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While Conflict Zone won't turn the RTS world upside down, it does bring a number of new and interesting twists to a well-worn genre. Both international organizations boast rich campaigns and unique capabilities that offsets an otherwise comparable unit selection. Join the ICP if you wish to take the side of humanity and herd refugees into refugee camps to get good media coverage. Prefer manipulating media coverage, recruiting the local yokels as soldiers, and planting spies amongst the seemingly harmless populace? Side with the forces of darkness then, and help GHOST spread its influence across the globe. Both organizations will translate into a brilliant, lengthy campaign that'll have you hooked for days, if your men don't start pushing up the daisies first.
Missions for both the ICP and GHOST begin with briefings from high-ranking individuals within each organization. The initial International Corps for Peace briefing briefs you on the crisis breaking out in the Ukraine. It also shows that the game doesn't have an entirely serious tone, as you might expect from this type of game. The map screen behind the general changes to a scene depicting some cows on a pasture when all of a sudden, a shark fin travels through the grass. The camera angle then shifts to a side view, where a window into another room is visible. In keeping with the tone, the other room changes into a fish tank, a disco, and other odd scenes. The GHOST briefing isn't quite as over the top as the ICP briefing, but it still manages to maintain the same humorous theme by later depicting a group of soldiers disguised as camels and tanks taking over an enemy base.
In terms of units and missions, Conflict Zone isn't likely to bring many surprises. You've got your soldiers, commandos, tanks, antiaircraft units, artillery, helicopters - the usual lineup. Some of the more advanced units like Stealth Bombers, AWACS surveillance planes, and a scud-like mobile nuclear missile launcher are good for a bang. Both ICP and Ghost have 16 missions in their respective campaigns, with one bonus mission each that opens up if certain conditions have been met. Most missions include the usual destroy enemy base and rescue refugees fare, although GHOST gets to do some of the more devious and nasty stuff - like sabotaging an ICP chemical weapons facility that's near a village, thereby causing a public relations disaster for the good guys.
Battles found in Conflict Zone are hectic, spectacular and often looks like the fourth of July when soldiers on both sides start showing off their firepower. Tactically sound decisions based on elevation, locale and seemingly innocuous nearby resources such as civilian outposts can be the deciding factor in any battle. Commandos and saboteurs can seek cover behind civilian buildings and win the day. Learning to seize territory without leaving a trail of pitiable corpses that Hannibal Lecter would be proud of in your wake is much more compelling than you'd be inclined to think. By hook or crook, even veteran commanders-in-chief will find themselves soundly schooled through novel lessons in the ancient art of war, despite the fact that most large-scale conflicts bear too strong a resemblance to countless others witnessed before.
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