6, target soldier, 12 o clock.
Now, on my PC, Flashpoint runs as fast is it ever will do. The graphics, though very dated, do the job to a good extent. the sound is, well, for those in the know, very Flashpoint. Bad voice acting and a radio that sounds like Steven Hawking with one bar of battery left. However, these blemishes don't detract from what is ultimately a great game.
I'll be honest. When I first fired up Flashpoint on the Xbox, I was decidedly unimpressed. The graphics alternated between piss-poor and mediocre, and the field of view had been reduced to one less than Halo 2's. I decided I would return it to Gamestation and fired up Doom 3 instead (another great conversion that I will review later). However, something dragged me back. Just like it's PC fraternal twin had four years ago, it invaded my thoughts. I simply had to give it another go. I turned off the part of me that is bothered about looks (much like I do on a pissed up friday night) and fired it up again once more. Somehow the imperfections didn't matter as much, and once again, I was hooked.
The differences are subtle. The add-ons used in the (sadly missing here)
Red Hammer campaign have been integrated into the campaign, in one mission, instead of being picked up by a 5T truck (PC), you get picked up by a Chinook, for example. Some maps have been downsized, but in a way that is better for the gameplay. The 2 mile slogs to a hilltop castle have been cut short, thankfully. Enemy placements have been jiggled around, with more in the way of ambush tactics used by the AI.
There are new graphical effects, unseen on the DX 8.1 era PC version. There is actual grass, a la Far Cry, though not as detailed, and various forms of wildlife on display. Get killed on multiplayer and you are reincarnated as a seagull. New lighting effects brighten up the dull textures, and there is some normal and bump mapping on the characters and weapons.
The downsides are minor enough to push aside, given the excellent but slow gameplay, though if the style of game does not appeal to you, you should be advised not to waste your money. The narrow field of view and erratic aiming go some way to making an already hard game a lot tougher. However, I saw this as a challenge to overcome. The framerate, though reasonably smooth and consistent is far from perfect, in part due to awkward character animations. The sound is no better, and occasionally worse than it's PC brethren, though it does have it's moments of atmospheric genius.
All in all, there is a lot to recommend this game. If you prefer brains to brawn, you will love it. If you like a combination of both, you will be equally impressed. Those who like all-out gunfighting should stick with Ghost Recon, another great game in the genre. My advice is, if you buy Operation Flashpoint, give it some time. It WILL grow on you, and you will LOVE it. That's an order, private.