ArmA 2

ArmA 2
Developer	Bohemia Interactive
Publisher	Bohemia Interactive
Platforms	PC
Engine	Real Virtuality 3 (A2: v57270 - v74450) (OA: v70996 - v76134)
Release dates	June 17, 2009 (initial)

ArmA 2 is the third main title in the ARMA series.

Overview

The second modern-era game to be released after ArmA: Armed Assault, ArmA 2 is the third main title in Bohemia Interactive's flagship ARMA series.

Expansion pack

Main article: ArmA 2: Operation Arrowhead

Made available for purchase one year after ArmA 2's initial release on June 29th, 2010, Operation Arrowhead is the primary expansion pack for ArmA 2 and features numerous additions, ranging from three new terrains for the fictional Green Sea region country of Takistan, as well as many new vehicles and weapons, along with several factions and radio protocols.

Operation Arrowhead also included a platform update which introduces weapon zeroing, thermal vision modes, wearable backpacks, along with defensive electronic countermeasure systems for aircraft.

DLCs

ArmA 2 is the first game in the series to feature multiple DLCs which expand the base game's content. A total of three premium DLCs are available for purchase but require the Operation Arrowhead expansion to install and cannot be run standalone (the base game itself however, is not required):

• British Armed Forces, released on August 27th, 2010
• Private Military Company, released on November 30th, 2010
• Army of the Czech Republic, released on September 12th, 2012

British Armed Forces and Private Military Company were initially bundled together as part of the Reinforcements pack, while Army of the Czech Republic was sold as a standalone DLC (Operation Arrowhead was still required).

All DLCs were later bundled together as part of the ARMA 2: Complete Collection. The ARMA X Anniversary Edition also combines ArmA 2 and its DLCs alongside previous titles into a single package.

Plot

ArmA 2's campaigns begin in 2009, more than two years after the events of Royal Flush. All predominately take place in countries coasted to the fictional Green Sea.

Operation Harvest Red

Main article: Harvest Red

The Green Sea region nation of Chernarus finds itself embroiled in civil war as a powerful insurgent army calling itself the Chernarussian Movement of the Red Star (ChDKZ) lays siege to government forces, overrunning the South Zagoria region and even executing the nation's Prime Minister.

Under the request of the Chernarussian government-in-exile, U.S. Marines from the 27th Marine Expeditionary Unit are deployed to the country to drive back the ChDKZ and help restore order to the nation.

Deployed to spearhead the counterattack, the campaign predominately follows Master Sergeant Matthew Cooper, a Marine from USMC Force Reconnaissance fireteam callsigned Razor Team.

Eagle Wing

NOTE: This campaign was included with the release of Patch 1.05 but is considered to be non-canonical in the official timeline.

Main article: Eagle Wing (campaign)

A free addon campaign, Eagle Wing explores an alternate timeline where the United States launches a full-scale invasion of Chernarus to drive out both the ChDKZ and Russian military forces.

The campaign follows the story of Lieutenant Ed Winter, a U.S. Navy pilot who was sent to raid a Russian airfield prior to the invasion's commencement.

Operation Arrowhead

NOTE: Only available with the Operation Arrowhead expansion pack.

Main article: Operation Arrowhead (campaign)

Three years after the events of Operation Harvest Red, the ruling government of Takistan led by Colonel Muhammad R. Aziz faces a bloody civil war as Royalist tribes in the region rebel against him, threatening the stability of the regime.

To reclaim his crumbling power base, Aziz threatens to launch chemical SCUD missiles at the nearby Green Sea region nation of Karzeghistan if they refused to submit to his demands. Under a mandate approved by the United Nations, U.S.-led NATO forces invade the country to overthrow the ruthless dictator before he can carry out his threat on neighbouring countries.

The campaign is seen from the perspective of U.S. Army infantryman Corporal Howard Drake, along with three others from his group of friends in the multi-national Task Force Knight.

Operation Crimson Lance

NOTE: Only available with the British Armed Forces DLC.

Main article: Crimson Lance

Following the events of Operation Arrowhead, coalition forces in Takistan have begun to focus on counterinsurgency operations instead. Along with rooting out the last of Aziz's military forces, they provide help to the newly established New Takistani Army (NTA) in order to restore stability and peace to the rest of the country.

Operation Crimson Lance primarily focuses on veteran warfighter Sergeant Brian Frost, a squad leader from the British Army's 2nd Parachute Regiment.

Operation Black Gauntlet

NOTE: Only available with the Private Military Company DLC.

Main article: Operation Black Gauntlet (campaign)

One year after the events of Operation Crimson Lance, NATO forces have begun to withdraw from Takistan as their mission comes to an end. However, the security situation in the country has deteriorated rapidly, with former pro-Western tribes fighting against both the NTA and coalition forces.

