REVIEW: Conflict_Denied Ops
Conflict: Denied Ops is the fifth instalment in the enjoyable Conflict series. Available on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC (reviewed here), Pivotal Games’ two player co-op FPS (first-person shooter) doesn’t break any new ground, but it is a blast.
The game (£17.93/$36.99) is set in today’s volatile political climate and focuses on two stereotyped agents from the CIA’s Special Activities Division (SAD) - one’s a whipper snapper and the other a grizzly cynic. They’re both experts in weapons and military tactics, which definitely helps. Reggie Lang is a machine gun operator who uses an M249 PARA with an undermounted M203 grenade launcher, and Lincoln Graves is a former Marine and sniper who uses an SR-25 with an undermounted M26 MASS. As you can image, there’s often a clash in personalities which leads to many amusing quips.
The game is played in a first person perspective, unlike the third person viewpoint of the four preceding titles, and is also the first game in the Conflict series which does not feature four main characters. In single player mode you can switch between controlling each agent. In co-op, each player controls one agent. The agents only use their weapon of choice, and cannot pick up enemy weapons. Ammunition for firearms is unlimited, but explosives are not and must be replenished at resupply boxes found throughout the levels you play your levels in Africa, Siberia and South America.
Their (your) mission is to prevent a third-world dictatorship from gaining nuclear weapons; a mission which takes you across three continents and pits you against the scumbags who control the nuclear arms smuggling trade. The crux of the game, however, is the ability to switch seamlessly, at any point, between these two operatives to lay down covering fire, explore diverging paths through the levels, create distractions and pin the enemy under fire. Besides offering two types of gameplay (stealth and assault), swapping between characters is essential in most levels in order to progress. The way you switch characters is pretty cool too, with the camera following the trail back/forward to the other player - a neat touch.
Making full use of Pivotal’s Puncture Technology, Conflict: Denied Ops features a highly destructible environment, allowing you to shoot through walls to create sniping holes or blast through crates and boxes to take the enemy by surprise. There are plenty of highly explosive structures and gas canisters to destroy too, and there’s nothing more gratifying than taking out a wave of advancing forces with a single shot. As an added bonus the explosions are loud and can be outrageously huge, which totally doesn’t go unappreciated.
Conflict: Denied Ops is a simple and enjoyable shooter for the casual gamer. Gameplay is rudimentary and fans of Army of Two and Rainbow Six Vegas will laugh at the co-op, but if you grab it for a bargain and don’t take it too seriously, it could be a great fix for a wet weekend. The sound effects are loud and the music is fully interactive (reacting to your movements), but the graphics and physics are dated compared to the likes of COD 4 and Gears of War. But if you’re not bothered about unoriginal and generic gameplay, there’s no reason not to enjoy Conflict: Denied Ops. [6.5]
