Battlefield Vietnam Review (PC) By owtlawz

8 / 10
24 May 2004 at 12:38

Review by: owtlawz

With a great selection of new vehicles, character classes, and maps, as well as an entertaining setting, online multiplayer shooter Battlefield Vietnam is a fitting follow-up to Battlefield 1942's enormous success. Although it sometimes feels more like a mod (a fan-made game variation) than a sequel, and it's not without its rough edges, fans will find its addictive blend of chaos and strategic combat as compelling as ever.

An enthralling mix of superficial realism and classic team-based vehicular combat, Battlefield 1942 was widely regarded as among the best games of 2002. Taking the same formula to a more modern conflict must have been an easy decision for its developers.

Although the rights and wrongs of the Vietnam conflict remain a sore spot for many, Digital Illusions hasn't felt the need to moralize. Beyond the loading screens for each map, which feature historical snippets and images from the war, Battlefield Vietnam is a sanitized, rose-tinted, Hollywood war. That's no bad thing for us gamers -- sitting in a muddy hole while getting shot at for two years wouldn't be much fun.

Having said that, Battlefield Vietnam's maps are loosely based on real conflicts. There are 13 in total, although two pairs take place on the same territory. The city-based maps, lacking tactical options and depth, feel too generic. However, the jungle and beach themed ones, complete with bunkers and rolling log traps, are straight out of Apocalypse Now or Platoon.

Tanks, Jeeps, and other ground vehicles control just as they did in BF1942. Helicopters are Vietnam's major addition to controllable vehicles, and offer a good selection of transport and attack loadouts. We were pleased to find the controls aren't anywhere near as difficult as Desert Combat's. Even complex maneuvers like hovering or strafing are within the grasp of anyone prepared to put in a little practice. Certain helicopters can also pick up various ground vehicles and boats.

Engineers have been greatly enhanced on both sides. Always a cool, oddball class, they're now capable of causing even more mayhem. Additions on the American side include a powerful one-use deployable mortar, mines, and explosives, while the Vietnamese forces now have access to different booby traps.

There are more options for ground-to-air troops, like the Vietnamese ZSU mobile anti-aircraft gun and a shoulder-launched heat-seeking SAM. The new U.S. assault class gets a powerful belt-fed machine gun and an anti-vehicle rocket launcher. Unfortunately, this lessens the value of the standard M16-armed soldier class. The little-used medic is gone altogether.

After a number of patches to improve the single-player AI, Battlefield 1942 actually made a passable single-player game. Sadly, Vietnam has taken a step back in this area. The bots are idiotic at lower levels, and gain robot-like accuracy -- rather than "intelligence" -- at higher levels. Consider this a multiplayer game only.

Special praise goes to Battlefield Vietnam's soundtrack. Few games have used music to ground their events so firmly in historical context. It's appropriate and delightful, featuring bands like Deep Purple, Jefferson Airplane, and Canned Heat, among others. Blasting Ride of the Valkyries from attack helicopters might be a cliché, but it would hardly be a Vietnam game without it.

On that note, there are some features we'd expect from a Vietnam game that this one omits. Although the game pays lip service to the famous -- and feared -- tunnels of the VC, there are no claustrophobic underground chambers and passageways. Perhaps engine limitations are the reason, but it's certainly a missed opportunity.

Some aspects of the game are also unrealistic and open to exploitation. An early favorite is lifting the heavily armed American respawn boat with a helicopter for a powerful airborne artillery unit. The slightly chaotic and unpredictable nature of Battlefield 1942 was always part of its charm, though, and it's good to see that tradition continued.

Lack of polish in a few areas is a concern. Vietnam is not without bugs, though we found none that could be considered serious. Loading times are even worse than 1942's extreme waits. If you're the type who likes to be among the first into a new map, you'd better have at least 1GB of RAM.

While the graphics engine is reportedly new, it looks much like the old one. On some maps you'd be hard pressed to say exactly what had changed. Areas of definite improvement are present, though, including the excellent vegetation and weapon models, which are among the best we've seen. Sounds are unremarkable, but the propaganda broadcasts that boom over American and VC bases are spine-chillingly atmospheric in certain situations.

In many aspects, Battlefield Vietnam is more like an expansion pack than a sequel. But if you buy it with those expectations, you're going to get a great deal of entertainment out of it. Pull off your first hot landing under VC fire with a squad of marines in the back, to the strains of Bobby Fuller's I Fought the Law, and you'll be hooked for months. Vietnam has never been this much fun.

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