter when they spot an enemy), the expansion will see players take on the role of a NATO drone operator in Eastern Europe during humanity's first contact with aliens. Wait, what? 

That's right, aliens, as in weirdos from another planet: "When a massive alien vessel suddenly enters the atmosphere, you are sent to investigate the extraterrestrial visitors and determine their intentions. However, amid the tension and chaos, armed conflict inevitably unfolds. Over the course of the campaign, players will engage in field science, electronic warfare, and combat reconnaissance, in an experience delivered in authentic Arma style." 

There will be shooting, as you'd expect from Arma, but much of the campaign will be focused on other, more cerebral activities, including studying alien anomalies with a mini UGV sampling later and CBRN [chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear] defense equipment, and using a new Spectrum Device tool to control the electromagnetic spectrum for navigation, intel, and deception purposes. 

"Many of us have wondered if humanity is alone in the universe. I, for one, want to believe we are not. The premise of intelligent life visiting Earth from outer space has fascinated me since childhood, and combining that with the military authenticity of Arma 3 always seemed like it would make for a very cool and unique experience", project lead Joris-Jan van ‘t Land said.

"After our team’s previous project—Laws of War DLC—proved that players enjoy gameplay that’s a little different, our team felt motivated to go for it. I am personally very grateful for the opportunity to explore this theme, and I want to thank all Arma 3 players for their support and making it possible for this dream to come true."   

Arma 3 Contact will add 163 square kilometers of new terrain in the fictional Eastern European nation of Livonia. The Livonian Defense Force and Russian Spetsnaz factions will join the party with new weapons, vehicles, and gear including the Promet Assault Rifle, RPK-12 LMG, AKU-12 carbine, CBRN clothing, masks, and backpacks, and a tractor—this is Eastern Europe, after all. There will also be new multiplayer scenarios set on the new terrain, and free bonus content for all players including NATO woodland camouflage, civilian clothing, and more than 100 props and terrain objects. 

Encountering aliens in the world's most popular military sim is unexpected, but as van ‘t Land said, Arma 3 is not a straight-up shooter: The Laws of War DLC released in 2017 set players up as members of a non-combat NGO and focused on the consequences of warfare rather than the combat itself. Sales of that DLC raised nearly $177,000 for the ICRC. And if and when aliens do make contact, it will no doubt be the militaries of the world who handle (and probably screw up) first contact.   

Arma 3 Contact is slated for release on July 25 and will go for $28/£22/€25 on Steam or the Bohemia Store, with a ten percent discount available until August 1. It will also be available as part of the Arma 3 Contact Edition, which includes the base game and the expansion at a discounted rate. And for truly dedicated fans, there's the Bohemia-exclusive Arma 3 Contact Collector's Edition, which includes the base game and expansion, a field case, a pair of walkie-talkies, an EMF-blocking Faraday cage storage container (which may or may not actually block EM fields, Bohemia wasn't super-clear on that but did say that it will look great sitting on a shelf), a topographic map of Livonia, an Arma 3 Contact poster, two stickers, and the pièce de résistance, a pair of tinfoil hats, to ensure "your thoughts remain your own." Conspiracy theories not included. 

Check out some new screens from Arma 3 Contact down below. 

There was some confusion last fall when gaming site CentrumHer revealed that Arma 4 is in development. It arose from the fact that Arma 4, as far as anyone knows, is not in development at all. What was actually happening, PR manager Korneel van 't Land explained, was an "Arma 3 Creator Bootcamp" for potential third-party Arma 3 DLC creators. Bohemia Interactive has "concrete plans for a significant amount of support for Arma 3 through a combination of official new content and hopefully third-party DLC content in at least the coming year," van 't Land said, and this was a way to get those creators up to speed.

The first of those Arma 3 Creator DLC releases, by developer Vertexmacht, is now available, and it's a literal blast from the past: Global Mobilization – Cold War Germany returns to the 1980s with West and East German forces squaring off on a massive map in northern Germany. The DLC includes 42 vehicles and variants, 21 weapons and variants, 17 multiplayer scenarios, and a singleplayer campaign with ten missions. 

"With Creator DLC such as Global Mobilization - Cold War Germany, Bohemia Interactive aims to provide more original quality content to Arma 3 players, create an opportunity for outside talent to earn a financial reward, while also making it possible to invest more into the Arma series' long-term future," Bohemia said. Details on the program, if you're interested in trying your hand at content creation or just curious what it's all about, are available on the Arma 3 Creator DLC page, and in this update from earlier in April.  

