OFP: Dragon Rising isn't the most visually impressive game you've ever played, but it is generally appealing to the eye. The open-world environments, especially, are nicely detailed and very realistic. On PC, many of the glitches present throughout the console versions have been ironed out. Most notably, the lack of freezing issues that mar the PS3 and Xbox 360 are non-existent. Also, explosions are a lot more powerful and used to greater effect on the PC. However, animations are still not particularly well done -many actions are either poorly rendered or void of any animation at all.

The sounds in the game are very good if not outstanding. Ambient sound effects, weapon rapport, and radio chatter all add nicely to the realism. So too does the lack of in-level music. While in menus, the dark and brooding Tibetan throat singing and Asian instrumentals provide for a quality aural backdrop.

In addition to the single-player campaign, you can also head online for cooperative and competitive play. The PC version allows you to play in competitive matches of up to 32 players. This is significant, as these über-realistic objective- and deathmatch-based games are amazingly challenging, providing PC gamers with hours of content post-campaign.

Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising is not a game for everyone. Its high degree of challenge and tactical gameplay is for well-versed, patient, hardcore players. More casual players, even Modern Warfare junkies, need not apply unless you understand that the realistic experience offered in this title is entirely different than what you're used to. If you can handle the often plodding pace and have the determination to get through initial frustrations, there is a quality battle simulator here to be explored and enjoyed.

By Jonathan Marx
CCC Editor / News Director