Conflict Zone Modern War Strategy
Dreamcast
MASA / Ubi Soft

Conflict Zone is one of the very last releases for the Dreamcast and it is the first and only RTS for it. Unfortunately, it proves again that consoles are not an ideal platform for RTS games. The game can only be played using the standard controller, no keyboard or mouse, which is quite annoying. The controls are hard to get used to due to all the complex button combinations needed. To help players the controls are displayed on screen by default but it can be distracting. The L and R triggers serve as toggles, and the face buttons and d-pad have completely different functions depending on which is pulled. The game is full 3D so one trigger is for camera control. Although I found it impossible to get a serviceable angle, the default is zoomed out too far to see infantry and if you zoom in closer you can't really select or control any units. The fact that the graphics are blurry doesn't help either; VGA box support would be welcome. The game play for the most part is similar to Command & Conquer, but it varies greatly in resource gathering. The game has an interesting new concept for RTS, the media. You rescue or terrorize civilians for resource points and influence the media for popularity. Higher popularity means higher funding. You can also assign commanders to manage your base. These features don't save the game, only keep it in your memory. The game has a skirmish mode, but no multiplay. If the game supported mouse and keyboard and had online play it might be worth your attention.

Score: 3.5

Don Cassetti