With the drawdown commencing in full swing, private military companies are contracted to fill in the gaps left by coalition forces. Operation Black Gauntlet continues the story of former British Army Sergeant Brian Frost, who now works as a mercenary for the ION Services PMC.

Frost is assigned to guard a UN weapons inspection team sent to the country to find traces of a supposed nuclear weapons program under the previous regime. He will soon find himself forced to decide between morality and personal gain, and in doing so, will even be confronted with a pivotal decision that could threaten the stability of the entire world.

Silver Lion

NOTE: Only available with the Army of the Czech Republic DLC.

Main article: Silver Lion

Civil war in Bystrica is at an end, but war criminals like Colonel Miyović continue to terrorise the populace with widespread looting and killings. Silver Lion follows the story of Sergeant Bohuslav Kouba, a soldier from the Army of the Czech Republic peacekeeping force sent to the region.

Gameplay

Continuing on from its predecessor, ArmA 2 follows in the series' roots as a tactical shooter that combines both a third- and first-person view camera. Players can take command of an infantry squad, drive ground vehicles varying from simple civilian cars to Main Battle Tanks, and even pilot fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft.

Some key gameplay improvements in ArmA 2 notably include enhanced weapon ballistics which now supports both deflection and material penetration. Micro AI has been improved further, allowing AI to better navigate in tight areas and find cover with centimetre precision as opposed to metre precision in Armed Assault. Human animations are less rigid and more fluid, as is limited support for hand signals when issuing certain commands. Additionally, it is now possible to reload weapons while walking, and the ability to vault has been added, allowing humans to climb over small obstacles and fences.

ArmA 2 features both single player and local/online multiplayer, which range from co-operative campaigns and missions to player versus player scenarios. The mission editor from Armed Assault has been further improved and allows for greater flexibility when designing campaigns or miscellaneous scenarios.

Requirements

	MINIMUM	RECOMMENDED
OS	Windows XP Windows Vista	Windows 7
PROCESSOR	Intel Core 2.4 GHz OR AMD Dual-Core Athlon 2.5 GHz	Intel Core i5 OR AMD Athlon Phenom X4 or faster
GRAPHICS	NVIDIA GeForce 8600 GT with Shader Model 3 and 512 MB VRAM OR ATI Radeon 3650 with Shader Model 3 and 512 MB VRAM	NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260 with Shader Model 3 and 896 MB VRAM OR ATI Radeon HD 5770 or faster with Shader Model 3 and 896 MB VRAM
GPU MEMORY	512 MB	896 MB
DirectX®	9.0c	9.0c
RAM	1 GB	2 GB
HARD DRIVE	25 GB free space	25 GB free space
AUDIO	OpenAL sound compatible audiocard	OpenAL sound compatible audiocard
OTHER	Internet connection and free Steam account to activate	Internet connection and free Steam account to activate

Accurate as of July 2021

Box art variations

ArmA 2 vanilla (U.S. edition)

Combined Operations (EU edition)

Combined Operations (U.S. edition)

Screenshots

Video

Arma 2 - Full HD ingame trailer (Nov 08)

Arma 2 Faction Update No.1 - USMC

Arma 2 Faction Update No.2 - Citizens

Arma 2 Faction Update No.3 - ChDKZ

Arma 2 Faction Update No.4 - CDF

Arma 2 Faction Update No.5 - Russian Armed Forces

Arma 2 Faction Update No.6 - NAPA

Trivia

• To promote the game's release, an Android/iOS only title called ARMA 2: Firing Range was released for download that allows players to test different firearms featured in the base game itself.
• A free version of ArmA 2 called ArmA 2: Free was also made available for download in 2011. Unlike the full game, Free features drastically reduced graphical fidelity, cannot be modded, and also does not provide access to the campaign itself, though players still possessed access to online multiplayer.
  • Free was eventually discontinued by Bohemia Interactive in April 2014, and can no longer be officially downloaded or utilised (multiplayer cannot be accessed due to the shutdown of ArmA 2's online GameSpy servers).
• Unlike its predecessor, ArmA 2 was intended to be the true sequel to Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis (the former name of Cold War Assault) and was to be tentatively titled as Operation Flashpoint 2. Due to complications regarding the series' future between Codemasters and Bohemia Interactive however, the title was dropped for licencing reasons.
• Excluding spin-off games, ArmA 2 is the only main title in the series to not have its own remix of the series' signature music theme, Flashpoint.

External links

• Official page
• Steam Store page

See also

ARMA series
Main games	• •
Legacy games	• •
Expansion packs	• • •
DLC	• • • • • • • • •
Spin-off	•
Entries are listed in order of release dates from left-to-right.