Operation Flashpoint: Red River Image
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Mixed or average reviews - based on 64 Critic Reviews What's this?

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5.8

Mixed or average reviews- based on 33 Ratings

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  • Summary: Taking a small step into the future, Red River depicts a fictional conflict with contemporary geopolitical themes, which will unfold over three distinct acts in both single player and drop-in-drop-out co-operative play for up to four players online. Faced with new counter-insurgency combatTaking a small step into the future, Red River depicts a fictional conflict with contemporary geopolitical themes, which will unfold over three distinct acts in both single player and drop-in-drop-out co-operative play for up to four players online. Faced with new counter-insurgency combat and the returning threat of the Chinese PLA, players will feel the tension, brutality and carnage of modern conflict from the perspective of a marine fireteam on deployment in a hostile country, thousands of miles from home. Expand
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Operation Flashpoint: Red River - Biography Trailer
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 22 out of 64
  2. Negative: 0 out of 64
  1. Jul 5, 2011
    91
    Operation Flashpoint: Red River isn't the most accessible military FPS game out there, but it certainly is one of the most realistic you'll find on the console if you're up for the challenge. Obviously, sim purists will want to play on the PC where sharper graphics and finer mouse controls will prevail, but mission for mission, and for overall gameplay, both solo and co-op, Red River is a great ride for those with the tactical precision and patience to play.
  2. Apr 25, 2011
    80
    Despite a few misjudged attempts at creating a realistic atmosphere, and not to mention some ropey A.I., Operation Flashpoint: Red River is a very good videogame, as long as you're willing to accept it on its own terms.
  3. May 27, 2011
    75
    Due to the horrible AI, I can't bring myself to grant a higher score, but don't let that scare you. Even if you're stuck playing offline, you can still have a great time conducting a nighttime ambush or calling in airstrikes while perched atop a craggy vista, and if possible, the co-op is something that shouldn't be missed.
  4. Games Master UK
    May 6, 2011
    70
    Still an ambitious FPS, but now trying - and failing - to please too many people at once. [June 2011, p.76]
  5. Jun 23, 2011
    69
    While I applaud the authenticity that Operation Flashpoint: Red River brings back to the FPS genre, mediocre graphics and sound, and some noticeable gameplay hitches prevent this from being a really good title. The co-op mode is definitely worth a try with friends though, and those looking for a more authentic shooter experience might really enjoy this one. Be forewarned, there is a steep learning curve to be found in this game.
  6. Jun 21, 2011
    60
    Operation Flashpoint's efforts to deliver a tactical-based FPS experience are admirable. Unfortunately, the poor AI prevents the game from succeeding, leaving the cooperative multiplayer as its one saving grace.
  7. X-ONE Magazine UK
    May 20, 2011
    50
    We sincerely hope that real-life military operations aren't as embarrassingly shambolic as this. [Issue#72, p.82]

