Set to deliver the total combat experience, Operation Flashpoint 2 will challenge players to survive the chaos and rapidly evolving situations of modern warfare in a new contemporary theatre.

Players will experience the intensity, diversity and claustrophobia of a modern conflict from the unique perspectives of an infantry marine, a helicopter pilot, a Special Forces officer or a tank commander, each engaged against the full force of the Chinese PLA on a scale never previously experienced in a military action title. Gameplay simulates an immense conflict between advanced forces and provides unparalleled scope with different military disciplines, vehicles and equipment for players to utilise. Soldiers, weaponry and military transportation will be authentic and realistically detailed. The game environment will be a comprehensive simulation of a real world location, densely packed to create a rich and challenging tactical environment.

Operation Flashpoint 2: Dragon Rising will simulate an immense conflict between advanced forces in which players can choose between a broad range of military disciplines, vehicles and equipment. To immerse game players in the action, Codemasters is using Image Metrics' facial animation solutions in the cut scenes in order to enhance the range of human emotions expressed in the chaos of war.

"Operation Flashpoint 2: Dragon Rising will take players closer to war then they've ever come before," said Brant Nicholas, Senior Producer, Codemasters Studios. "To achieve that end, we turned to Image Metrics' facial animation solutions because of their unique ability to perfectly capture the range of emotions that soldiers experience in combat."

"With Operation Flashpoint 2: Dragon Rising, Codemasters has set out to capture the gritty reality and human drama of warfare," said Mike Starkenburg, Image Metrics' chief operating officer. "We're honored that Codemasters has chosen our facial animation technology to help achieve that realism and to further immerse players in the gameplay experience."

Image Metrics will develop 57 shots for Operation Flashpoint 2: Dragon Rising, totaling 262 seconds of animation in about one month. The rapid delivery from start of production to final animation is a result of Image Metrics' efficient, automated performance-driven facial animation solution. Without markers or makeup, the solution captures an actor's entire facial performance, analyzes it pixel-by-pixel, and then transfers it onto the computer generated (CG) character model. The facial nuances, subtleties and details the technology captures perfectly replicate the actor's performance while helping studios like Codemasters cost-effectively achieve new heights in storytelling.

Operation Flashpoint 2: Dragon Rising is in development utilizing an evolved variant of Neon technology, and scheduled for major console platforms and PC in spring 2009.