Arma 3 is so good, that Arma 4 is still not out yet. Arma 4 has been confirmed, though, so it's only a matter of time before the king of mil-sims (military simulators) gets replaced by someone fresher and more robust. For the time being, however, Arma 3 is still alive and kicking both in singleplayer and multiplayer. The game was released back in 2013, so it's nearly on the same level as Skyrim when it comes to its legacy.
So before Arma 4 eventually takes over, some mil-sim fans or even just FPS fans might want to take a look at what exactly makes Arma 3 tick. Because a game with this much longevity deserves more than praise and attention; it warrants a deeper look into what it did right that kept its players coming back for more. Hopefully, Arma 4 tries to employ these strong points from Arma 3.
8 Moddability Is Priceless
Arma 3 is practically the Skyrim of mil-sims. It comes with an editor and moddability so versatile that players can even make overhauls or create their own games using the game's engine as a template. Such is also the case for Arma 2, which is the predecessor. In fact, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, or PUBG, started out as a mere mod for Arma 2.
Arma 3 is not much different in terms of how moldable it is in other art forms. It's like clay at this point. There are thousands upon thousands of mods that players can just download and apply to the game to change almost anything about it. As expected, this incalculably prolongs the game's replayability. If players don't find any mod they want, they can even create their own.
7 It Requires Teammates To Actually Work Together
The multiplayer aspect of Arma 3 is an entirely different breed of cooperative or competitive gameplay. Because it's one of the most authentic mil-sims ever, players don't get the smooth UI help that they're used to in arcade shooters such as Call of Duty or Battlefield. That's why players will need to communicate effectively when it comes to playing Arma 3 online.
By extension, that means they might even need to get used to military jargon or nomenclature, especially when pointing out enemy locations from several kilometers away or even just asking for reinforcements. Information and communication, after all, are two of the most powerful weapons in warfare, and this aspect of war doesn't get represented as well as it should be in most other online shooters.
6 Tight Community
As an extensive effect of the need for good communication in multiplayer, Arma 3's community has a tendency to become tightly-knit more often compared to other games. After all, players will want to keep playing with others who synchronize well with them when it comes to in-game tactics and Arma 3 demands intense tactical focus and presence.
Moreover, the game's players also tend to be more patient or mature since Arma 3 isn't known to cater to instant gratification. So rest assured, a lot of players here won't claim to have done something to someone else's mom or shout needless or vulgar expletives in the heat of the moment. At least that's if Arma 3 is compared to competitive shooters.
5 It Features A More Mature Brand Of Realism
Speaking of maturity, Arma 3 is a game that teaches its players to think and fend for themselves. The learning curve is steep here (though the game is still easy to pick up and play). The game thus rewards those who are dedicated and composed enough to learn and grasp Arma 3's brand of realism. It's one of the most faithful mil-sims out there.
To that end, the game offers deeper and more meaningful gameplay mechanics. Players aren't just running around, fragging others, and racking up killshot after killshot, making the notion of killing someone else digitally too cheap. In Arma 3, players have to work harder for that kill, making each victory more rewarding in the process.
4 It Covers Multiple Aspects Of Warfare
The closest AAA game that comes to Arma 3 when it comes to portraying multiple facades and divisions of war would be Battlefield, but even then, it's more simplified in that series. Arma 3 makes distinctions a lot less clear when it comes to infantry classes and vehicular functions; players will need to familiarize themselves with most military hardware to get an idea of a vehicle or a weapon's true function.
The only thing it doesn't have is naval combat, but there are also mods for that. In Arma 3, players can explore the different land and aerial divisions of an army to get a feel for which role they want in either singleplayer or multiplayer. Again, this lends much to the game's replayability, as there's no shortage of things to try out in Arma 3 if players are curious enough.
3 The Sandbox Aspect Is Deep And Near-Limitless
Of course, the several different modes of gameplay in Arma 3 wouldn't amount to much if there's no realistic map to act as a playground. That's why Arma 3 features some impressive sandboxes to allow players to also try out different scenarios in a battle.
As previously mentioned, Arma 3 has an in-game editor that allows them to create certain combat situations or even full missions. They can even recreate a more authentic and believable version of Call of Duty levels within the game. The possibilities are limitless as long as players have the imagination. Add mods into the fray and Arma 3 becomes a bottomless buffet.
2 Unprecedented Scale
Speaking of sandboxes, Arma 3's maps are a wonder to behold. It's unapologetic with its scaling. The terrain is as it is in real life if they were to be picked by military factions for a battle. No compromises were made with the size of the playground here and no sacrifices just to make the action more frequent.
That isn't to say the action is infrequent. Players can increase the number and chances of a fiery encounter even in singleplayer; a total of 144 players (bots) per side can be the norm here if players want. For multiplayer, finding that many people can be rather unstable or daunting but the action will still be cohesive since all players are human.
1 Photorealistic Visuals
The funny thing about Arma 3's visuals is that they're so photorealistic, that many people have mistaken the game for real-life battle footage. Even legitimate news sites were bamboozled and have unwittingly featured Arma 3's battles as war footage. Of course, this is a lot more widespread on social media as people generally couldn't tell the difference between Arma 3's faithfulness to contemporary warfare and real-life battles.
That speaks much for the game's visuals. Back in the game's release year, it was quite notorious for its high-fidelity graphics and demanding requirements. Nine years later, the game still holds up well, with some screenshots in the Ultra graphical preset easily mistaken for wartime photography or footage.
Arma 3 was released on September 12, 2013, and is available on PC.