What just happened? With Arma 3 approaching its ninth anniversary, Bohemia Interactive has finally revealed the next step in its military simulation shooter franchise. Arma Reforger will serve as a test bed to acclimate players and depositors as the company rebuilds the technology behind the game.
Arma Reforger is now available on Steam Early Access and Xbox Game Preview for $30, with a free trial on Xbox. Bohemia Interactive did not mention the PlayStation, but a leak that occurred last week indicated that the company plans to eventually support the Sony platform. Currently, Reforge has three multiplayer modes, mod support, and recreation of a map from the original Flashpoint operation.
Clash and Catch and Hold modes pit teams of players against each other to seize control points. Game Master mode allows the player to edit and create missions for others. Reforging allows PC gamers to create and distribute fully in-game mods on PC and Xbox.
Bohemia describes the Early Access Edition as a “basic package” with which to collect feedback while Arma 4 begins active development. The company expects Reforger’s early access period to last about a year, during which time it plans three major content updates.
Bohemia is developing the Reforger and Arma 4 with the new Enfusion engine, which it revealed last December. The new technology replaces the Real Virtuality Engine that the company has used in Operation Flashpoint, Arma and DayZ games since the 1990s. Bohemia knows that rebuilding everything in the new engine will be long and complicated, but it should give many elements of the game a much-needed update.
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