Make love, not war... well, sort of. The online real-time strategy gameConflict Zone --but, the task won't be easy.
User Rating: 8.4 | Conflict Zone PS2
Conflict Zone is a RTS set in the not-too-distant future (circa 2011) with trouble brewing mostly in the former Eastern bloc countries. You can choose to play as one of two opposing forces: the International Corps for Peace (ICP), a thinly disguised future version of the UN peacekeeping forces, or GHOST, a shadowy international coalition of baddies determined to wreak as much havoc as possible on the path towards global supremacy. Whilst having only two sides to choose from is not necessarily a bad thing (look at the success of the Warcraft and Command & Conquer series, the latter of which Conflict Zone borrows heavily from), it becomes a problem when one side (GHOST) has an obvious advantage over the other and is also just that much more fun to play.
Conflict Zone is otherwise rock solid in every other department. The graphics are top notch with the units, terrain and animation being well detailed, although some gamers may find the map scale a bit confined. The enemy AI is genuinely tough: most scenarios will force you to really think about your tactics and adapt your strategies to varying scenarios. With all this, it's really a shame that the innovative media element, such an integral part of modern day conflict, wasn't better implemented. Keen RTS players should give Conflict Zone a try as the media element will pose new and refreshing challenges, but more casual gamers may find the learning curve too steep.
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