Battlefield Vietnam Review
By Alex Cavender
For those that don't know, Battlefield Vietnam was released on March 16th,
2004, was developed by Digital Illusions (DICE) and Published by EA Games.
In a sense, it is a sequel to Battlefield 1942, but the truth is that it is
the next installment in the series of 'Battlefield' games that Digital
Illusions and EA have created.
The armies featured in the game are: The North Vietnamese Army
(NVA), The Vietcong (VC) The Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) The
United States Army, The United States Marines Corps (USMC) and The U.S.
Special Forces; in this case, the Studies & Observations Group (MACV-SOG.)
Depending on the map that is played, the appropriate armies and their
respective weapons are used to add a level of authenticity to the game.
Players can also choose from a small assortment of headgear and skins for
their character.
Battlefield 1942 notoriously had a weak single player mode - but what it
lacked in single player it made up for in multiplayer. Digital Illusions
decided to scrap the idea of a 'campaign' mode this time around, in order to
optimize the other game play modes and the overall multiplayer experience.
For those of you without the internet; don't worry - all the standard maps
are available in single player instant action mode. Other small tweaks to
the game play include the removal of a Capture-the-Flag game type and the
inclusion of two new game types, Evolution and Custom Combat.
The new vehicles for the U.S. include the Patton and Sheridan Tanks, the F-4
Phantom Fighter jets, an assault and transport Huey Helicopter, and many
more
The vehicles for the NVA include the MiG-17 and MiG-21 Fighter jets, the
PT-76 tank and many, more.
One new very slick feature is the ability to blast Vietnam-Era music from
any vehicle in the game. Included music ranges from Creedence Clearwater
Revival to Jefferson Airplane. Plus, gamers can also drop their MP3's into a
folder and listen to whatever music they want.
Graphically, Battlefield Vietnam can almost be considered a complete
overhaul from Battlefield 1942, its predecessor. Lush foliage, impressive
particle effects, remarkable vehicle models and high-resolution textures are
all part of the package. One will no doubt notice the rust on their M-16 -
details like this make the game much more immersive. Another notable example
is when a helicopter is close to a grassy area, blades of grass can be seen
flying through the air. The water effects are impressive, considering the
size of the maps and the extra detail the developers at Digital Illusions
packed into the game.
Battlefield Vietnam has 14 original maps, ranging from the besieged base of
Khe Sahn to the streets of cities like Quang Tri and Hue. Fans of the film
'Apocalypse Now' will instantly recognize the Operation Irving map - the map
is taken straight from the beach assault scene in the film. At the time this
review was written, custom maps and map packs are being played all over
online servers; so expect a thriving mod community.
At release, Battlefield Vietnam suffers from a few technical problems,
mostly performance-related. One annoyance is that multiplayer games cannot
be sorted by ping, making it difficult to find the best servers. Expect the
current bugs to be fixed with a patch within a month or two. However,
Battlefield Vietnam is more than worth your money when it can be snagged for
only $35. Overall,I give it ****
