This is one of those games that you will want to have simply to show your friends what the iPhone can do.
As Gameloft is becoming known for, Modern Combat: Sandstorm is a bite sized version of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. There are a few control options to choose from, but my favorite mirrored the Playstation controller's dual joystick. Just below the left stick is a button for crouch and below the right stick is a button to aim down your sights. Shooting is simply performed by touching the screen anywhere that isn't a button for another function. Much like call of Duty, taking damage turns the screen bloody and you must hide for several seconds to stay alive. The action isn't particularly unique, but just the fact that it exists on the iPod/iPhone is impressive.
Level design isn't much more than, get from point A to point B, but there is plenty of detail that each looks good. There is a decent variety that includes a Middle Eastern town, sewer, warehouse, hospital, and more. Each level is decorated and detailed quite well and really make you feel as if you are in these locations. The layout of each also makes sure you are never in a position where you can't retreat so you won't suffer many cheap deaths.
To spice up the gameplay, a few turret and sniping sequences are thrown into the mix. The fixed turret sequences are just kind of there; not good or bad. On the other hand, the vehicle mounted turret sequences are a blast. They basically turn the game into an on-rails shooter while the AI drives and you defend them from incoming attackers. The sniping sequences are equally entertaining. While you can carry the sniper rifle at all times as one of your two available weapons, the game sets up scenarios where the only way to defeat the enemies is by using it. This sets up some intense 'get them before they get you' situations that never get old.
The game isn't perfect. Since it is a first effort on the system, developers obviously felt as if they could get away with gameplay aspects that have long since been abandoned on other consoles. Doors will block your path until you complete your objective, at which point they will magically open. At several points, you are forced to backtrack in order to extend play time without creating more levels. In one case you literally go back through the entire level. Enemies aren't entirely smart either. For the most part, they have an assigned spot to run to and stand there shooting until you kill them. This limited AI is camouflaged by making them do interesting actions like rolling across the hallway or flipping a desk to take cover behind it, but it doesn't really hide the fact that they are locked in place once they reach their destination. The up side to this is that they won't be coming after you if you need to retreat to heal.
Beyond four difficulty levels, there isn't much in the way of replay value. There aren't any hidden items to find or secondary objective to achieve. The game gives you your statistics after each level, but there is no online leaderboards that show how you stack up. The game will take between two and three hours to complete and after finishing the last difficulty, you aren't left with anything else.
The plot is just what we have come to expect from military shooters. A middle-eastern terrorist is on the run and it is your job to hunt them down. There is no justification as to why other than you are a soldier and your superiors told you to. The ending, however, is unexpected and even a bit emotional, which was a pleasant surprise.
Graphically, the game is amazing. Everything is incredibly detailed: environments, character models, and weapon animations. There are plenty of little touches, like your character's hand actually reaching out to type on a computer or press a button. Enemy death animations look good and you are rewarded with a spray of blood for a head shot. Voice acting is good, but can get a bit cheesy since they avoid foul language in situation where it clearly would have been used; the commanding officer regularly calls your squad 'knuckleheads'. Other sounds are quite great, like gunfire or music setting up your next encounter. All told, this is one of the best looking and sounding games on the system.
Modern Combat: Sandstorm may fall into some typical FPS traps, but the simple fact that it plays so well is a testament to the developers. This is one of those games that you will want to have simply to show your friends what the iPhone can do. There is no reason for a FPS fan to pass this one up.