Game Review (written by Eric) Added on: 02/05/2008
Conflict: Middle East is a political simulator game regarding the conflicts in the Middle East. This game is a little-known simulation game but it does feature a good sense of realism. It is a turn-based game that was published by Virgin Interactive in 1990.
You are the leader of the country Israel and your policies and decisions regarding foreign relations, the economy and the military will affect the conditions in the country. The game is set in the year 1997 and the prime minister has just been assassinated leaving you to lead over the country. Your decisions will determine whether Israel will find peace or continue to be embroiled in conflict.
Your goal of course is to keep the country stable despite the war against other nations in the region. You have to keep a balance between making friends and enemies. You have to make sure you have your nation’s interest in mind when drafting policies. Your main goal is to defeat the four neighbouring states. You can either invade the states yourself although you should watch how many enemies you have just made as they may all attack you and cause utter chaos in your territory or you can cause political instability in the neighbouring states which will cause them to collapse.
The game is turn-based and each turn represents a month. At the start of the turn you will be presented newspaper headlines regarding what transpired after your previous turn. This will help you decide what kind of policies or actions you need to take. Your action will determine the kind of relationship you have over neighbouring states from being at war to being in situations that are favourable for both nations.
The game features basic graphics and music. While the graphics and the sound will not make gamers take an instant liking to this game, the gameplay will. The game’s theme is very unique and you will surely make time for this game. It’s not something you will play for many, many weeks but it is a game that you can keep in your hard drive and keep coming back to. There are more addictive strategy and simulation games than this game but Conflict: Middle East is not bad at all. It’s worth spending time on. It will help you learn a few basic ideas about the resolution and instigation of conflicts.
This game is perfect for those who enjoy playing political simulators or even those who enjoy strategy games.
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Comments
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Robin (01/23/2008)
Conflict, Middle East looks deceptively simple at first glance. It is a very well-balanced and challenging game. However, it's tempting to rush in and try to take territory too soon etc., as each month passes and you receive more funds. If you do, the excellent AI will hand you your head on a plate and you will feel truly humbled as you listen to the mournful dirge which accompanies your end of office in disgrace. I found that, initially, you have to cultivate some of the super powers, at least until you receive the large financial gratuity at the end of two years. For me, success came from a balance of (initially) building up my forces and giving priority to nuclear research, then, after a couple years, bombing other enemy nuclear research centers and swiftly moving your troops into potentially weaker opponents’ countries. This will antagonize western powers and likely stop their funding but you should have already cultivated, on the side, the favors of more "unsavory" merchant powers, thus keeping your forces' numbers well up. The only successful outcome I have always experienced has been one in which I have been described by the World News as "ruthless but efficient" on behalf of my country (Israel).Claire (01/18/2008)
It has good graphics and sound and I would recommend it. (10/23/2006)
"A serious simulation of the 1973 Yom Kippur War and a future Arab-Israeli War, this product was very detailed. Mouse implementation is is much easier than the designer's last design (Red Lightning), but it still required much time and thought. Recommended for the serious aficionado."Special Instructions (Source: Support Team | Added on: 10/14/2007)
This game is copy protected. To answer the copy protection questions you have to download the game's manual. |
