Conflict: Desert Storm

"Packs a Ton of Fun with a few flaws."

In Conflict: Desert Storm you can control a team of elite US soldiers or British SAS as you are given various special ops missions ranging from protecting a downed helicopter to rescuing POWs in an Iraqi prison. While the game does have a few technical flaws and lacks online play, it also gives you the feel of being in the middle of an intense fire fight and has a very high fun factor. With co-op team play available it gets even better.

Gameplay This is where the game really shines. You can control all 4 soldiers in your squad by giving them commands like ''fire at will'' or even tell a soldier to take a certain position and face a specific direction. Or, you can switch instantly to any soldier and control them yourself. You can also toggle between 1st person and 3rd person views at any point. It starts off with a training mission which helps teach you the controls, and gradually increases the difficulty with each mission (there are 15 in all). Total game immersion is there, and you will easily forget you are playing a game. One of the best aspects I feel is that you have to actually plan out your strategy and use each team member effectively. This is no run-and-gun game, yet there is plenty of action to be had. There are some stealth elements too, but the game doesn't rely heavily on them, rather, it relies on tactical planning of each mission - knowing which targets need to be taken out first, positioning your men in the most advantageous spots, etc. Many times I have found myself up against a heavily armored tank and out of rockets. In cases like this I had to be inventive and use tank mines, C4 charges, smoke bombs, and whatever else I could to defeat the enemy. The game is difficult, but not impossibly difficult. It allows you 2 saves per mission, and the ability to heal soldiers that have been wounded so it is not totally unforgiving. I also really like the variety of missions provided ranging from desert terrain to close quarters city streets and even inside buildings. The enemy A.I. is decent enough - they will drop for cover & try to move around to flank you at times, but other times they will keep coming down a hallway or something and let you mow them down. On one particular mission I actually had a pile of about 20-30 Iraqi soldiers laying on the ground! The teammate A.I. is also good, and sometimes they are even better at killing the enemy than you are. But, they aren't smart enough to switch weapons when appropriate. 9/10

Graphics The graphics for the game are decent enough to put you into the action and forget you are playing a game, however, they are not top-of-the-line for the xbox. The landscapes in some of the missions are pretty barren (well, it is the desert, so what did you expect?) and some of the enemy models aren't particularly convincing. You squad characters are done nicely. The gunfire and explosions are pretty effective, and one of the most convincing parts of the game to me are the way the bullets will chip off parts of building corners that you are taking cover behind. The game does support 480P, is not in widescreen, however stretches pretty well. 7/10

Sound The sound effects for the game are realistic and very convincing in DD 5.1 surround sound. You can hear the bullets whizzing by your head, and the echoes of Iraqi soldiers talking to eachother bouncing off the building walls. The built in soundtrack is average - nothing spectacular. However, the game gives you the option to play your own custom soundtrack and this feature completely enhances the experience. I have loaded up some songs from some war movie soundtracks like Black Hawk Down and We Were Soldiers, and it really makes me feel I am in a movie or something. 9/10

Controls The controls are probably where some people will list their complaints. It mainly comes from when you are strafing or moving backwards, the character movement is not as smooth as when moving straight forward. I really don't have too much of an issue with it, although it is apparent at times that you can't move as quickly as you would like side to side. Another issue is with the auto-aim feature. When in 3rd person view the auto aim will automatically target the largest threat to you, and there is no way to turn this off. Sometimes it is good because when you are running it is easier to fire, while at others it can be annoying if it targets a different enemy than you are wanting. The work around to this is as you are encountering enemies, switch to first person aim view (no auto-aim in 1st person) while firing. One forum poster mentioned he imagines this as him raising the gun up to his shoulder and taking aim. This imagery actually fits pretty well. At first, squad commands can seem tedious, but after getting the hang of it they are not so difficult. Also, some weapons like the heavy machine gun and sniper rifle will not fire unless you are not moving. This is more realistic, but also it has to be kept in mind while playing. These control issues don't really take away from the fun of the game, but nevertheless, they are issues that some might find annoying. 6/10

Replay I have been playing the game on EASY mode, and after a week-and-a-half I am just starting the last mission. After that, I can choose to try medium and play with the British SAS team, or maybe be daring and try difficult mode. There is a lot of reply here. I have played single player and 2 player co-op. Haven't even had the chance to try 4 player yet. Some of the missions I have played multiple times and feel I could still play them over again especially in mulitplayer. I don't feel you can get the full potential from the game by renting it, so I must recommend it as a buy. 8/10

Now, there is the FUN factor, which will vary from person to person. I would give this game a high 9 in fun factor. If I had to rate the game overall, it would probably be in the high 8's, almost a 9, but I think they want only whole number ratings for reviews, so I am forced to give it an 8. With the controls and lack of online play, I can't quite justify telling everyone it is a 9 or higher. Overall but not cumulative: 8/10

Definitely a worthy addition to your xbox game collection.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 10/11/02, Updated 10/11/02