Conflict Zone

This article is about the 2001 video game. For a conflict zone, seeConflict zone.For other uses, seeConflict zone (disambiguation).

Conflict Zoneis awar-themedreal-time strategygame, developed by MASA Group and published byUbi SoftforDreamcast,PlayStation 2,andMicrosoft Windows.

Conflict Zone
Developer(s)	MASA Group
Publisher(s)	Ubi Soft
Platform(s)	Dreamcast,PlayStation 2,Windows
Release	Windows PAL:June 2001 NA:November 1, 2001 Dreamcast NA:December 15, 2001 PAL:April 26, 2002 PlayStation 2 PAL:August 16, 2002 NA:October 19, 2002
Genre(s)	Real-time strategy
Mode(s)	Single-player,multiplayer

Story

In 2010, the majority of the world's developed countries have formed a centralised organisation, known as the International Corps for Peace, dedicated to bringing about world peace through worldwide media, but not all developing countries are keen to be involved. Ghost, a secret organisation, seeks only the economic interests of its members without any attachment to morals thus does not hesitate to create crisis situations which the International Corps for Peace is forced to solve, through humiliation, and healthy propaganda.

Gameplay

There are two playable campaigns inConflict Zone:the Ghost campaign, and the International Corps for Peace campaign.

Missions take place in locations where fictional conflicts take place such as civil war in Ukraine, wars between Indonesia and Malaysia, India and Pakistan and Nigeria and Niger. Most missions usually require the player to build a base (or a 'camp' in Ghost's case) and complete objectives in order to successfully complete the mission.

Unlike most other traditional real-time strategy games, where a main resource pool is used to produce units and buildings,Conflict Zoneuses a unique system where innocent civilians are the centerpiece and that the two factions have two completely different strategies that offers a unique challenge to master.Conflict Zone'smain innovation was the use of propaganda, which was crucial in the game, with money second. Coming in the form ofPopularity Points,players have to exploit the media in order to gain more PP to unlock units and buildings to help turn the fight in their favour, which faction the player may choose affects the way they are gained.

In some cases, the player may also employ artificial intelligence commanders who can be delegated duties. Each commander is tailored to a specific strategy: attack, defend, specialist and commando. By allocating resources, units and bases to a commander, the player can have him/her perform various operations with whatever is at hand.

The International Corps for Peace uses an arsenal of high end, fully trained forces and can easily overpower their Ghost counterpart in brute force but the commander is forced to 'appeal' to humanitarian efforts by rescuing Civilians, from neutral towns within the map, and take them to built Refugee Camps to gain PP. If the player accidentally causes civilian casualties or fails to rescue them, the player's PP level may drop.

The Ghost however do not care of civilian welfare and are more ruthless but depend on the people to help them win.

With a weaker arsenal but bigger unit capacity, Ghost players have the freedom to cause havoc wherever they please; whether by deliberately attacking International Corps for Peace forces near civilians, shooting down their rescue efforts, directly destroying their refugee camps or actively fighting off attacks, the organisation gain popularity by turning the country's people to their cause. To also help gain this, Ghost commanders can even 'enlist' civilians by taking them to enlistment camps where soldiers, dressed as civilians, can help hamper their oppressor's rescue efforts but the only to do this is employ their own cameramen to capture their motives.

Reception

Reception

Aggregate score

Aggregator	Score
	Dreamcast	PC	PS2
Metacritic	55/100	59/100	47/100

Review scores

Publication	Score
	Dreamcast	PC	PS2
Eurogamer	N/A	6/10	N/A
GameSpot	4.2/10	4.4/10	N/A
GameSpy	7.5/10	50%	N/A
IGN	5.6/10	6.7/10	4.1/10
Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine	N/A	N/A
PC Gamer(US)	N/A	60%	N/A
PC Zone	N/A	70%	N/A
PlayStation: The Official Magazine	N/A	N/A	5/10
X-Play	N/A	N/A

The Dreamcast and PC versions received "mixed" reviews, while the PlayStation 2 version received "generally unfavorable reviews", according to thereview aggregationwebsiteMetacritic.

External links

• Official Ubisoft homepage
• Conflict ZoneatMobyGames