Conflict: Vietnam

The only weak point is the graphics, which seem a bit unpolished. Otherwise, Conflict: Vietnam is one mean mother tour of duty. [Nov 2004, p.90]

A polished enough game of soldiers that never quite manages to thrill. Technically better than other Conflict games but just doesn't gel as well. [Playstation 2 Max]

It’s the coolest Nam game of 2004.

There are some great elements and firefight sequences in Conflict: Vietnam but you just don’t see them enough. And when you do, it’s sometimes offset by other factors that ultimately mire Conflict: Vietnam’s better traits into gameplay quagmire. Instead of an exciting battle, you find yourself slogging through the game.

On its own, it's a good, solid action game with a compelling story, nonstop action, and a deep, dark jungle atmosphere that's easy to get lost in. [Nov 2004, p.121]

The action does get intense, and if anything else, having to keep your eye on your comrades in a way highlights the grim fight for survival and tight-knit nature that all soldiers need in battle. [Oct 2004, p.129]

Delivers the atmosphere and provides a well-presented version of the war, but fails on the implementation. The whole thing has the feel of a PC game that was crammed onto consoles with little thought for what that would mean.

The game's got an intense story, great music, and solid voice acting; but problems like poor controls, frustrating gameplay, and a general lack of polish keep the game from earning a gaming medal of honor.

It's a solidly average game whose few original ideas are compromised by screwy controls, some pacing problems, and a punishing save-game system.

Unfortunately, figuring out how to work the controller is absolutely infuriating, meaning you go into firefights against stealthy Charlie with no knowledge of your environment, opponent, or weapon.

Given your dim-witted team mates and the haphazard aiming, you're going to die quite often (mostly because of incoming grenades), and replaying such huge chunks of the levels is really frustrating.

It is the clichéd choice of music played on the camp radio that makes you wonder whether it is worth delving deeper into this game: Paint it Black, yes we’ve seen Tour of Duty; Nowhere to Run — yup, we watched Good Morning, Vietnam, too.

If only the targetting system weren't so imprecise and the enemies weren't so overly hidden and prone to outmoded respawn, the fine level design and entertaining scenarios could have commanded much stronger impact. [Nov 2004, p.76]

Fight the war with friends instead: Co-op mode minimizes casualties and lets the otherwise captivating "oh sh***!" moments shine. [Dec 2004, p.156]

Another problem comes in how Conflict: Vietnam handles aiming. Whenever I drew my weapon in first-person view, a bulky rifle sight popped up and took over a good chunk of my screen. Making matters worse, the sight proved to be completely ineffective.

The mediocre graphics do an adequate job of rendering believable jungle environments, but the unattractive artistic style tends to jar with the hardboiled atmosphere. [Dec 2004, p.114]

Squeezing the Desert Storm games into the currently fashionable Vietnam setting was a mistake. Open landscapes are replaced by claustrophobic jungle, eliminating tactical freedom. Players edge along narrow paths, progressing from one firefight to the next.

The pacing, thanks to a combination of necessary haste and the weakness of your divided squad members, feels more akin to a corridor shooter; there’s a constant sensation of feeling harried and hemmed in. [Oct 2004, p.107]

Part of the feeling of powerlessness comes from the awful controls. [Nov 2004, p.120]

Despite Conflict Vietnam’s faithful, regurgitated depiction of the reality of war in Vietnam, the mechanics of the game are far too poor to make it recommendable to any but the most hardcore fans of gritty war games.

Switching from an open threat such as the desert to the enclosed dangers of the Vietnamese jungle has caused Conflict: Vietnam to effectively cut out much of the need for having a squad in the first place; instead of having more freedom and creativity in taking down your enemies, your team become more like fish trapped in a jungle-shaped barrel. [Oct 2004, p.108]

If you want trigger-happy jungle thrills, go back and play the couple of jungle levels in "SOCOM II" with some of your own '60s music blaring in the background. That's much better.