Skip to main content

Long read: The beauty and drama of video games and their clouds

"It's a little bit hard to work out without knowing the altitude of that dragon..."

If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy.

America's Army 3 due out this year

Free of charge and for PC, as usual.

The American army has announced a third America's Army game is to be released later this year.

Titled America's Army 3, it will be released exclusively for PC and will be free to download and play, just like the previous games. And like the previous games, it'll teach players what it's like to be in the real American army as they take part in training missions, try out the latest military technology and shoot brown people all over the world.

The game is being developed using Unreal Engine 3. All the best features of AA2 are said to be incorporated, along with fan feedback and new technology that allows the player to create and customise their experience.

You'll start out as an infantry soldier and can choose from roles such as rifleman, marksman and grenadier. Later on you'll be able to try out specialty jobs such as medic and combat engineer, and take extra training to unlock new abilities and equipment.

You'll get rewards when you complete certain milestones, such as graduating from basic training, in the form of "pride moments - vignettes represented visually as an achievement screen, movie or a slide show".

Expect team-based, multiplayer and force on force operations, with an emphasis on the Rules of Engagement and Army Core Values. New additions include the option to "join online games with limited capabilities using the new "instant action" feature", and two fight two pointless wars at once. Maybe not the last one.

Constant updates are promised, so even after the game is released you can expect a stream of new features, missions, technology and justifications for starting wars against people who live in huts.