Modern Combat: Sandstorm
| Industry | Video game development |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1999 |
| Headquarters | Montreal , Canada |
| Parent | Gameloft |
Modern Combat: Sandstorm is a first-person shooter launched in 2009 by Gameloft Montreal and distributed by Gameloft for platforms including Android, iOS, webOS, and Bada. This title marks the inaugural entry in the Modern Combat franchise, succeeded by the 2010 release Modern Combat 2: Black Pegasus. The storyline unfolds in a Middle Eastern setting.
Gameplay
The gameplay of Sandstorm draws heavy inspiration from Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, offering ten diverse missions where players face off against terrorist forces, often alongside allied troops. Objectives revolve around tactical combat scenarios set in multiple environments.
Movement is controlled through an on-screen joystick, while aiming is handled by dragging across the touchscreen. Players utilize customizable virtual buttons to perform actions such as crouching, throwing grenades, aiming down sights, reloading, switching weapons, and firing.
On January 28, 2010, a complimentary update added online multiplayer capabilities to the game.
Plot
Chief Warrant Officer Mike "Chief" Warrens returns to active duty following an injury, joining his squad—Dozer, Ryan, Fox, and Captain Jones—in the Middle Eastern anti-terrorism campaign. After completing training exercises, they destroy a terrorist radio station and await extraction at a hotel. When their helicopter is shot down, they must defend the site until evacuation arrives via Humvee. The squad grows suspicious of a possible leak due to the enemy’s preparedness.
Next, they attempt to apprehend terrorist leader Abu Bahaa at a hospital. Chief and Dozer enter through the sewers but discover the hospital is booby-trapped and Bahaa is not present. They escape unharmed; however, Ryan is killed outside and Jones sustains injuries.
Following Jones’s recovery, the team assaults a dockyard where Bahaa is believed to be storing a nuclear weapon. They uncover a concealed underground base accessed through a shipping container. Chief finds the nuke but allows Bahaa to slip away in order to secure the weapon first. The squad chases Bahaa in a Humvee through tunnels and highways before overturning his vehicle.
At the crash scene, Jones betrays the team by killing Dozer and taking Fox hostage. Chief shoots Jones; Bahaa then attempts to detonate grenades to eliminate everyone. Fox sacrifices himself by pulling Bahaa down with him, saving Chief but dying in the blast.
Chief receives a promotion and is celebrated as a hero. Upon returning to the United States, he informs Fox’s widow of her husband’s sacrifice and valor.
Weapons
The arsenal in Modern Combat: Sandstorm includes multiple firearms such as two assault rifles—one designed for rapid fire and agility but with lower stopping power—alongside an SMG, shotgun, sniper rifle, and RPG. Weapons can be found within crates scattered throughout missions.
Available weapons consist of the M16A3, MP5A2, Remington M870 shotgun, AK-47, M24 sniper rifle, M249 light machine gun, and RPG-7.
High-definition version
An exclusive high-definition edition tailored for the iPad was released on March 31, 2010. This version offers refined controls and enhanced visuals optimized for the device’s larger display.
Reception
Following its launch, the iPhone edition was met with positive feedback as reflected by the review aggregator GameRankings.
Mark Bozon of IGN described it as "a title that challenges the hardware beyond what most users might anticipate [...] Sandstorm combines power with user-friendly touch controls, delivering greater value than its $6.99 price tag." 148Apps lauded the visuals, labeling them "the finest 3D graphics available on the iPhone," highlighting intricate textures and detailed character designs; however, they noted that the game's linear mission design restricted player freedom.
Dave Flodine from AppSpy viewed it as raising the bar for first-person shooters on iDevice platforms, emphasizing its effective control layout, compelling presentation, and substantial gameplay duration. Likewise, Jon Jordan of Pocket Gamer applauded Gameloft's innovative use of touch input to improve playability despite the iPhone's constraints. Chris Reed at Slide To Play referred to it as featuring "the most refined controls seen in an iPhone FPS," complimenting both the graphical fidelity and level diversity, all at a reasonable cost.
Eli Hodapp from TouchArcade characterized the game as "an outstanding release that elevates expectations for forthcoming iPhone FPS titles," particularly praising its excellent on-screen control scheme. Conversely, Matt Dunn of TouchGen offered a more critical perspective on the artificial intelligence and narrative, describing them as clichéd and uninspired, yet he acknowledged the sharp textures, impressive weapon models, and user-friendly controls.