Taking place during the 1991 Gulf War, Conflict: Desert Storm II puts you back in the combat boots of the elite SAS or US Delta Force. The game isn’t interested in the sanitized version of war; it’s about the heat, the sand, and the claustrophobic tension of urban warfare in Baghdad.

The cooling fan on Sergeant John Bradley’s PC wheezed like a dying man. Dust—real dust, not the pixelated kind—clogged its grilles. But the monitor glowed, casting a pale blue light across the cluttered desk in his Jacksonville apartment. On the screen, the menu music for Conflict: Desert Storm II swelled, a tense, percussive drumbeat that pulled him back.

His squad—real this time, not pixels—dragged a wounded comrade behind a burning fuel truck. The HUD was still there, flickering in his peripheral vision: ammo count, health bar (flashing red), and the objective: Destroy the SCUD launcher.

The PC version, in particular, benefited from the hardware of the time. While console players were limited by controller schemes, the made the game’s signature long-range sniping and rapid squad switching feel fluid and responsive. Master of the Squad: Tactical Gameplay The heart of the game lies in its four-man squad: John Bradley: The team leader and rifleman. Paul Foley: The eagle-eyed sniper. Mick Connors: The heavy weapons and anti-tank specialist. David Jones: The combat engineer and explosives expert.