The Cold War Germany DLC is the latest example of Bohemia's longstanding commitment to modders and to Arma being a platform for other people's work. At the end of 2013, the company's "Make Arma Not War" competition awarded €500,000 to creators. One of the winners? A then-unknown PlayerUnknown.

Arma 3: Global Mobilization – Cold War Germany goes for $23/£17/€20 on Steam or through the Bohemia Store, and is available for ten percent off those prices until May 6. The base price of Arma 3 has been permanently reduced as well, to $30/£24/€28, and previously released DLC has also been marked down. 

Arma 3's first paid-for, third-party DLC will be out tomorrow, and it will offer a 10-mission singleplayer campaign, 17 multiplayer scenarios and more than 40 new vehicles and vehicle variants across its 1980s Cold War Germany map.

The DLC, called Global Mobilization - Cold War Germany, features 419 square kilometers of terrain in both sunny summer and snowy winter variants, making it the largest Arma terrain to date. As well as the campaign, multiplayer scenarios and usual Arma 3 sandbox gameplay, the DLC will introduce 42 new vehicles and vehicle variants, 21 new weapons including variants, and new character assets.

The campaign focuses on the battle over the inner German border from two perspectives: a private in the West German army and the leader of a tank platoon. The 17 multiplayer scenarios comprise 13 co-op scenarios and four competitive game modes, including a deathmatch called "Fashion Police", in which teams "can quickly change based on the clothing you wear".

As well as West and East German armies, the DLC features troops from Denmark, who will provide a "smaller but viable military faction".

Bohemia insists that third-party DLC, announced last year, is not simply "paid mods". In an FAQ it says: "We believe that these DLC packs would not have otherwise existed or be possible as mods of similar quality and scope". Third-party DLC "will never replace something that was available for free", it says.

I'd say it at least has a leg to stand on here—all third-party DLC must be a new project pitched to and approved by Bohemia, which provides "continuous feedback, assists with the Quality Assurance (testing) process, and offers legal, mastering, publishing, and promotional support" throughout development.

The two-person team behind Global Mobilization are called Vertexmacht. One of the developers is an animation lead at Bohemia Interactive Simulations, a separate entity to Bohemia Interactive, which is why this still counts as third-party DLC. You can read an interview with both developers here.

Bohemia haven't yet announced a price for the DLC. The Steam page is here, while the Bohemia Store page is here.

Nothing says romance like spending time with the ones you love in a very serious military sim. Keep your flowers and sentimental gifts, I want military jargon, tense firefights and maybe the opportunity to blow up some tanks. Arma 3 is offering all of that and a heck of a lot more this weekend when it briefly sheds its price. You'll be able to play for free until Monday. 

I suspect most people who are into their military sims already own at least one of the Armas, but it would probably have even greater number of adherents if more people realised that it's more accessible than it first appears. That doesn't mean it's the most intuitive game, or easy to wrap your head around, but it's also not just a military shooter. It's a sandbox and platform for creating whole new modes, games and custom servers. There's even go-karting. 

There are some really impressive player creations, too, including this extremely fancy Halo mod. And then there's this nightmarish Lego mod. I'll never be able to shake the image of their grinning faces as they're riddled with bullets. 

Across the weekend, the base game, expansion and DLC packs will also be on sale for up to 66 percent off on Steam. 

Operation: Trebuchet, a Halo mod for Arma 3, is taking the Halo universe back in time. Set during the titular conflict between the UNSC and insurrectionists, before the arrival of the Covenant, it focuses on regular soldiers and rebels rather than the superhuman Spartans and aliens we're used to. Like Arma 3, it looks a lot more grounded than a typical Halo romp, but judging by the impressive new trailer, there's still plenty of sizzle. Check it out above. 

We've not seen much of upcoming official game yet—you can read everything we know about Halo: Infinite, so far—but I confess that I'm more intrigued by delving into Halo’s past from the perspective of a regular person. Well, a regular person who still has access to futuristic weaponry and fancy, heavily-armed vehicles. 

The team has been working on the mod for a couple of years now, and while it's still in alpha, you can download it now and take it for a spin. 

At the moment, it adds Halo-themed gear and vehicles, among other things, into Arma 3, but if you want to use them in missions, you'll need to make your own or hunt down some mission mods. 

You can grab it on the Steam Workshop.

