PlayStation 2

Conflict: Desert Storm

Some missions sometimes have alternative routes so when you’re playing it doesn’t have to be exactly the same as last time. There are also many medals to be won, including the Victoria Cross (SAS) and Medal of Honor (Delta Force). Getting them all for everyone will be quite a challenge. The game also offers three difficulty levels. But co-operative is where a lot of the life span lies. Conflict: Desert Storm is currently the ultimate co-operative game. It should keep you going for awhile.

Que de notes disparates. Conflict Desert Storm aurait pu mieux faire, c'est certain. Je ne saurais vous dire s'il tiendra face à ses futurs concurrents (on verra ça plus tard, y a le temps) mais en attendant il reste, malgré ses quelques défauts, un jeu bien sympathoche, idéal pour qui veut s'initier à l'art de l'action/tactique. Il crée presque un genre avec sa visée bourrine : l'action/tactique/arcade. Un bon entraînement pour préparer l'arrivée de SOCOM. Et puis les titres du genre sont tellement rares sur console.

Despite its rough edges, there is a certain appeal to Conflict: Desert Storm. The squad-based tactics are a nice twist on the typical "one man army" theme that so often prevails in this genre and the multiplayer co-op mode adds depth to what would otherwise be a solitary experience. It isn't Counter-Strike, but it is a good way to waste an evening or two. Conflict: Desert Storm is a perfect choice for an extended weekend rental.

Although its not quite up to its potential, Conflict: Desert Storm is still a unique game with strong squad AI and excellent level design. Only a handful of questionable design decisions and unpolished enemy AI bog down the otherwise fast-paced, challenging gameplay. A well-done cooperative multiplayer mode is included, but unfortunately there is no competitive multiplayer which, given the great execution of the squad AI, would be very exciting. With America on the verge of reviving its feud with Saddam Hussein, this game is even worth playing just for the timely novelty. If our nation ends up creating source material for a sequel, perhaps Pivotal Games can iron out the kinks in a mostly solid armor.

There is no doubt, Conflict: Desert Storm has some faults, but it also takes an enormous amount of strategy. For example, you may want to use a rocket launcher on a tank, but that would give away your squad’s position and waste ammo. Instead, you may choose to have your sniper get in position to take out troops, send in the man carrying C4, place the C4 on the tank, blow the tank to shreds and snipe the remaining soldiers with your sniper. Overall, Conflict: Desert Storm didn't impress me with visuals or A.I. capability, but did impress me with the deep level of strategy and team work needed to accomplish your mission.

The problem Conflict: Desert Storm is going to face is that it really won’t be able to find an audience. Though the game has some fun slow-paced gameplay, it isn’t really intense enough for hardcore FPS fans, and it’s not as strategically built for fans of squad-based mission games like Rainbow Six. But if you think you’d like Conflict: Desert Storm’s slow-paced gameplay, and you think you can deal with some minor discrepancies, then go ahead and check out Conflict: Desert Storm. Who knows? Maybe you were the audience Pivotal Games was thinking of when they created this wayward title.

Conflict's biggest problem, as I say, is the availability of a much better alternative. If SOCOM weren't out there offering a similar experience, with tighter design, a greater variety of mission concepts, and online multiplayer, it would be easier to recommend. As it is, however, its flaws stand out more sharply. If Sony's game doesn't offer enough military action for you, this is a good second choice, but probably not a first one.

Conflict: Desert Storm has a couple of neat ideas, and it's one of the few PlayStation 2 games to attempt to do tactical combat. It even has a multiplayer mode, though it feels like it was tossed in as an afterthought. With games like SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs on the market, there's really no room for something as sloppy as Conflict: Desert Storm, and you'd be better off without it.