14 DAY TRIAL // 
I am usually reluctant to play games that depict episodes of the Vietnam War. For some peculiar reason, they are mediocre in all their aspects. And their mediocrity becomes unbearable once you learn their plot: a "great hero" bathing in the atrocities of the war decides to take matters in his hands and bring justice to this world by further getting some poor guys killed.
To be honest, I was pleased of not having to bear the misery of getting ensnared in the 2D branches of a so-called two-by-two jungle while beating the snot out of a retarded AI.
Story I think this is the first war-based FPS that has a compelling a story line with a fairly complex narration technique. The story is built upon three sources: by you (as military supervisor, Captain Daniel Boone), the broadcasting of a war journalist named Jim Davis, and the diary of Mai Van Minh, a NVA regular (actually a teenager that joined the Vietcong one day before the offensive began).
You will take part to the Tet Offensive from both sides: as Boone the professional soldier - always obeying orders, always able to discharge them, or as the fool Vietnamese teenager that never belong in this story. In the end, they will both agree that they were just some butterflies caught in the web of politics. For the poor boy - who, somehow, anticipated his fate - this revelation came too late.
There wiil be suficient situations in the game that favor the ideea that this war was just a consequence of political propaganda: a conflict not between two states, not for freedom or other human values, but one meant to feed the arogance of some.
Gameplay The stores are full of first person shooters that imagine the life of a soldier taking part in one of the WWII's battlefields (Medal of Honor, Brothers in Arms, Call of Duty). To be honest I have found all of them exciting - no matter their name - but I cannot help myself wondering what is wrong with this people (me being one of them)? Making a game that takes place in a large scale conflict may be understood as homage to those who died for us to have the opportunity to live a happy, free life. But finding pleasure - repeatedly - in such things may be a form of madness, if not worse.
Vietcong 2 may be understood from two points of view: another war-based shooter or one that tries to be a little more than that. If one plays a game for the thrill of it, in this case, not the event itself will put your blood in motion but the story - and how is it told - of the ones taking part in the event.
In terms of combat, Vietcong 2 is providing an urban warfare approach. Ignoring the fact that civilians will never be present - not even once - in the hot zones you will have to pass through, the game provides the player with almost every difficulty this kind of warfare involves.
The level design imitates fairly well some of the streets of Hue and the Royal Palace. There will be a lot of heights for the snipers, wide areas covered by machine-gun nests, narrow passages, and impossible corners and so on. And the AI is particularly good in using them to his advantage. Even on the easy difficulty setting you'll found your enemy a nut too hard to crack open. Fortunately, you are the only being in Hue who knows how to throw a grenade. Or, it could be that this very useful object is found as a great souvenir by all the others. Who knows? I hadn't time to ask.
By your side there will be a support squad formed of an engineer (who carries seemingly unlimited ammo) and a medic (who can save you from the brink of death explaining full of emphasis that you overreact to a mere scratch), a radioman and a gunner (who have the role of animating the view). Just three commands were assigned for them: "refill me", "heal me", and "go there", which means "kill every one in your way while using every cover possible". There is no motive to worry about them because they never die. To be honest, the game is of such nature that you'll always get pinned down. Your squad is perfect for storming the front enough for you to outflank your enemy. Funny thing is that you can kill any of your mates, and the consequence is losing the game. In terms of weaponry - I praise the designers for this - all the VIPs used back then (44 in total, not including those on vehicles) are present to delight our eyes, and - I must admit - I was fascinated by the way every single weapon acted and looked - fire power, precision, recoil, rate of fire, sound and so on.
In change, I was mad on the fact that it needs more than two rounds to kill any commie, and even more to kill a marine! In the HEAD! What is this, Quake 3? A single piece of led in anyone's belly or chest is enough to catch even Rambo in offside. Instead, any headshot you get means only one thing: reloading your last save.
Your inventory will support only one handgun, and a maximum of two assault weapons (RPGs, SMGs, Rifles, and such), a knife and up to 4 grenades. Another thing I've found annoying is that throwing and melee fighting were implemented as weapons, not as types of attack. And about melee, was it so hard to make possible an attack with the butt of your rifle, or with a bayonet? I found myself many times face to face with Viets reloading their guns and unable to do anything about it because equipping my knife takes a century.
