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Battlefield Vietnam lets you play as US allied forces who are up against opposing Vietnamese forces. Combat is waged on foot, in jeeps, in tanks, and in attack choppers and fighter jets, meanwhile as the maps load you get to listen to some of the best protest rock of the era, a major plus in my music junky book. The four available character types include assault, sniper, anti-vehicle artillery, and mechanic (aka engineer). The assault character (your basic infantry type of soldier) is able to use most standard firearms. The sniper is able to tote around fewer weapons, but does have the sniper rifle, which can take down an enemy from a long distance. The anti-vehicle artillery soldier carries the big guns like the bazooka and the mechanic is a sort of jack of all trades. While able to use weapons, the mechanic’s main gig is repairing damaged vehicles. Being able to choose a character that fits your playing style is a great way for beginners to get into the action early on. Nearly everyone is good at one or the other in the beginning, so there is literally something for every player. An impressive aspect of the game is the highly realistic weaponry that you use in the missions. Each national group that you can choose from comes outfitted with their own unique firearms and explosives. Weapons in the game, from the knifes to the machine guns, are detailed to an impressive level. Weapons bob and move along with your stride and even small things like the little metal loops that some guns have move and shake around depending on how you’re moving.
Besides the traditional combat weapons, (and one of the most appealing aspects of the previous Battlefield 1942 to some people) throughout the game, you can drive every vehicle that you come across. While speedy, the Jeep doesn’t offer up much in the way of armor or firepower, so sometimes you’ll really need to bust out the big guns. They come in the form of tanks, armed with machine guns and a massive turret. Tanks are perhaps the ideal way to get around while on the ground and with their thick armor, they usually guarantee that you’ll be giving your enemy a hard time. Of course if ground based vehicles are not your cup of tea, you can also take to the sky and the water. In the air, you can pilot a number of different jets as well as helicopters. While the controls of the helicopters do take a little getting used to at first, they seem to be much easier to pilot than in the Desert Combat mod for 1942. Lastly, in maps that include a lot of water, boats prove to be very handy in getting around. While Vietnam does feature a lot of realistic weapon sounds and vehicle noises, the real wonder of the sound comes in the form of music and sound clips taken from news announcements from the Vietnam era. Along with tracks from some of the great music artists of the time like Jefferson Airplane and CCR, the game has several sound clips taken from the Vietnam era. It’s quite an experience starting up a game and hearing a charming Vietnamese anti-US propaganda monger chime in and try to lower my morale.
Personally, I came away from the experience pretty happy. Thanks in part to the overall sense of realism in the game. It’s a mix of the do or die quality about the game, and the great soundtrack that makes it so appealing. Running through the jungle trying to scope out an enemy only to have yourself get hit suddenly by a sniper who had just been waiting for you to get close enough is both frustrating and exhilarating. With so many vehicles to try out as well, Battlefield Vietnam should be on the “have to get” list of every Battlefield fan out there, as well as a good starting off point for newcomers. |
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Publisher:
Electronic Arts
