Conflict: Desert Storm II: Back to Baghdad

Back to Bughdad

No war unfolds exactly as planned, but it's Desert Storm It's improbably glitchy gameplay that guarantees this battle a place in the annals of martial mistakes. While serving Uncle Sam, we saw spotlights shine through solid concrete, walls shoot, and enemies materialize from thin air. Who knows, perhaps it was all some kind of Iraqi psy-ops?

THE BASICS:

In a game torn from yesterday's headlines, your squad of four troopers airdrops into mostly urban war zones to tackle three times as many Iraqis as in the original.

HOW WAS IT?

"Enemies and teammates no longer just stand in the open--they take cover before they fire now," Producer Marc Nesbitt says of Desert Storm It's improved computer smarts. Funny, but I didn't notice any boost in brainpower in the version I tried.

It's often said that timing is everything and it could not be truer than with Conflict: Desert Storm II ' Back to Baghdad. Perhaps it's just a coincidence, but Conflict: Desert Storm II for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox arrived at an ideal time: right in the middle of America's war in Iraq. Games like these that are current with world affairs are quite rare, that's why it's a bit odd to see the GameCube version just coming out since Saddam Hussein has been captured and the war is effectively over. Even if it's a little late to the party, Conflict: Desert Storm II will be a welcome site to some GameCube owners.

With the current events that have taken over the headlines, logical thinking would imply that Conflict: Desert Storm II would coincide with the events that just took place. Logical thinking can sometimes be a liar, however, because you're takin' over daddy Bush's war. Still, Conflict does a good job of finding its niche in a crowded tactical market, as it strikes a balance between tactical realism and arcade action. Tactical strategy can definitely be enforced here since each of the four members of your task force has sharply unique abilities, but you can also opt for frantic, blood pumping action if you prefer ' both styles work here.

Despite the versatile nature of the game, there are still some substantial problems. The AI is decent, but just decent is a shortcoming in a tactical game like this. Your allies are usually competent, unlike enemies who can be easily mowed down, but since they arrive in masses, there's still a significant challenge. Fortunately (or not), you have the overly helpful auto-aiming system on your side. When in the third-person view, it'll often aim you in the direction of foes that are nearly out of your field of view, trivializing things greatly. In comparison, however, the first person view (which doesn't have auto-aim implemented) can feel clunky and sluggish.

Overall, things feel a bit sloppy and even a bit dull with one controller plugged in, but plug in three more and you'll see where the appeal lies. The cooperative play adds a new dimension to the game - a dimension that takes away a lot of the glaring problems of the single player experience. If you have three other friends who can stick it out for the long haul, then Conflict will offer much more in comparison to going it alone.

Unfortunately, Conflict: Desert Storm II doesn't have much going for it in the way of graphics, with the most notable culprit being the sparsely detailed environments. After running through the 100th war torn street of Iraq, you'll likely wish there had been a little bit more variety in the visuals. Likewise, other stumbling blocks such as the un-fluid animation and the unspectacular lighting effects mean that Conflict will rarely rise above mediocrity in the visuals department.

If you're looking for an engrossing single player experience, then Conflict: Desert Storm II may not be your best bet since there are alternatives out there that surpass many of Conflict's features. However, if you're looking for a fun and addictive cooperative game in the vein of SOCOM II, then Conflict: Desert Storm II won't disappoint.