A free update to the first-person military shooter Arma 3 has added a new large-scale competitive multiplayer mode called Warlords. First and foremost, it is not a battle royale: Instead, it puts NATO and CSAT teams in bases on opposite sides of the map, from where they must conquer AI-controlled sectors, chain them together into a route across the island, and then launch an assault on the enemy base. 

Players who do well in battle will be rewarded with Command Points, which can be used to call in vehicles, AI-controlled reinforcements, better weapons and gear, or for "strategic advantages" like fast travel or sector scans. Command Points are earned by killing enemies and taking control of sectors, and sectors will also generate points for whichever team controls them. The new mode is clearly focused on competitive multiplayer combat, but players can also opt to team up on one side to do battle with the AI, and it can be played solo as well, with AI handling friendly and enemy forces alike. 

Senior scripter and designer Josef Zemánek explained in a November update that Warlords is rooted in "Capture the Island," a scenario released in 2003 for Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis, the game that would spawn the long-running Arma series. But Warlords foregoes some familiar elements of CTI, including base building and player progression, both of which he felt would get in the way of his vision for the mode. 

"The reasoning behind these decisions is simple: you join the game, you know what to do, where to go, and who to attack in order to push towards the enemy base," he wrote. "You know where to go and defend to prevent the enemy from getting to your base. And how well you perform depends only on your skill and not your rank." 

Warlords has been added to Arma 3 as part of the 1.86 update, which also includes integration of the ADR-97 Weapon Pack into the vanilla game, improved multiplayer security, five new playable characters "with heads of notable Bohemia developers," and an array of fixes and tweaks. The full patch notes are yours to enjoy at arma3.com. 

Arma 3 won't be the last we'll play of the milsim series, but it's too early to tell what form a hypothetical Arma 4 would take, says developer Bohemia Interactive. 

Speaking to PC Gamer via email, brand and PR manager Korneel van 't Land said that the studio's goal right now is "to keep Arma 3 fresh and exciting for at least several more years" as it balances development on several other projects. Bohemia says it would like to continue the series beyond Arma 3, but doesn't have any plans to share about a sequel right now.

Why is the idea of an Arma 4 being discussed? Last Friday, a Slovakian journalist who was visiting the Czech studio tweeted falsely that the project existed. "Our editor is in Bohemia Interactive today. I can now say that Arma 4 is officially confirmed #Arma4 #Arma," wrote Lukas Kanik, who works for games outlet CentrumHer. 

The tweet was deleted the same day, but not before Reddit's popular /r/games forum picked up the rumor and ran with it. "ARMA 4 in development, editors are visiting Bohemia Interactive," read a 233-comment thread, where redditors speculated enthusiastically about features, settings, and an Arma 4 release date.

I reached out to Bohemia to find out whether there was any truth to this. "We were hosting something called 'Arma 3 Creator Bootcamp' last week, for which we invited potential third-party DLC creators for Arma 3 to provide them with some guidelines and help kick off the development of their projects," van 't Land explained. "We figured that we’d also invite a few local media outlets as well."

The Bohemia spokesperson said he didn't know what made Kanik believe that Arma 4 had been confirmed. "It’s too early even for us to tell when and in what form the Arma series would continue into the longer-term future. We can already say that we’re not expecting to announce a potential new Arma title in the next years," van 't Land told me via email. "This timeline is also related to our goal of having all future Bohemia games run on the new Enfusion engine, which is still in development, and will take time to exceed the standards set by Arma 3 and meet future requirements. Right now we do have concrete plans for a significant amount of support for Arma 3 through a combination of official new content and hopefully third-party DLC content in at least the coming year, and most probably even years."

Game developers rarely say anything about unannounced sequels, so as confirmation goes, Bohemia's explanation is generous by industry standards. Arma 3 released in 2013, four years after its predecessor Arma 2 in 2009, so fans could be forgiven for thinking that another entry in the series might be around the corner. 

Over the last decade, developers of popular multiplayer games have usually opted to extend the lifespan of their games as long as possible, essentially turning their games into platforms with rolling updates and DLC. This is especially true of Arma, one of the most moddable games on PC, which has drawn a vibrant community on Steam Workshop and elsewhere. Along those lines, the Creator Bootcamp event held at Bohemia last week was intended to stimulate development of independently-produced DLC.

In addition to its work on a new engine, Bohemia continues development of Ylands, its Xbox One shooter Vigor, and DayZ 1.0, which will hit this year.