Arma 3's alien expansion will add new factions, terrain and more to the sandbox

Arma 3, Bohemia Interactive's serious military sim, is going a bit X-Files. Arma 3: Contact, announced last month, is a spin-off expansion set during first contact with alien life, and while it could have been a tongue-in-cheek novelty, so far it appears to as straight-faced as its predecessor. 

Along with the sci-fi campaign, the DLC will also introduce a lot of new assets that can be used in the rest of Arma 3, and Contact's new trailer gives us a look at what we'll be able to play with outside of the missions, including the 164 square kilometer map with new terrain. 

Livonia is a temperate summer map with lots of forests and fields, the perfect place for a peaceful wander, and peppered with towns and railroads. Landmarks include lots of old World War 2 bunkers, an old munitions factory and a radar station. It looks nice! Very bucolic. Hopefully the aliens don't mess it up. 

While Contact lets you get up to a lot of non-combat stuff, it still introduces plenty of new military toys that can also be used elsewhere. Five new weapons have been thrown into the mix, along with reskinned Arma 3 vehicles and gear unique to the new factions, the Livonian Defense Force and the Russian Spetsnaz.  

You'll also be able to drive a tractor. 

Everyone that owns Arma 3 will also get free stuff, including new camouflage options and more than 100 new terrain assets and decorative objects that can be used in your own mods. 

Arma 3: Contact is due out on July 25.