Vietcong (2003)

 PC
User Score
8.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 126 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 108 out of 126
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 126
  3. Negative: 6 out of 126
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  1. CregA.
    Apr 5, 2003
    10
    Grrrrreeeat!
  2. HansH.
    May 5, 2003
    9
    Best FPS shooter I have played, ever. I like that's it's a bit more realistic than comparable games. Also, I much prefer the fighting in the jungle and open landscape to the dungeons, houses and subways of other games. MUCH better than Black Hawk down, also. Funny the game mags gave it mad marks while all who play it love it. Maybe the distributor doesn'T buy anough ads to Best FPS shooter I have played, ever. I like that's it's a bit more realistic than comparable games. Also, I much prefer the fighting in the jungle and open landscape to the dungeons, houses and subways of other games. MUCH better than Black Hawk down, also. Funny the game mags gave it mad marks while all who play it love it. Maybe the distributor doesn'T buy anough ads to please the game mags.… Expand
  3. YuchenZ.
    Apr 3, 2003
    8
    Really good game, not the best, but not the worst. Graphics aren't that good but it's not the graphics that count.
  4. RyotaA
    Jan 21, 2010
    10
    Single player has one of the best campaign experience ever. Weapons are unique respectively . the story is rich as good war movie out there, but not overly-dramatic like those ordinal WW2 shooters. Various locations drawn/built in fine detail. Perfect shooting balance between realistic shooter and arcade action. Truly a masterpiece.
  5. [Anonymous]
    Aug 31, 2004
    10
    I love it.
  6. Schadov
    Aug 9, 2004
    9
    Najlepszy fps jaki widzia³em w ¿yciu a widzia³em wiele - nie dam 10 poniewa¿ mam nadzieje ¿e doczekam siê jeszcze lepszych gierek (np. vietcong 2, ... )
  7. TomR.
    Apr 24, 2003
    9
    This game is cool. It's attention to detail is unsurpassed. The fire fight feels real and the virtual battlefied is huge! w/lots of blood and boobies...its a must have for 1st person shooter enthusiasts...
  8. ElPitooo
    Feb 5, 2015
    9
    For me this game is best FPS i ever played. Story is not epic like in modern Call of Duty games, but in this case its less is sometimes more, characters are very well written with own character, which sometimes say some funny quotes, graphics for that in which is this game made is great, especialy characters looks great and voice acting (especialy in czech version) is really good, alsoFor me this game is best FPS i ever played. Story is not epic like in modern Call of Duty games, but in this case its less is sometimes more, characters are very well written with own character, which sometimes say some funny quotes, graphics for that in which is this game made is great, especialy characters looks great and voice acting (especialy in czech version) is really good, also sounds are great especially when you going through jungle, so this deserves any good review.… Expand
  9. Arbiter61
    Sep 16, 2017
    10
    Much like the war that inspired the game, Vietcong in many ways, marked the end of an era in the FPS genre. Before and after the time period this game was released, we saw dramatic changes in the way games were designed, giving over to the commercial need for mass appeal, and doing away with the more savage past of gaming, demanding more skill, patience and strategic thinking from itsMuch like the war that inspired the game, Vietcong in many ways, marked the end of an era in the FPS genre. Before and after the time period this game was released, we saw dramatic changes in the way games were designed, giving over to the commercial need for mass appeal, and doing away with the more savage past of gaming, demanding more skill, patience and strategic thinking from its players.

    Modern games, like the Call of Duty and Battlefield franchises, showed that it was commercially in the FPS genre's best interest to add in things like radars, enemy names appearing over their heads, and larger health bars to make deaths less likely to occur. Vietcong will give you none of these things. Because soldiers in Vietnam didn't have them either.

    Instead, players had to be smart. They had immersive environments, brush that could hide snipers, dead trees to use for cover as impromptu machine gun nests, and high mountains that could hide lethal snipers capable of killing you with a single well-placed shot. This game, simply put, was too terrifying for most people to enjoy.

    A few of us could handle it. We had the ability to thrive in an environment where superior wits, strategy, and reflexes meant *everything* in your ability to win the day. So with that I explain it thusly: If you think Vietcong is anything besides one of the FPS genre's most important titles, it's because you were terrible at it. That's not the games fault, so you can keep your 5.0-7.5 ratings. That is only a reflection of your own skill level here.

    Lets look at what the game offered, relative to its time, and its lasting impact. Vietcong was innovative for its day, offering things like weapon 'kick' that previously was only displayed in games like Doom or Duke Nukem as a visual effect. In Vietcong, unlike just about any game before it, the player now had to keep their controls from going haywire when firing automatic weapons.

