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Like the first Conflict, Conflict II is released on Gamecube a few months after the other versions.
When Conflict: Desert Storm I was re-released for Gamecube, I thought of it highly enough to give it an 8.5. Granted, the Gamecube didn’t have a SOCOM to judge it against and Ghost Recon wasn’t all that great. In hindsight, the score was a bit too high. Conflict II improves on the original, making it even better.
The game takes place in the early 90s, not the recent Iraqi Freedom operation as the title would have you believe. The gameplay is reminiscent of Ghost Recon and SOCOM but much more action-packed. Before you’re done, you have destroyed important Iraqi locations and helped your teammates survive.
As with the first game, Conflict II has you take control of a squad of four members. You better get to love these guys, because you’re going to see them for a while. Each of the team members has their own unique role within your group. Sergeant John Bradley leads the group, while Corporal Mick Connors handles the heavy guns, Corporal David Jones handles the explosives and Corporal Paul Foley handles the sniping. You need to know your team-members abilities as that will mean the difference between restarting the level (if one dies, that’s it) and completing it.
The various missions have several objectives, but you can complete them in any order. While that may sound like the game is non-linear, it really is. The cities look very extensive, but for the most part, there is a set path to complete the objectives.
You can tell your men to follow you, hold or advance. You can also take control of any team member, at any time, so you can simply move them yourself if you wish. Location of your team members and their abilities is often used in the missions. There are times when you have no idea as to how to pass a particular area. Once you figure it out, the sense of accomplishment is very rewarding.
The game has both 3rd and 1st person view points. In 3rd person view, there is auto-target though with less accuracy. First person view lets you control your aim, making it ideal for events when you don’t have to move around. There are a few times when you can enter a vehicle. You can choose to be the shooter, driver or just a passenger.
There is a multiplayer mode for four people in the GCN version, up from two on the PS2. In multiplayer, four players can play each controlling a character.
The visuals in the game are pretty good. The environments are expansive and look great. The texture quality isn’t bad although noticeably less detailed than the Xbox version of the game. It’s on par with the PS2 version in terms of textures but has a much better framerate than either competing versions. The character models aren’t all that great up close but you’ll rarely notice since most of the action takes place from a bit of distance.
The audio package is average. The sound effects are standard but get the job done. Squad members state when they accomplish things but the voice quality isn’t great. Dolby Pro Logic II support is included in the game to help you determine where you’re being shot at. This lets you immerse yourself in the game much better.
Conflict: Desert Storm II – Back to Baghdad shows that the Conflict series is quickly becoming the staple of Gotham Games. This game improves on its predecessor and makes for an even more enjoyable experience. If you can’t get enough of squad-based gameplay, this is for you. -- Jose Liz, PGNx Media
---- Apr 12, 2004
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