Dragon Rising is set several years in the future. Oil concerns have led to a conflict between Russia and China. The United States intervenes on behalf of its old Cold War foe to drive the invading Chinese PLA forces out. You play as one of these troops, and through the set of 11 long campaign missions you'll be tasked with special ops objectives that range from taking out key targets to clearing the way for armor to roll through valleys. The missions themselves aren't the most exciting in design -- you're more likely to get a thrill out of the tense moments between combat than any of the major set pieces -- as you play more of a supporting role for the greater war instead of the individual hero most games cast the main character as.
Then again, this is a real war you're in, not one full of Hollywood theatrics. At first glance, it might seem like crouching in a field of brambles scoping out the horizon while slowly crawling forward wouldn't make for the most compelling of games. The fact is Operation Flashpoint isn't for everybody. The action is slow and deliberate. The punishment for making a mistake is large; especially on the Hardcore setting that removes all heads-up-display help and checkpoints. Get shot just once in the leg and you'll start bleeding. Even after you patch it up, you'll find yourself hobbled and unable to sprint as quickly.
Operation Flashpoint can be played online co-operatively with a squad of four, or by yourself, in which case artificial intelligence takes over for the rest of the group. When alone, you'll find it quite necessary to dole out specific commands to your squad. Without their help, you really don't stand a chance against the overwhelming odds. Their aid will allow you to suppress enemy gun encampments while you move between cover, flank a squad of riflemen, or even just absorb a few bullets for you while you do the dirty work. Unfortunately, even when micromanaged, I found the AI in these computer-controlled allies to be a bit lacking. It's not awful, and it rarely prevented me from progressing on through the game, but it did become a bit frustrating now and then and it did cause me to die a few more times than I would have with better squad mates. At one point I got so tired of waiting for an ally to find his way out of a fenced in area that I simply detonated the C4 I had laid there. Bye, bye Private Morales.
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