[OFP] Cold War by Devilchaser

Review by Archangel Scream

Overview

The first thing you notice when you select this mission is the picture of a launched missile - namely because it's such a huge graphic it won't all fit on the designated page.

Intro

The cutscene that follows is generally good, though there is no custom sound or music here - though strangely enough lip files are present.

Briefing

The briefing itself is functional but very basic. The gist is that there is a mobile Soviet FROG-7 artillery rocket system on the loose - it looks cunningly like a SCUD Launcher - and it's your job to take a squad out to the last known launch position and destroy it, before retreating for evac.

Your default weapon here is a Steyr - which although an excellent arm, there's no choice of anything else. Which makes no sense as you're going to need at least a LAW or satchel charges, and neither is available to your squad.

Mission

Things start off with a respectable tension - an SU-25 circles wide overhead and ambient combat noises explode in the distance. Then it's a short run through the snowy forests towards a small Soviet camp. It's likely you've been spotted by now, so the squads are already out and running ready for you, though your men can generally handle the Russians and Spetznatz present alone without much need for your input. After the coast appears clear you then have to locate a couple of strategically placed Soviet units, who can take you out on the rest of your approach.

The waypoints which you've probably closely followed then abruptly finish at the edge of the small camp, and that's where the only real challenge of this mission kicks in - try to grab something explosive from the Soviet ammo crates before the approaching BMP and reinforcing Soviet squad gets to you first.

After then it's simply run away until the end trigger kicks in early, with no outro cutscene either.

Overall

(Review Date: May 2002) The mission is a little disappointing from a single-player perspective in that there's no real complexity here - there's basically one fun firefight to be had, and there are none of the neat little touches that could have been used.

It does have multiplayer capability though, which perhaps explains the low scope of this mission. Although such aspects are for the MP reviewers to deal with, there looks like fun if basic mission to be had here.

Generally, as a single-player mission, it is competent but always feels lacking, like a beginning without an ending. It plays as a simple test of Keg's winter island, but aspires to no other ambition. Which is a real shame as a respectable extension of mission objectives and some nice scripted trimmings could have been made this a more notable piece. Instead it simply works as a simple single-player mission.

OVERALL - A competent but unambitious mission that never seems realised as a complete piece.

Edit by Walter_E_Kurtz -
This mission was created for OFP CWC v1.46, so expect to receive error messages when running Resistance v1.96. I recommend recompiling with Kegetys' Winter Nogojev v1.1 in place of the listed addons.