DESCRIPTION

The fifth title in Pivotal Games' squad-based "Conflict" series takes players into the aftermath of a military coup that plunges Venezuela into civil war. Gamers take control two different members of the CIA's Special Activities Division, the hardened veteran Graves, and the exuberant newcomer Lang, as they travel deep behind enemy lines on three continents attempting to prevent the brutal new dictator from acquiring nuclear weapons. The Denied Ops portion of the title comes from the depth of their clandestine activities: if any member is captured, all links to the U.S. will be denied.

Though the action is primarily handled like a first-person shooter, players can instantly alternate between both characters to take advantage of their individual skills, provide covering fire, or set up an enemy-shredding fusillade. A variety of different weapons allow players to approach the game in the manner they see fit, like using silenced weapons and Graves' sniper skills to maneuver quietly, or taking advantage of Lang's arsenal of heavy machinery to blow enemies to bits. Gamers can also take control of armored personnel carriers, tanks, and hovercrafts, or call in air support from F-22 fighter jets and AH-64D Apache helicopters.

Most of the action in Denied Ops takes the form of massive firefights that allow the game to showcase its highly destructible environments. Players can demolish entire buildings, turn vehicles into flaming metal shells, or strategically use their weapons to carve out escape routes, attack covered enemies, and shoot through their own cover. Gamers can undertake the main campaign alone or team up with a friend in two-player co-op online and split-screen modes. Further multiplayer support lets up to four split-screen players or 16 online players battle it out in Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, and Conquest Mode. ~ Christopher Brown, All Game Guide