Battlefield Vietnam

"A Challenging and Unique Game"

Battlefield Vietnam is, for the most part, a variation of the Battlefield 1942 game. But it is the differences that make this game unique.
First off, this game was not really meant for single-player. You can play that way if you want to, but its best use is practice for the online multiplayer mode. There isn't even a campaign mode for this game, like 1942's.

Gameplay - 10/10
This is where the Battlefield series really shines. The main objective of all the games is to drain your opponent's tickets, or points, from a set amount down to 0. Each death causes a ticket loss, but the main way to cause your opponents to lose tickets is to take over Objective Points. Once you have more than half, on most maps, then your opponent will lose tickets at a steady rate.
The actual fighting is great as well. There are four classes with two weapons variations of each class. Each side has snipers, regular soldiers, engineers, and heavy weapons soldiers. When firing, weapons are not 100% accurate, especially when moving, which causes your ''cone of fire'' to enlarge.
Vehicles are another part of gameplay, and all of them are fun and dangerous. Both sides have tanks, cars, boats, and aircraft. A new addition to the Battlefield series is the helicopter, which, while being hard to be good at, is still much easier to fly than those in some of the 1942 mods. Both sides are equal in terms of strength, though in some maps the U.S. Forces side will have air superiority. Tanks and cars handle easily, and the boats are not very difficult to handle.

Graphics - 9/10
The graphics in this game are very good, with everything having a distinct and clear look, even at a low detail level. The weapons and vehicles all seem quite realistic, and though I have not closely compared them with the weapons of the time, they seem to be accurate representations. There are four different soldier representations of each side, using two body types with two head types each, to provide some variety. One drawback to the jungle levels, however, is the tendency to have lag, even on higher-end systems.

Sound - 9/10
The soundtracks in the game are all of that time, or classic rock and roll. Twenty-something songs are included, such as ''I Fought the Law'', and there is the ability to put in your own music just by putting the mp3 file into the music folder. In the battle, the only place you will hear these songs is from the vehicles, all of which have a radio, apparently. The drawback to playing the music is that everyone around, friends and enemies, can hear the music you are playing. It is even possible to track a tank by following the music. However, there is one annoying part of this game that provoked me into giving a nine. In the city levels, there is a loudspeaker in several parts that are constantly playing propaganda, spoken by an Asian woman (nothing wrong with that) . One example (though maybe not and exact quote, it is similar to most of it) : ''Do you think they care, as they fly, while you die in the swamp, G.I.?'' Just gets annoying very quickly.

Replayability - 10/10
Very easy to get drawn back into, you will have fun blowing away friends and strangers again and again. Before long, mods will most likely be released as well.

Overall - 9/10
A great game, with few drawbacks. One that looks good, sounds good, and plays well. Have fun!

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 04/02/04