VietCong Review - PC Game Reviews

VietCong Review

Before you begin the single player campaign, you should try the training missions. You might be tempted to skip these if you’re familiar with FPS’s but it’s worth checking out thanks to a truly hard-nosed instructor who never fails to let you know just HOW bad he thinks you are. This sense of reality is carried forth into the single player campaign as well. You are a young U.S. Special Forces sergeant assigned to a base near the Cambodian border, close to the Ho Chi Minh Trail used by the North Vietnamese and Vietcong guerrillas for re-supply. First you fly to your base aboard a Huey helicopter. During the flight you meet the first of your team mates, the machine gunner Hornster. When you touch down, you get to explore the base and are sent on your first mission.

VietCong is a realistic shooter, which means you can’t run and gun. You have to take the time to aim properly if you want a kill. There is a wide range of weaponry available including the M16, AK-47 & the Dragunov sniper rifle, although you can only carry one handgun and main weapon at a time. The bodies of slain enemies can be searched for extra ammo, guns, med-kits etc. In certain missions, you have to lead a team of upto five soldiers into battle, each with his own speciality. The team can be controlled through a menu, using commands like 'Cover me', 'Hold here' or 'Attack'. The missions themselves are a mixed bag. Some feature nail-biting tension that perfectly captures the chaos of the battlefield, like when you are under attack by a sniper hidden in the hills. Others, like your raid into the underground tunnels, have repetitive scenery and irritating gameplay. The tunnel mission is one of the most frustrating levels I’ve ever played.


Between missions, you can practice at the shooting range or you can visit your bunker, where you can read your diary, listen to music or read information on the game’s weapons. Over a period of time, the contents in your bunker change. It’s these little touches that make the game rise above a standard shooter. Instead of just giving you enemies and weapons to kill them with, it creates an atmosphere which feels like home, ensuring that you actually want to return back to base alive.
The environments are realistic, with lush grass, rocks, bushes and trees that actually sway in the wind. They look (and sound) fantastic, especially at higher resolutions. The huge maps do take a toll on your system though, so make sure you have a powerful machine. Once you finish the single player campaign you can fight the good fight online, with the usual multiplayer deathmatch, capture the flag etc.


Unfortunately, the game has a LOT of bugs; it occasionally crashes to the desktop, certain scripted events fail to occur which stops the game in its tracks and at other times your allies get stuck in the jungle. Most of the bugs have been fixed by the latest patch so make sure to install it if you buy this game. If you still have problems, contact us. Despite its faults, this is a solid first person shooter. If you like realistic games then this should be part of your collection. As you creep through the green trees with your team, looking out for concealed enemies and praying to get out alive, you reach a level of reality that is rare indeed. It supplies plenty to keep you going, both in the single-player campaign and online.


HIGHS: Realistic Combat, Good Graphics
LOWS: Buggy, Some Frustrating Missions.
NUTSHELL: Solid FPS
Christof Rating: 87%