Whether you were for or against the American involvement in Vietnam, there's no way you should deploy this below-average shooter on your PC. It seems that for every good point Vietcong has going for it, there is a bad counterpoint right around the corner to offset it.
The idea of a 1st person shooter within the foliage of America's only "lost" war is a great concept, and one that could be as effective at immersing the player in the wartime fiasco as any movie, but it is also a concept that we'll have to wait for the upcoming Men of Valor to get right. Vietcong has a strong premise in its favor, but not much else. Beginning with the tutorial, you know you're in for something only middling-to-fair when, right off the bat, your character is tutored in the ways of the soldier by a drill instructor with the worst "redneck-style" voice ever. This sets the standard for the rest of the game, as almost every character is cheesy and hilarious in tone. Given the subject matter, I doubt this was an intentional design choice. Luckily, the music does help to undo some of the damage caused by the laughable voice work, incorporating various popular music tunes from the 60s that helped define the decade. If only this level of detail had been applied to the game as a whole, Vietcong would have turned out better.
As it is though, the music is the only place where the game's presentation shines. Aside from the lackluster voiceovers, Vietcong's visuals leave a lot to be desired. Structures within the environment, such as bushes and the like, look decent, but the textures that comprise the environment – such as buildings, skies, and the grass – look rushed and sloppy. Vietcong looks only slightly better than Half Life with the update that came with Blue Shift, and nowhere near as good as the historical FPS genre's current champion, MOH Allied Assault.
With all the neglect in the presentation department, one may reasonably hope that the gameplay was heavily focused upon, in order to divert attention from the sad state of the game's Audio/Visual components. This is not the case. As mediocre as Vietcong looks and sounds, the gameplay is even more so. Rather than the fast paced firefights of MOH, most of your tour of duty with Vietcong is spent using the sloppy manual aim zoom function, attempting to stay crouched/prone in the meantime to evade the most accurate enemy AI this side of Soldier of Fortune 2's grenadiers, who threw seemingly invisible bombs of instant death right into your lap. At least in that game, you could see the enemies. In Vietcong, many of your foes are snipers, and while this provides for a fairly accurate depiction of the war, it certainly doesn't make for any fun. It's not nearly as bad as Line of Sight, but that doesn't make it fun. To add insult to injury, Vietcong's multiplayer mode is heavily outflanked and outgunned by almost any FPS on the market, partially to its lack of options, but mainly due to the fact that the frame rate, in both single-player and netplay, is similar to old people having sex – slow and sloppy. War may be hell, but this game is just a bore.
-George
Company Line
You forge ahead through the thick, oppressive heat. Your erratic heartbeat and amplified breaths are all that escape the hostile stillness. Sweat beads down your face as an all too familiar vibration breaks your concentration. You turn to face the threat while the rookie lays down a wild burst of gunfire into the trees up ahead. The jungle explodes into a fiery deathtrap with roars from automatic weapons interrupting the incoherent shouts from your men. Spin, aim, shoot, duck, dodge, fire. Your actions form a dance as rapid explosions create a giant fireball of destruction. And then, as quickly as the chaos sprang to life, it departs, slipping away into the darkness. A downpour ensues, quelling the raging jungle, setting things right once again. But there's no time to rest. This is a war, and you've got a job to do.
Features
Experience the danger, fear, and unpredictability of lethal jungle warfare against a cunning enemy in Vietcong, a first-person action shooter set during the infamous conflict in Southeast Asia! Command expertly trained members of the U.S. Special Forces on critical missions through dangerous territories! You are the leader of one of the finest fighting forces ever assembled. It's time to show the world what you're made of.
Stalk your enemy with an elite force of specially trained soldiers!
Fight for honor and freedom in over 20 dramatic missions!
Strike from the shadows with more than 20 deadly weapons!
Infiltrate dangerous underground lairs containing miles of elaborate tunnels!
Conquer your fears in the realistic environments of a lethal and vengeful war zone!
Save your skin with timely radio communication to call in air strikes, request evacs, and receive accurate intel!
Race across hazardous terrain in jeeps, trucks, and riverboats!
Stay alert or your next step could trigger one of over a dozen terrifying traps!
Enter a killing zone as either U.S. or VC soldiers in heart-stopping multiplayer action!
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