See all 64 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 21
  2. Negative: 7 out of 21
  1. Jun 15, 2011
    10
    This is the most underrated game yet. The graphics are excellent, the game play has excitement. The enemies are smart they do not just run outThis is the most underrated game yet. The graphics are excellent, the game play has excitement. The enemies are smart they do not just run out at you. CO OP will keep you on your toes just by holding down your bases. Weapons are excellent and you do have to earn them. Buy this game and you won't regret it. I give this game a 90 Expand
  2. Jul 4, 2011
    10
    Just bought this game today and i must say it is one of the many games of this year that has been put down because it strives to be different.Just bought this game today and i must say it is one of the many games of this year that has been put down because it strives to be different. This game is awesome!!! The AI on both sides is remarkably smart. The Taliban insurgents move to flank your positions and suppress your cover when they get a solid read on your range. As for your team they also prove to be fairly capable, whilst not the smartest they will do their duty and kill any enemy that comes within their sights. If you are a proper tactician and make smart orders you and your team will become death dealing machines. the graphics are impressive and dazzling at times when you realize the sheer scale of the world your in. Tajikistan is large and it really shows when the sun sets over the beautiful mountain ranges and you realize just how far you are from your objective. The last review that i read was from IGN who frankly cannot review worth **** They marked sound down to a 5.5 because your Sergent is annoying. Yes the Sergent is irritating at times but the story and dialog that occurs between your squad and Sergent is humorous at times. The guns sound perfect and powerful especially the snipers and the customization options are nice. explosions are beautifully rendered and feel large in scale and power. Airstrikes and Artillery bombardments are fantastically realized and very well done. This game is not for everyone however, This game IS first and foremost a tactical military simulator. Fights are scaled back but when the fighting breaks out the firefights are action packed and intense. Its also very nice that the heartbeat of your soldier is monitored by vibrations from your controller as well. Between levels and some fights long driving scenes full of dialog are put as filler and used for debriefing and mission briefing. Some people may find the game boring but it is tactical and requires as such. If you go gung-ho and try to be the solo killer you are in games such as COD you will get slaughtered faster than you can blink. Issuing commands requires thought and a bad order is nobody's fault but your own. Closing Comments: This game gets a 10 in my book its fun to play solo and amazing to play in Co-op. the only gripe i had which is not severe enough to degrade my review is the fact that unlike Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising the game is not free roam and wandering away to far will result in an AWOL insta-death. But they give you warning and the game still has freedom of approach to missions. You can choose how you want to complete your mission and you have freedom of choice to complete your objectives. If you want to be an invisible long range death dealer in the form of a sniper you can or feel free to go silent and be the assassin by equipping a silencer and sneaking into enemy compounds unnoticed. This game allows many choices and is fun for those who are fans of the series and the genre. If you expect the game to be like CoD its NOT. If you try to play like it is you will DIE...end of story. All i can say is give this game a chance and you wont regret it. Happy Hunting Expand
  3. Jun 8, 2011
    9
    Whats with the user reviews going up so late with this game.It was released months before user reviews went up.. Anyway,this is a goodWhats with the user reviews going up so late with this game.It was released months before user reviews went up.. Anyway,this is a good Hardcore Military Squad Game/Sim.Anyone who likes the Co-Op missions in Ghost Recon-Advanced Warfighter 1&2 will love this too.Though Red River may at first seem like a backward step from the last title,Dragon Rising,in fact it isnt,but actually in the end,an improvement.I'll explain. In DR(Dragon Rising),much more area was open to you.The whole island basically,so you could say it was free roaming.In the new title,Red River you cant free roam.You have a set 'Area of operation' for your current mission & objectives.At first that doesnt sound good,but when you think about it,in DR,you rarely,if at all,would wander from your mission objectives & use this capability to free roam,because,well,there was no point to do so.. Besides,the size of Areas for you to operate in,in Red River,are actually quite large,& big enough to still give you the options on how to opproach your waypoints,like your used to in DR.Very rarely will you find yourself leaving the area of operation,& if you are,then your going off track too much anyway.. Moving on,the game has a much better sense of story,with more talk between squad members between & during missions.I find the squad orders interface much quicker & easier to use than in DR,so thats good.With your squad actually doing what you tell them to do,unless you tell them something crazy,like run into an open area under heave fire,or something like that.It took DR a long time,& a few patches to finally get that right,so its good to see Red River get it right from the get go.Although shooting isnt quite(& i do mean quite),as realistic as DR,it is still more realistic than any other non Operation Flashpoint title on console,& the aiming feels better & tighter,& is still satisfying when you take down an enemy.The enemy are not so hard to spot now,which is good.The graphics are also better,With some beautiful scenery & sun effects,with big open areas to cover & enjoy long & medium range engagements in.Its great to see the series still have 4-player Campaign Co-Op,& its great having a squad of mixed classes in Co-Op.Being able to heal your squadmates is a welcome addition,for me anyway,not that it makes it easy,as you can still be put down with a single shot,& die if not treated quickly enough.Theres many great moments in this game,& alot of enjoyable firefights,with everyone looking for a good position to shoot from,with good cover.The ranking up system is a good addition too,having to earn points to get general & class specific skills.It adds alot to the game,& gives a good reason to keep coming back,& get rewarded for it.the only critisism i can say about this title,is that vehicles are under used,but i guess they wanted to keep it primarily a 'Boots on the Ground' squad experience,which i can understand.I highly recommend this,& as i said,anyone who likes the Co-Op missions in GRAW 1&2,would love this too,as it has alot of similarities. Expand
  4. Jun 11, 2011
    7
    I loved this game. We don't see many deep semi-realistic and tactical shooters these days, especially on console, its all run & gun CoD, GearsI loved this game. We don't see many deep semi-realistic and tactical shooters these days, especially on console, its all run & gun CoD, Gears of War and other immature dumbed down for the casual audience / weekend warrior shooters. In this game one bullet can kill, and there is realistic bullet physics like bullet drop and weapon handling / recoil, the combat itself is really a lot of fun of you prefer the more realistic approach. And since we don't get ARMA on console this pretty much the most simulation like game you can find. One of the best things about this game is the size of the levels, it present an amazing broad play space, which allows for tones of re-playability in single players, especially with the load-out and persistent class system in which you can unlock new skills, weapons and equipment . Huge maps and environments, and it looks fantastic. If you like tactical squad game-play then you'll love this game. The A.I is very solid, much improved over OP: Dragon Rising, as are the controls which have been stream-lined but still give plenty of depth like switching fire modes and such. The game has lost a little bit of depth, like no searching dead bodies any more or alternate ammo types, and there isn't any scope wobble, instead the iron-sight remain dead still, but hopefully next time they can bring these features back since I really enjoyed them in Dragon Rising. One of the best features is the 4 player coop and especially the bite-sized MP scenarios which really are a tone of fun and some of the best multi-player coop gaming I have experiences to date. Easily surpassing Gears, L4D and even Borderlands.

