As a grown up I don’t have time to be playing video games. I’ve got grass to mow and mouths to feed—you know, responsibilities. Well, that line of thinking went out the window when I began playing with the guns of ARMA Reforger.
For those unfamiliar, Bohemia Interactive’s ARMA series it is the gold standard of military simulation, (or mil-sims) as the kids call it. Unlike a first person shooter, where the hero runs around blasting enemies and beating levels, a mil-sim is about the team. Strategy and communication are the rules of the day in the multiplayer world, and the success or failure of the team is based on working together to gain and hold ground.
Guns of ARMA Reforger
In ARMA Reforger, Bohemia has gone retro by offering players a chance to pick sides as Soviet and American forces come to blows in this Cold War gone hot scenario. Having grown up in that era, I was initially intrigued by the opportunity to indulge my inner “cold warrior” that drew me to the game. But as soon as I began going through the weapon inventories, it was my inner gun nerd that kept me tethered to the computer.
While I’m not ready to label myself a gamer, the level of detail and authenticity the artists and developers at Bohemia breathed into the game is a thing of beauty. Seriously, the world is stunning, with changing weather, conditions and jaw-dropping landscapes.
Oh, did I mention the guns?
So Many Guns …
Opening Reforger arsenal left me feeling like a kid on Christmas morning. So many guns, so little time. As a former sniper, I was immediately drawn to the M21, and found myself marveling at how they nailed everything from the ART II scope to the ballistics of the Lake City M118 ammo. But the icing on the cake was when I learned you could physically adjust your scope to accurately engage the enemy at longer ranges that things became deadly.
Equally as impressive as the M21 was the Soviet SVD, and after putting it through its paces, I soon found myself forgetting all about the objectives my “squad leader” had assigned me as I tried to see which rifle would hold sub-MOA groups at 600 yards.
So much for being a team player.
Not wanting to get booted from the server, I finally turned in my long rifles and spent some time as a machine gunner in one of the squads. Our objective was a town that had been overrun by the Russians, and I had my choice between the M249 SAW and the venerable M-60.
It was a three-klick hump to the objective, and carrying the PIG I began to feel for my virtual self. Wince in pain at every fence I sent him jumping over or hill I sent him hustling up. By the time I made it to the outskirts of town, my virtual dogs were barking, but pain be damned.
I had a job to do.
I selected a two-story building on the outskirts of the town for my support by fire position and got after checking my fields of fire before waiting for the assault.
The Big Battle
Having spent a short time as a SAW gunner in the Army, I knew that short, accurate bursts of fire were the key to success. Maybe it’s just me, but there is something cathartic about going cyclic on the PIG. Some sense of invulnerability that comes with hosing down a street with a wall of lead.
For a moment I felt like Animal Mother in Full Metal Jacket. “A Jolly Green giant walking the earth with guns.” Then a 17-year-old kid playing for the Soviet side flipped a grenade up the stairs and it was game over.
Pissed that I’d just had my birth certificate revoked by a kid who couldn’t drive, I wanted to respawn and try again, but a look at the clock (and my wife’s face) meant that I was going to have to fight another day.
For those who think that video games are just for kids, I’d strongly urge you to buy a copy of ARMA Reforger, which is available on PC and X-Box and soon to be out for PS5. That said, allow me to offer a word of caution. This game is addicting and it’s easy to lose track of time. So, if you don’t want to end with your revenge deferred, I suggest you make sure your wife has a show to binge or puzzle to build before you start. Otherwise, the last thing you’ll hear is the laughter of some pimply-faced kid coming through the speakers.