    Additionally, the game had as previously stated, placed a significant emphasis on terrain and its use. Players trying to 'run and gun' would most likely be instantly cut down by those willing to be a bit more cautious in their movements. This detail, perhaps above all others, may be why so many people were unwilling to give this game a real chance.

    Binoculars, maps, and real survival skills: You were given the first two, the second part was up to you to learn. The game was based in a simpler time for soldiers, and those limitations became one of the most exciting components of the game, especially if you are a fan of history. By learning how soldiers of the day fought, you realized the challenges the real men faced, if only in the smallest of ways. Other games have been based on this era, but none of them captured the fear and intensity so brutally. Learning to use binoculars to see your path ahead, and clear it of snipers, was an exciting challenge, and not knowing where you were, except by piecing it together using your map and your surroundings as a guide, made things even more tricky. Again, this game is meant to be an experience of man against nature, and in this way, it is a masterpiece.

    Lastly, the game's legacy. Sadly, as incredible as the game was, its sequel utterly failed to capture what was amazing about the original. Perhaps sensing a need to update to keep pace with recent and far different releases like Unreal Tournament, Vietcong 2 found itself quickly dropped into obscurity. That failure ultimately caused the company who designed this game to go under, denying future audiences a chance at seeing a new release worthy of the name.

    However, as long as I live (and game) I will continue to measure *all* FPS games against the standard of Vietcong. With so many modern games focused on appeasing low skill players (to maintain higher income levels), I will continue to find them inevitably more disappointing than games which demanded more of their players. If you ever have an opportunity to get a group of players together, I highly recommend taking the time not just to play the story of Vietcong (which was chock full of great characters, and big scares!) but to master the nuance of the fighting styles required to survive in it.

    After learning this game, no other shooter will ever feel like a challenge again.    … Expand
  10. herrmoekl
    Jun 9, 2015
    10
    This Game is one of my All-time Favorites! When it was released it perfectly aroused a dense and oppressive Jungle feeling. I have to admit that my rating probably has a small nostalgia bonus though.
  11. Marked_One
    Mar 29, 2017
    9
    A great, great game. The gunplay is good, the setting is good, the sounds are good and the stoy overall is decent. While there are a few bugs, I didn't meet any that broke the game in any way. The graphics might feel dated, but the game still doesn't fail to immerse you with it's good atmosphere. A good game overall.
  12. JuanX086
    Sep 10, 2019
    10
    Simply the best Vietnam war game ever release! Great atmosphere, level design and entertaining missions! Good work Pterodon Software!
  13. Izoeros
    Apr 26, 2022
    8
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  14. TripleBeam
    Sep 19, 2021
    10
    still the best FPS.
    this game let you know you are trash, get on the ground and follow orders.
    best gameplay and movement and cover system in any FPS. most difficult singleplayer shooter (vietcong difficulty) - balanced perfect too. best CQB missions ever best CQB AI ever, because improvement on existing tactical fps. most immersive FPS ever, no HUD. but most of all, greatest    still the best FPS.
    this game let you know you are trash, get on the ground and follow orders.
    best gameplay and movement and cover system in any FPS.
    most difficult singleplayer shooter (vietcong difficulty) - balanced perfect too.
    best CQB missions ever
    best CQB AI ever, because improvement on existing tactical fps.
    most immersive FPS ever, no HUD.
    but most of all, greatest multiplayer FPS ever, frfr.
    needs proper reboot, with better of above.    … Expand
  15. Vladthesecond
    May 7, 2020
    10
    Brilliant!
    I love the variety of guns.
    i love that i have my own team.
    I would really love if there would have been more games like this one.
  16. Gowron
    Aug 25, 2022
    10
    An amazing vietnam experience ! I would def recommend this to people who are looking for an older title to play
    And the immersion is really wonderful !
    Hands down the best single player experience regarding a vietnam game ive ever played

Awards & Rankings

89
#89 Best PC Game of 2003
48
#48 Most Discussed PC Game of 2003
51
#51 Most Shared PC Game of 2003

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
74

Mixed or average reviews - based on 22 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 22
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 22
  3. Negative: 0 out of 22
  1. Computer Games Magazine
    100
    One of its most remarkable accomplishments is the way gunfights play out like gunfights rather than shooting galleries. [July 2003, p.88]
  2. G4 TV
    60
    Excerpt forthcoming.
  3. Total Video Games
    80
    Vietcong strays down the path between arcade shooter and tactical war simulator perfectly, resulting in a game that you’ll find hard to put down.
    Read full review
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