Conflict: Desert Storm II

Set against the Gulf War’s push toward Baghdad, Conflict: Desert Storm II delivers a lean, old-school tactical shooter built around small-unit military operations rather than lone-wolf heroics. You command either a British SAS team or a US Delta Force squad through hostile Iraqi territory, where every street, bunker, airfield, and desert outpost can turn into a deadly crossfire. The tone is direct and militaristic, with tense firefights, rescue operations, sabotage jobs, and long-range assaults creating the feel of a playable action-war film. Its age shows in places, but the campaign still has a satisfying mission-focused intensity.

Control rotates between four specialists, each carrying a useful role on the battlefield: assault rifles and machine guns for direct pressure, sniper weapons for picking off distant threats, demolition gear for objectives, and medical supplies for keeping the team alive. Orders let you position squadmates, command them to hold ground, follow, engage, or use equipment, while instant character switching means you can take personal control whenever the AI needs help. Missions usually ask you to infiltrate an area, identify a target, eliminate resistance, and extract safely, though open combat is often just as viable as a cautious approach. Difficulty comes from limited health, dangerous enemy positions, and the need to protect the entire squad rather than simply reaching the finish line alone.

What separates it from simpler third-person shooters is the constant balance between action and command. One moment you are lining up a sniper shot from cover; the next, you are driving a teammate to revive a wounded operator while incoming fire tears through the position. The campaign’s 15 missions offer varied military scenarios and make steady use of deserts, urban ruins, installations, and defensive strongholds. Fans of the original Conflict: Desert Storm, early Ghost Recon, or the more accessible side of Rainbow Six will appreciate its co-op-friendly squad tactics, while newcomers should expect dated presentation but solid, focused tactical shooting beneath it.