Conflict

Tough-as-nails fighters, corrupt generals, common guerillas and massive weapons. Conflict Denied Ops has it all. But haven’t we already seen this many times? Yes, but packaged differently. When it comes to military conflicts, there are probably no narrative borders. In the gaming world, yet another couple of insurgents are always ready to pop up which have to be put to rest using the skills at your disposal. And so it is in this case. This crooked business roams from South America via Siberia to Africa, in the form of two hard-boiled CIA agents - Lincoln Graves and Reggie Lang at your service!

Both of these gentlemen know how to take care of themselves, that is for sure. Graves takes care of guerillas and other riff-raff from a safe distance with his precision weapons. Lang prefers to get a bit more personal. Machine guns at the ready, he teaches his opponents the meaning of fear. The weapons of their fallen opponents are off limits, however – you have to abandon each and ever machine gun or sniper rifle. Fortunately the guys from the CIA are continuously developing new upgrades, and you receive additional equipment for your shooter and your backpack after each mission. Whereas you initially only have a conventional precision rifle, later on you lay your hands on a rifle camera and a shotgun.

Obviously you can switch between either of the trigger-happy agents at any time at the touch of a button, assuming they are not face down in the dirt close to death. Then there is nothing else to do but bring out the adrenalin syringe! When they are both down, gave over. You can give instructions to your partner with a single press of a button. Move him to as certain position, let him kick in a door, switch off oil pumps and target opponents, or even use a fixed machine-gun. Unfortunately, you are more likely to get high blood pressure with your AI-controlled partner than sing his praises. Give him an instruction to defuse a bomb, and it will take you at least three goes until he gets over to the aforementioned explosive device and does what you asked him. You will need to give him a life-saving injection all too many times after he has been bettered on the open battlefield, or has had a grenade land at his feet. Your fellow combatant and allied troops also understand each other very well when it comes to cover or the line of fire. But the great things is, you can play in cooperative and multiplayer mode with real people, which is a completely different – and fun - experience.

Conflict Denied Ops gets a lot right, and has reliable controls. Unfortunately, the game also happily shoots itself in the foot all too many times. Opponents remain suspended somewhere in the well developed levels and then disappear again immediately right in front of you. The enemies are constantly on the move to engage you, but they usually seek out worse covering than before, or sometimes stay standing, turning in circles or looking in the wrong direction. The often somewhat imprecise firing feedback, which is denoted by explosions, is also not much better. Although it wants to be a tactical shooter, the game trips over itself with the actions of its AI, which borders on stupidity. It is not only sometimes faster simply to storm the opponents with all barrels blazing, it is also more effective and simpler.

Tacticians may prefer to grab one of the Ghost Recon series, although Conflict Denied Ops shines particularly at moments where there is a lot going on. In large engagements, the game shows its teeth and muscle, and will astonish you with superb production. The walls are spattered with bullet holes from Lang’s machine guns, while the enemy fires blind from their cover. Bullets strike all around you, dust erupts from the walls, tanks fire their deadly projectiles and create film-quality clouds of smoke. In dark areas, the enemy and their surroundings are atmospherically lit up momentarily by their flickering gunfire. One particular contribution to the successful production is the so-called 'Puncture Tech' technology. This ensures that buildings and other level objects which are part of the skirmishes collapse and fall apart. In most elements which break apart, however, the motion engine can be seen getting to work with a certain “start-up delay”. Graphically, the game eventually becomes somewhat monotonous, but on the other hand is convincing with some excellent detail. Some wonderful flora and grass, which gives way under foot, fine dust, which swirls in sunlight-flooded storage areas, and most impressive of all, the realistic play of light and shadows. The game is also often a musical triumph with driving sounds, which are also sometimes irritating when there are no enemies nearby. Otherwise, the sound effects also come out a little thin.