[OFP] Nightmare by Gaia

Review by The Phantom Reviewer

Overview

Good picture, nice little blurb. There's some extra stuff at the bottom in a different font, it's different, but not bad.

Intro

I never got to see the Intro because I kept getting an addons error about JAM_W8M14Soldier error. So, I know that there's an intro there, and based upon the Outro I would suspect it to be good, but I can't make any first-hand statements. This error may have been caused by how I manage addons (MOD folders), so it may be my fault. Anyway, this did not prevent me from playing the mission! Just seeing the Intro. So, I'll press on.

Briefing

On the whole, I thought the Briefing was well done. The map was extensively marked up with the entire battle plan. Including areas the player would never see. This created the depth of story that made me feel like I was participating in something larger. There were some issues that I had with this briefing, though. The link to the Intel page did not appear to work. And the expanded plan section did not have a back link to take the player back to the standard plan section. Though the weapons selection wasn't extensive, it was sufficient for this mission, and I was able to reconfigure my squad as I liked. With little balancing of course.

Mission

Start off in a boat approaching the beachhead. Disembark onto the beach and start to make my way to my first WP, a Jump off point prior to attack. Halfway there I get a radio message informing me to start my attack immediately and that my supporting squad has run into trouble. I quickly advance on the objective town and suppress the enemy there. They are reinforced by chopper soon after my assault begins, but I press on the attack. I get some reinforcements attached to my command, but they are on the opposite side of town as me. I use this to my advantage and instruct them to advance on the town. This creates a nice little pincer maneuver that has the desired results. The enemy town is quickly secured. I have some more troops attached to my squad and I get a F.R.A.G.O. to advance on my second objective.

I have a nice cross-country run to my second objective, but at least I have a full strength squad as I crawl up a small dirt birm overlooking the town. I use a quick savegame cheat and then start my advance on-belly. My whole squad remains undetected as we start to advance on the town. We take out one corner of the town the road approach guarded by a MG nest before we are detected and the general alarm is raised. My squad and I advance on the remaining part of the town until all resistance appears to be subdued. We take out some heavy and light armor in the town, and then I wait for the ding that the objective is secure. It doesn't come. I check my radio menu and discover that there is a backup squad waiting for my command to advance. I obligingly give it (Though I've already eliminated any resistance) I wait for an extensive period of time but nothing happens. Finally I use the savegame cheat again and then run around the designated objective area offering myself as a target to sniff out any remaining enemy. Eventually I get shot from some straggler on the south east side of the objective area. I then reload my savegame and cautiously advance on the area I was last shot. I eventually find a lone LT. hiding in some shrubs. Shooting him gets the friendly ding I'd been waiting for. This starts the end game of the mission.

I am advised there is armor advancing on my position, and I am given another F.R.A.G.O. to defend my current position. I scavenge the dead for anti-tank supplies and order my squad to do the same. We quickly relocate to the northwest corner of the town - the first area we secured and prepare to defend the town from this position. A couple tanks and an APC roll up on our position, and me and my men start to make quick work of them. Eventually a chopper comes to assist and as I take out the last armored vehicle, the mission ends.

Outro(s)

I thought that this was a very well put together outro, and each time I thought it was over, I got a little bit more. As a mission writer myself, I particularly enjoyed the special fonts used for the credits. As a wanna-be director, I thoroughly enjoyed the use of camera angles and slow motion to enhance the dramatic effect of the shots. But I must say, however, that I thought the last combat sequence was a bit rushed. The camera angles and slow-mo were fantastic, but I really wished that the author had lingered on some of the shots. But that's me getting nit-picky!

Overall

(Review version 1.2 - Date: Sep 2005) This was a VERY enjoyable mission, with good use of the addons - though some are eye candy only. Anyone who is looking for a fun time banging around the southern tip of Nogova, will enjoy this mission.