Conflict: Desert Storm

All Americans Pledge Allegiance. A Select Few Show It

EU release: 17th April 2003
NA release: 22nd April 2003
JP release: N/A
Developer: Pivotal Games
Publisher: SCi (EU), Gotham Games (NA)
NGC Magazine Score: 89%
Mods Used: Widescreen Hack

Conflict: Desert Storm is a tactical shooter set during the Gulf War in Iraq. Following the trend of other squad based tactical shooters on the GameCube, this also features awful controls. They’re not quite as bad as The Sum of All Fears, but still feel awkward. Not to mention that you don’t want to get too close to any object or wall, as you can quite easily get stuck to them.

With this being third person, another quirk is the camera. Conflict features a lock-on system, and it will make your camera awkwardly jerk around as it focuses on an enemy off to the side and in the distance instead of the person standing in front of you. It’s completely useless, anyway, as shooting from the hip is so inaccurate that you’ll never kill anyone using it – instead you need to slowly use the zoomed in view to take off enemies.

The GameCube version does feature something special: 4 player co-op, letting you actually coordinate attacks and plan defences, something that the tools of the single player don’t really allow for. It’s a great feature as it wasn’t something that was common – most co-op games tapped out at 2.

But on your own, you’re left with a very wonky shooter and really annoying levels, such as ones that involve tanks. In these levels, you don’t have enough rocket launcher ammo to take them out, but just enough is hidden throughout the level, as long as you don’t mess up a shot. It’s stuff like that which ends up making the game frustrating to play.

Poor

A hard game to fault, this is intensely engaging and wicked fun for one to four players, and heartily improved over the PS2 and Xbox versions. The only downside is that you may not like soldier sims. But if you do relish a deeply absorbing challenge that’s freeform enough to let you call the shot, and as tight as a drum in every department, then but Conflict Desert Strom. You will not be disappointed. Cold, hard fact, that.
Al Bickham, NGC Magazine #80

Remake or remaster?

Perhaps a remaster of the series with good controls.

Official Ways to get the game

The original PC version is available on Steam. It lacks the split screen co-op of this version.