    I want to give it a 8.5 / 10, but MC doesn't allow that so i'll give it a 9. Oh and btw Metacritic, this game has been out for months in non US countries, and yet the user reviews have only just been allowed? kinda sucks guys.
    Expand
  5. Mar 11, 2014
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Operation Flashpoint: Red River, is an all in all, interesting game. It depicts the kind of war fare similar to that of the early 2000's after we invaded Afghanistan. Desert Warfare, Village to Village, ambushes, IED's, etc. The plot line it follows is a fictional depiction based on international political conflict with Tajikistan(pardon spelling) and eventually China.

    The character movement and weapon handling is changeable based on an upgradeable set of skills. But in general character movement is lazy and doesn't feel lively, until you vault an object, or go prone. While running the heartbeat of your character vibrates your controller, just a neat feature. Weapons unlike most games however, are more realistic. They have a REAL bullet spread, much like they do in real life, and they follow the one in the chamber rule. In general I give the weapons and shooting aspect a 9/10. that was well done. Character movement, a 7/10, there needed to be more sway or vibrations. Just more feel in it.

    The in-game noises and voice were half assed and sloppy. the worst of the games shortcomings. In game dialogue was cheesy, repetitive, and nonsensical. Knox will just rant and repeat words like **** or "ricky tick" or continuously restate his rules. The In-game voice performed by your character and other squads was duplicated base commands. Whereas all the squad leaders will say "Team, haul ass, 200 meters, northwest" in a slightly different tone. Your own squad commands were all the same, and tone never changes. If you target an enemy for your squad to engage, you say "Team(pause) Light up that(long pause) rifleman." And if your target is a sniper it will simply change "rifleman" to "sniper".
    The speech portion of this game was terribly performed and executed. Honestly if they revamped this, it would be a very "engaging" game. Also, all the vehicles make the same engine drone.

    The final portion of my unprofessional review is the graphics(quality) review. The graphics were lacking for that of a 2011 time period game. They weren't terrible, but some areas could of used some detail. The edges should have been sharper. Also, it had old Call of Duty troubles where AI guns and limbs would fade into walls or themselves when prone/crouched etc.
    If this game was to be re-done and re-vamped, Id say it could turn around. It is a GREAT game, but it has crucial flaws that really affect how a game is seen in consumers eyes.
    Expand
  6. Dec 27, 2012
    3
    Playing this game play was frustrating, so much so that I returned it after a few days of attempting to figure out how to play it.
    You wouldn
  7. Jul 22, 2020
    0
    Operation Flashpoint: Red River answers the question "How bad can it be?" with a strong and resounding "Absolutely awful!". Red River wasOperation Flashpoint: Red River answers the question "How bad can it be?" with a strong and resounding "Absolutely awful!". Red River was released by Codemasters, the company that brought us such classics as Turning Point, You're In the Movies, etc and is certainly a shining example of how low a company can sink when releasing a game.

    Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising was the first installment in the series on the 360, and was marketed as an ultra-realistic tactical shooter. In Dragon Rising, you need to be healed by medics. Bullets to your arms or legs cripple you, and can hinder your ability to run or aim. Firefights are over large distances, with little to no close quarter combat. Red River took this design, toned it down, and released it without fixing anything that needed to be fixed. For example, close combat is the name of the game now. Enemies will frequently be in buildings close by, popping out of windows or from behind corners and spraying at you, killing or downing you instantly. In the event that you are face to face with an enemy, you absolutely MUST spray at them until they drop or drop you. Why? Because this game has no melee function. Despite the close quarter fights, the developers neglected to add in a melee feature that was present in Dragon Rising. If you do not fire first and hit your enemy, you are going to die. This is due to the simple fact that a shot from an opposing soldier will cause you to flinch and recoil, a motion you can't shoot while stuck in. Basically, you're stuck in this position until you die or if a team mate is close enough to neutralize the enemy. If you do escape this situation, you will likely be injured and bleeding. You must then stop and hold A to patch yourself twice, once for the blood and once for the actual injury, meaning healing simply takes an incredibly long time. Overall, the combat is an awful experience.

    As far as the campaign goes, it is linear and simple. You will be fighting against Tajik soldiers with AK-47s early on, this eventually gives way to PLA soldiers with AK-47s. Every character is awful and unlikable, screaming obscenities at every given opportunity which sounds more like a group of 14 year olds having their first beer instead of a group of trained military men. The mixing and editing of the dialogue is absolutely atrocious, with certain characters blaring out of the TV and others being masked by background noise. It is painfully obvious that every phrase was recorded separately, and simply pieced together like a sort of speech impediment Frankenstein. "riflemen...75 METERS!!!!...north" is a common example of how poorly the speech was pieced together, and it comes off as sounding stilted and awkward. The command menu is clunky, forcing you to scroll through many combinations of LB/RB/Left/Right to give the most basic commands or orders. It's unwieldy and leaves you exposed whenever you try to use it.

    The characters are written terribly, the plot is boring, and every environment is the same blotch of brown. The trees, grass, buildings, enemies, vehicles, and squadmates are all the same shade of medium-light brown. That makes seeing enemies in cover nearly impossible, and you'll find yourself shooting at the direction bullets are flying past you much more than the actual shape of an enemy. The buildings have no furniture, windows, and are lucky if they have walls honestly. The power pylons don't even have power cables attached to them! The environments and levels are barely designed, and seem more like beta sketches than a completed game. On top of that, the blinding sun makes everything miserable. Even with the brightness turned down, the sun takes everything in the level and makes it a blindingly bright shade of brown that makes it impossible to see enemies, bullets, or even tanks. My final complaint is dealing more with wasted time. Every mission has a 2-6 minute intro AND outro, meaning at least 5-10 minutes per level of you just sitting in a helicopter or jeep. No dialogue, plot progression, or anything. Just awkwardly sitting there in silence, giving you time to reflect on your life while playing this trash.

    Now for the real treat of this review, the list of bugs and glitches my squad and I encountered while playing this game. Not spawning in with guns, helicopters and jeeps spinning in midair rapidly, extraction helicopter getting stuck on a pylon, AI keeling over dead without enemies around, missions being "complete" before they even start, spawning stuck inside a helicopter and dying when the helicopter takes off, air strikes being called directly on top of a target and "missing", enemy vehicles being invincible (we saw an APC take 5 Queen Bee shots and 18 noob tubes before killing us all), javelins being aimed 400 meters ahead of us but killing the entire team, helicopters landing inside other helicopters, and the list goes on and on and on. This game is buggier than a pile of cow excrement.

    0/10
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See all 21 User Reviews