Arma 3 review

Arma 3 ranks first because it covers more of modern warfare than any other PC game here and costs $29.99 on the US Steam store. Bohemia Interactive's store page says you can drive tanks, fly jets, command a squad or play a range of infantry roles, with realistic ballistics across large open maps such as Altis, Stratis and the Tanoa jungle. The Apex and Contact expansions now come with the base game, which adds the Apex Protocol co-op campaign and the First Contact story to the East Wind campaign. Online, the official Combat Patrol, Escape and Warlords scenarios sit beside Zeus, where a Game Master curates a live battle for other players, and Steam Workshop support keeps community content flowing. The minimum spec is a quad-core CPU, 8 GB of RAM and 50 GB of storage. The drawbacks are real: the game dates from 2013, controls take time to learn, and most milsim groups expect you to install their mod list.

Who it is for

PC players who want the deepest military sandbox for under $30

Price

$29.99 one-time purchase on Steam (US store); Arma 3 Platinum and DLC cost extra.

Authentic, diverse, open - Arma 3 sends you to war. $29.99 Buy on Steam
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 12, 2026.

Key features

• Apex and Contact expansions are included in the base game
• Drive tanks, fly jets, command a squad or play infantry roles
• East Wind campaign plus the cooperative Apex Protocol campaign
• Official Combat Patrol, Escape and Warlords multiplayer scenarios
• Zeus mode lets Game Masters shape a live battlefield for other players

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: $29.99 is among the lowest prices on this list
• Strength: Single-player, co-op and PvP on Steam, with LAN support
• Strength: Runs on Windows and macOS, the only shooter here with a Mac build
• Weakness: Released September 12, 2013, the oldest game in this ranking
• Weakness: All official DLC is sold separately or in the pricier Arma 3 Platinum
• Weakness: The milsim side works best inside a community unit with its own mod set

Key facts

• Developer: Bohemia Interactive
• Price: $29.99
• Released: September 12, 2013
• Minimum RAM: 8 GB
• Storage: 50 GB

Where it ranks

Arma 3 is No. 1 in our Best Military Games for PC verdict and No. 1 in Best Military Simulation Games.