Command: Shifting Sands

Command: Shifting Sands is the third, stand-alone add-on to the 2013 strategy game Command: Modern Air/Naval Operations. The game focuses on the Arab-Israeli conflict, presenting events such as the Suez Crisis or the Six-Day War. Like all previous DLCs, the game was developed by WarfareSims. The publisher is Slitherine Ltd.

Plot

The Arab-Israeli conflict is defined as a long-term state of tensions between Arabs countries and Israel. The date of its beginning is considered to be the date of the creation of the State of Israel (May 14, 1948), although in practice its history goes much further. Differences on ethnic and religious grounds as well as territorial claims are at the root of the problem.

Mechanics

Command: Shifting Sands takes place in real-time and consists mainly of observing the map and making decisions on the movements and application of particular types of troops. The players have many different types of units and technologies at their disposal. Particularly noteworthy are modern SAM anti-aircraft missiles, air-to-ground missile launchers, and SEAD systems, which make their debut in this war theatre.

The campaign prepared for the game consists of several missions, mostly based on historical events such as the Suez Crisis (1956), the Six-Day War (1967), The War of Attrition (1967-1970), the Yom Kippur War (1973), Operation Opera (1981) or the Bekaa Valley War (1982).

The devs also prepared several hypothetical scenarios, focusing on situations that could have arisen - but never happened. This list includes the response of the United States to the attack on USS Liberty, the flight between the US and USSR fleets in defense of allies and the use of nuclear weapons by Israel after the fall of the conventional defenses.

The screenplay was written by Paul A. Bridge, a former British Navy officer and creator of the award-winning Northern Inferno campaign.

Game modes

Command: Shifting Sands we be played solo. The mainstay of the game is an extensive single-player campaign.

Technical aspects

In terms of visuals, the stand-alone Command: Shifting Sands patch is no different from the original game. The two-dimensional visuals consist mainly of maps and statistical screens. It doesn't look very good, but it does the job done - it gives the players the information they need to make decisions.

It is worth noting, that although the patch was released in the form of a stand-alone game, it is also possible to buy it in the form of a set of missions for Command: Modern Air/Naval Operations.

Last updated on May 14, 2020