Conflict: Denied Ops Demo Proves It's an Above-Average Game

The Conflict franchise has consistently delivered above-average, team-based tactical shooting games. After playing through the Xbox 360 version of the demo, I can say that this fact remains true with the latest incarnation of the franchise. With this installment of the Conflict series, the leap to first-person shooting is made, and I personally think it is a welcome change.

Story:
The story is nothing new to the FPS genre. You are dropped into a war torn country that needs your help. It looks like a middle eastern country at that. In the game, you take control of a pair of soldiers. Nothing new or exciting here.

Gameplay:
True to the conflict series, switching from one character to the next on the fly is necessary to complete your missions, and you are given objectives to complete. Character switching is smooth and fast. Teamwork makes the difference between success and failure in this game- your teammates can heal you, and you can tell them where to go or what to do. For example, they can provide covering fire. Sometimes it may be necessary to take control of a teammate to complete a task.

The game 'feels' alright, though the guns lack kick. They feel unresponsive to say the least. When shooting a light machine gun, there is no recoil whatsoever. The game features the typical red barrels (and other red objects) that explode when shot. You'll need to restock your ammo supply throughout the game, and objectives are clearly marked. Switching to night vision will be necessary, and it is a bit slow for my liking. Toggling between views when you need to use your scope or ironsights is tedious and feels like a dated feature. Teammate AI seems to be good, though sometimes they 'steal' your kills. Maybe the friendly AI is too good. Enemy AI doesn't seem to be that great, but the baddies are disposed of so quickly that it's hard to make much of a judgment. Enemies do hide behind cover, and they will melee you if you get too close.