Operation Flashpoint: Elite

Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis is the ultimate realistic war experience where everything happens for real. Its conflict setting draws the player into the action so deeply because it is such a believable military environment. For the first time in such a game, the player controls and commands not just soldiers of all levels and squads but also land, sea and air vehicles--both military and civilian--from cars, to APCs, to tanks and even military helicopters.

The scenario is modern warfare: It's 1985, in the midst of the Cold War, and Gorbachev has been elected to power bringing with him policies of glasnost and perestroika. However, resistance Soviet groups are opposed to the new wave and are refusing to serve the new regime in Moscow.

One group has taken control of an island community, and is using it as an armed stronghold for the old order. NATO has been called to act as the peacekeeping force. Operation Flashpoint opens with the player joining the first mission against the Soviets.

It's a game of complete freedom with military crisis situations to handle on your own initiative. Once past the mission briefing stage, it's the player's decision how the overall mission or campaign is tackled. This variety also allows players to dip in and out of all kinds of action gameplay from commanding a squad, driving rumbling vehicles, and piloting a helicopter to being a sniper.

Again, incredible detail unfolds in each role: A NATO sniper makes use of the US-standard M21 sniper rifle with its correct optical markings. However, if they relieve an immobilised Soviet sniper of his rifle, they will be faced with Soviet-standard optical markings through the sights--and they do work differently.

The open environment of the game is massive and you can go anywhere at anytime; you're not limited to playing in mission-specific "walled" areas.

On Xbox, the game comes complete with an additional campaign titled Operation Flashpoint: Resistance, set years before Operation Flashpoint's Cold War hit crisis point.