Bohemia Interactive have announced that upcoming war sim Arma 3 will feature an extra island in addition to the one we already know about. Stratis is 19 square kilometers of rugged terrain located in the North Aegean. Check out the trailer above - it looks lovely. I'd go for a walk in those hills even if there weren't men with guns trying to kill each other all over the place. In fact, I'd probably prefer it without them.
Announcing the new area, creative director Ivan Buchta said “I'm sure players will love the scenery: the military camps, airbase, radar site, romantic coves - not to forget the shipwrecks and rocks scattered underwater.” The emphasis, as you might imagine, is mine. Is this an admission that Arma 3 will have a hitherto-unsuspected romantic dimension? Probably not. Would I be totally for that? Absolutely. I will spend my time in Arma 3 as a lover, not a fighter, which given the broader focus of the game will limit me to running helplessly through the middle of a battlefield, jumping up and down, and sometimes going suggestively prone. Just take a look at the lighting in the screenshots below! If that isn't a reason to stop your tank, get out, and cry softly while admiring the beauty of nature, I don't know what is.
You'll get a chance to explore Stratis for yourself if you're part of the Community Alpha , which is due to begin in June. If you're not, you'll have to wait until Arma 3 comes out later in the year.
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Joining in 2011, Chris made his start with PC Gamer turning beautiful trees into magazines, first as a writer and later as deputy editor. Once PCG's reluctant MMO champion , his discovery of Dota 2 in 2012 led him to much darker, stranger places. In 2015, Chris became the editor of PC Gamer Pro, overseeing our online coverage of competitive gaming and esports. He left in 2017, and can be now found making games and recording the Crate & Crowbar podcast.
