Desert Strike: Return to the Gulf

Desert Strike: Return to the Gulf (1994) gives you one helicopter, a desert full of angry enemies, and more explosions than a summer blockbuster. It’s part shooter, part resource management, because while you’re raining down hellfire, you also need to refuel and rescue hostages. The isometric view makes it feel almost like piloting a toy chopper in a very violent sandbox, except the toys are armed insurgents who really don’t want you there. The gameplay loop is strangely addictive—blow stuff up, run out of missiles, scramble for supplies, repeat. It’s like a Saturday morning cartoon if Saturday morning cartoons came with political subtext and exploding oil refineries.