Almost 10 years after the publication ofWeapon 3, Bohemia Interactive is finally releasing a new military simulation. However, this is not the long-awaited Weapon 4, at the risk of disappointing fans of the series. It’s rather Weapon Reforge that the Czech studio launched in early access on May 17th. Does this “in-between” have what it takes to keep us waiting until the publication ofWeapon 4 ?The answer is in the hands of the modding community.
Arma Reforge is something of a homecoming for the franchise. The game takes us back to a reimagined version of Everon, the same fictional country found in Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis (2001), later became Arma: Cold War Assault (2011), where Americans and Soviets clash, in 1989 this time.
Right away, Arma Reforge doesn’t offer much playable content, and regulars of the franchise will immediately notice its limited scope. We note the absence of planes, tanks and solo campaign. We suspect that most of these elements will arrive in a possible update, but this first version of the game will make some feel like paying 40 dollars for a demo. According to Bohemia, content additions are planned over the 12 months that its early access status should last. After that, the game will no longer be updated. This short lifespan (intentional, we will come back to this) clashes with a Weapon 3 which has been supported for many years.
At the moment, the game offers two multiplayer modes. The first, named Conflict, opposes two factions, American and Soviet, who must capture strategic positions scattered on the enormous map of 51 km2. Consider the Conquest mode of the games Battlefield, but on a much larger scale. It’s an easy-to-grasp game mode for new players: shoot enemies (as long as you can recognize them) and capture locations until you’ve conquered the map. Achieving our goals raises us in rank, which gives us access to better equipment. It is also a chaotic mode, especially on public servers where no coordination is ensured.
The second mode is called Game Master. It is a real-time scenario editor that puts one or more players in the shoes of a game master capable of orchestrating challenges and combat situations for other players. This mode will be preferred by communities looking for a serious and coordinated war simulation. In our opinion, this is whereWeapon gives its full potential.
A creative platform
All this seems very little, especially for a franchise that has accustomed us to a kind of fullness of content. Is that’Arma Reforge is primarily a creative platform that allows players and modders to gain experience with the new game engine Enfusion, on which the future will be built Weapon 4. You can modify Arma Reforge as we see fit, using the same tools used to create it. It is possible to add new mechanics, new items or even modify the behavior of the artificial intelligence, as long as you have the knowledge to do so.
Moreover, to those who hesitate to buy the game because of the lack of content offered, we suggest to wait and see what the modders will offer in the weeks or months to come.