Before the recent war on Iraq, a different President Bush took US troops into the sweltering heat of a land run by a tyrant that threatens the very existence of thousands of innocent people.  It is this conflict that has inspired Gotham Games to make a game based on the special forces of the USA that have come to put an end to Saddam’s chemical warfare program.  In Conflict: Desert Storm II - Back to Baghdad, the mission continues.  The question, though, is does this game deserve a sequel? 

Back to Baghdad takes places one year after the events of the first game and places its same four heroes (Bradley, Foley, Connors and Jones) back into enemy territory.  Many questions remain unanswered, such as what happened to those Allied soldiers that were taken prisoner?  What is up with those rumors of Saddam’s hidden chemical weapons program?  Who is behind the burning of Kuwait’s oil fields?  What happened to the supposed Superguns?  These are questions the four Special Forces soldiers will find out as they go deep into the heart of Iraq to finish the mission they started.

As far as sequels go, Back to Baghdad sees a number of changes that actually work for it.  For one thing, the game makes it clear that Xbox Live goodies are available to download.  While this isn’t as good as, say, the ability to play the game’s Campaign mode online with other gamers, downloadable content is always a welcome feature.  Secondly, there have been some improvements in the game’s graphics and the game’s missions.  You can also drive vehicles such as jeeps or tanks and decide whether you’d like to be behind the wheel or man one of the guns.  Calling for air support is also a great way of getting rid of those pesky tanks and this is done by realistically marking the targets and then calling in the air strike.

The game actually begins with training courses that go from basic weapons training to the more advanced training courses that cover advanced weapons and demolition training.  It’s here that gamers get a sense of the game’s controls--which, if you remember the first game, is still relatively the same.  Your four-squad members still crouch, lay flat on their stomachs and can roll.  They even specialize in various kinds of actions.  You have a sniper on your team, a demolition expert, a heavy machine gunner and even a tactical commanding officer.  Each is good at what they do and can be switched on the fly when needed.  And trust me, you’ll know when each member’s specialty is needed.

The missions put you back into enemy territory and see you through ten pretty lengthy missions with multiple mission objectives through the game’s Campaign mode.  The fun thing about this is that the mode can be played as a single player experience or by having three other friends taking the roll of the other members of the squad.  The missions have you securing locations, stopping Republic Guard divisions from reaching a certain point and rescuing captured Allied troops from Saddam’s top military crew.  Half the fun of squad-based games is putting your men to good use and you do a lot of that in this game.

One change you’ll notice is that the enemy is a lot smarter . . . and a lot dumber in other aspects.  They are good at taking cover and planning attacks well enough that they’ll have you pinned down on numerous occasions.  On the other hand, they can also blindly run towards your position, making themselves easy targets.  At one point in the game it felt like Mickey’s shooting gallery and the Iraqi troops were just ducks running across to get shot down. 

This game is still not the best looking game of it’s genre but at least there have been some improvements to make this a better looking game than the original.  For starters, there are plenty of details in the environment and this perfectly captures the terrain we know so well thanks to CNN footage of the war.  You can practically taste the Iraqi dirt as it blows across your face and the sight of the Middle Eastern architecture is astonishingly true to the locale.  Top this off with better explosions that light up a room and you have a much neater visual experience.  Still, the characters look rather plain and this is most unfortunate since their faces look rather odd.  All of this could have been done a lot better, especially since it’s on the Xbox.

What the game doesn’t do visually, it makes up for it in the sound department.  Really, the sound is far more detailed and it perfectly captures the fury of gunfire and explosions.  Radios squawk to life and when you call for air support, you can hear the fighter planes before you even see them.  Your squad also talks back to you via communication devices so you’ll be hearing a lot from them.  There’s a score and it certainly works and sets the mood just right.  Overall, the sound is the game’s best feature when it comes to immersing the gamer into the battlefield.

Back to Baghdad certainly isn’t a major departure for the series but the visible improvements and perfect additions make for an entertaining romp that’s decent enough.  There are definitely other war titles available on the Xbox that handle much of what is found here far better than this, but this is still a fun game to go through--especially if you have a group of friends.  This is indeed one great weekend rental or a worthy buy if you enjoyed the first game. 

Gameplay: 8.0
While the game keeps the controls pretty simple, there are a few actions that could have run a bit smoother had they been changed a little.  For instance, the commands to change your weapon’s fire (burst, automatic or grenade launcher) can be a bit time consuming and thus leaves you exposed to your enemy’s line of fire.  The crouch can also be a burden since the character does it so slowly that it’s hardly worth the effort to use.  Yet we’re grateful for the ability to commandeer vehicles and even man the guns.

Graphics: 7.0
While Back to Baghdad might not be the prettiest war game on the Xbox, it certainly is an improvement from the game’s first outing.  For one thing, the environments in this sequel are a lot more detailed and the special effects (most notably the explosions) pack a neater punch.  Even the characters, which still look a bit on the dull side (especially when it comes to facial features), have been improved just enough that they move more naturally and have uniforms that are a bit more detailed.  All of these things could have been handled a lot better but we can certainly appreciate the improvements.

Sound: 8.0
Something this game doesn’t lack is a detailed sound effect and the game showcases some pretty impressive audible effects.  Bullets echo in hallways and when somebody fires a rocket the whistling noise is just as menacing as the explosion itself.  Radios sound authentic and the back-and-forth banter of your teammates helps set a realistic experience.  There’s a pretty dramatic score here too and it certainly sets the mood just right.  

Difficulty: Hard
The mission objective pile on and this is especially challenging if you’re playing a single player game. The enemy AI certainly has become a lot smarter this time around and you’ll especially see how smart the second you’re spotted by groups of enemies.  They take cover when they spot you and plan sneak attacks that often work.  Then again, there are times when the enemies blindly run into a building you secured even after you’ve killed five or six of their comrades right in front of them.

Concept: 8.2
You have to love a game that emphasizes Xbox Live content and the game’s packaging tells you straight off that there are downloadable extras on the way.  More likely they’re extra levels, maps and weapons true to the timeline.  The ability to drive a vehicle (or be a gunner) is also a very welcome addition to the series and the sniper action just feels so much richer this time around.

Multiplayer: 8.5
Add the fact that up to four players can go split-screen cooperatively in the game’s main Campaign mode and you have a far more exciting game on your hands.  While the game is enjoyable as a single player game, there’s just something about having a group of friends take up the role of each of the members of the Delta team.  Together friends can plan their own stylized attacks or do multiple tasks that take a single player too long to complete.

Overall: 8.0
As far as sequels go, Back the Baghdad sees some improvements and additions that just barely make this one worthy of your time and money.  While there are a number of things that could have been done much better, the multiplayer action this game offers does wonders for the game’s main campaign mode.  The Xbox Live extras also help.  This is a recommended rental for sure.