Technically Flashpoint 2 isn't claiming to be a sim either. You won't see them lisensing their game to the army... It's a tactical shooter and advertised as such. As I said, it has a certain Ghost-Recon-ish vibe to it (not GR1, but GR2 or GRAW) and that's ok for a tactical shooter. You still have the huge levels, and the strategic gameplay that comes with them, but it won't be a
sim.
I don't mind that. I enjoy many tactical games that aren't sims. RO, obviously, Raven Shield, Hidden and Dangerous 2, Vietcong, Brothers in Arms... What counts for me is that the game is strategic and it doesn't try to bullshoot me (like, say pretending to be all realistic with black and white war footage as intros while actually being a Serious Sam goes ww2 romp).
From what I've seen up to now Flashpoint 2 seems to fit the bill!
They have the general goal to make a realistic game so if they can get a dynamic AI up and running and they get accuracy and damage of weapons somewhat right there is little that can go wrong, with the big levels.
Heck, even in Mercenaries 1, which is far from even aspiring to be realistic, the big open levels gave it a certain "strategicness". So if the AI works and weapons and movement aren't completely arcadey I think the game is going to be at least playable.
I'm a little bitter that they use the Flashpoint name to sell their game and I will be even bitterer when people who like Flashpoint 2 and haven't played Flashpoint back in the days begin to put Flashpoint 2 over Flashpoint 1. Especially if they bring up superflous arguments like 3d iron sights vs 2d iron sights as an argument that FP2 is more realistic. Or, shame on me, I know it's stupid, if they feel good for making it through FP2 and they think they are hardcore realism gamers now although they haven't even tried to beat the old Flashpoint.