Conflict: Desert Storm – Back to Baghdad is certainly superior to its predecessor, but there are so many similar, better playing choices for its target audience that it would be unadvisable to plunk down the cash for it.
While the title is obviously meant to capitalize on recent US military action in Iraq, Back to Baghdad actually deals with the Gulf War. As such, those looking for a chance to assassinate Saddam's twin sons will be sorely disappointed.
If you were a fan of the first, however, you'll find a lot to like. This year's model is improved a great deal over its predecessor in almost every conceivable area – from improved AI to new weapons, those who are looking for more of the same will be satiated.
However, the bad certainly seems to outweigh the good in this case. The problems that I foresee most gamers having are the same problems that gave me a headache with the first Conflict – while the squad control is still relatively easy to get a hang of, the combat in this game just doesn't feel right, nor is it much fun. Additionally, Back to Baghdad continues to lag behind current benchmarks, especially in the area of character animation, which is just as stilted and robotic as ever. These flaws are only amplified by this year's many superb console releases in the tactical action categories, like Freedom Force, Socom II, and Rainbow Six 3.
Last year, Conflict: Desert Storm offered a somewhat enjoyable alternative for those wanting a tactical action game with more action than tactics. However, gamers have much more enticing alternatives in 04, and for everything that Back to Baghdad does right, there's a game that does things better, with fewer flaws along for the ride. All in all, you're better off with one of said alternatives.
-George
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