505 Games announces a European publishing deal for ArmA II, saying Bohemia Interactive's military shooter sequel is coming to Europe in Q1 2009. While the game never carried a firm release date, this would seem to represent a bit of a delay for a game that is "set in the near future, year 2009." The announcement comes with a new info sheet, allowing the chance to revel in some ArmA II factoids:

Milton Keynes – 505 Games is today proud to announce it has signed a publishing agreement with esteemed developer Bohemia Interactive to bring the follow-up to 2007’s most realistic PC tactical shooter, ArmA: Armed Assault, to Europe in Q1 2009.

Featuring some of the most realistic warfare ever, ArmA II promises to build on the excellent features that have made Bohemia Interactive a respected name among gamers. So, you can expect in-depth team-based combat, a comprehensive playbook of military tactics and an enormous battlefield to push your strategies to the limit.

ArmA II benefits from a game engine that has been in constant development for 10 years and no other developer can offer such a great heritage in creating open-world military shooters. In fact, Bohemia Interactive is so skilled at producing realistic warfare simulations that the developer has used its Real Virtuality engine as the basis for training simulators used by armies across the globe, including the United States Marine Corps, UK Ministry of Defence and Australian Defence Force.

This experience is also helping Bohemia Interactive to craft an incredibly detailed storyline, full of political intrigue and plot twists, which blurs the boundaries between fact and fiction. Set in the near future in a fictional post-Soviet country called Chernarus, players take on the role of a United States Marine Corps Force Recon squad, who are called to the country as a peacekeeping force to prevent further civilian casualties and ensure ongoing stability.

“After the success of ArmA: Armed Assault in Europe, we’re thrilled to bring PC gamers more action-packed warfare with ArmA II,” said Alex Price, Senior Global Brand Manager. “This continues to demonstrate our strong support for the European PC market by publishing top quality titles.”

ArmA II, published by 505 Games and developed by Bohemia Interactive, is scheduled for release on PC in Q1 2009.

KEY FEATURES

• A whole new chapter in the ArmA franchise with new characters and an in-depth story
• Unlike most war simulations, ArmA II focuses on team play – including co-operative play, the ability to switch between team members and dramatic moments when you must give first aid to team mates
• Improved AI for team mates and enemies, now they use cover, hide and work better as a unit
• Dynamic conversations and events that shape the storyline
• Incredibly realistic game engine that’s been used by the military for combat simulations
• Comprehensive online multiplayer modes
• An extremely strong modding community among the ArmA II fans