There are some vehicles in the game (tanks, JPs, lorries, boats, even Caddylacks), but you won't be able to drive a single one (this option is reserved for multiplayer); you will have to satisfy with their MGs. Their only advantage is their fire power, as for cover, you are a sitting duck. There is one moment in the game, when a kamikaze charges into a tank. It really felt like urban chaos.
As for the jungle, it takes three hours of playing as a Vietcong sergeant. Think that it is as cramped as the time needed to cross it all. It is like this: a forest path, a small village, an ambush of a military convoy, an assault over a fortified hill near Hue, and then back into town: a cemetery near a church and the final onslaught. Without fighting, it represents a 10 minutes stroll.
Concept This is not a plain "want-to-be" historical FPS. The story is mostly focused on the characters (though it could have had a much more intimate approach); the war itself represents just a projection of their minds. Otherwise it brings nothing unseen. I'll indulge myself and add that titles like "Call of Duty II" and the series "Brothers in Arms" are very far ahead.
Video The engine is custom made by Pterodon. From my point of view it is a little old for 2005. There is an antialiasing option there, but it does not help too much. Although the textures look fine, they suffer of shortsightedness (a little anisotropic filtering would have done the trick). It is really awful not to be able to distinguish anything at great distances: spotting a sniper, silencing a MG, or gunning before is to late a RPG is something next to impossible. It is not right to find yourself sticking your head into the screen in a desperate attempt to spot a guy that is just a few yards away from you!
Another pesky thing is that textures bind together too obvious. Many of my targets revealed their position because they mixed with the object (wall, crate) they used for cover.
And this is not all, the clumsiness of the characters is hilarious, the effect of the grenades is anemic, and the dynamic lighting needs improvement - your muzzle flash barely projects some light around. Because of these shortcomings the somewhat nice effects of the blur produced by explosions, firing your weapon, or when you are shot at, the rag doll physics, and the overall design of the weapons barely caught my eye.
Sound I particularly enjoyed the soundtrack in the main menu because it reproduces the late 60's hard rock motifs. Also, there are some dramatic moments in the game accompanied by some very expressive sound-themes. The overall sound impression is a good one (supports EAX). But I wonder if a man can really hear his flesh being ripped by bullets the way it happens here.
Multiplayer You can join battles with up to 64 people online, or play missions in cooperative mode in LAN games. Maybe this option will provide the game with some replay value.
Conclusion I am convinced that Pterodon and Illussion Softworks put a lot of heart for this project, but there is a lot of space left for improvements. I have enjoyed playing Vietcong 2, but I must admit that I am a very indulgent gamer.
Historic Information on the Tet Offensive Hue is a former capital city of Vietnam. Hue originally rose to prominence as the capital of the Nguyen family, a feudal dynasty which dominated much of (then) southern Vietnam. In 1802, Nguyen-Phec Anh (later Emperor Gia Long) succeeded in establishing his control over the whole of Vietnam, thereby making Hue the national capital. It retained this status until 1945, when Emperor Bao Dại abdicated and a Communist government was established in Hanoi, in the north. While Bao Dai was briefly proclaimed "Head of State" again in 1949 (although not with recognition from the Communists), his new capital was Saigon, in the south. Now, it is the capital city of Thua Thien-Hue province. In the Vietnam War (1961 - 1975), Hue's central position placed it very near the border between North Vietnam and South Vietnam. The city was located in the South. In the Tet Offensive, the city suffered considerable damage as well as the now infamous "massacre at Hue".
Tet Nguyen Dan, more commonly known as "Tet", is the most important holiday in Vietnam. It is the Vietnamese New Year which is based on the Chinese calendar, a lunisolar calendar. Tet is celebrated on the same day as Chinese New Year (or the Spring Festival) and shares many of the same customs. It is celebrated from the first day of the first month of the Chinese calendar (around late January or early February) until at least the third day.
Vietnamese tradition held that the turning of the lunar year should bring auspicious signs and gladness of heart; thus it had become customary for both sides to observe a truce during the holiday's celebrations. In 1968, a thirty-six hour cease-fire had been agreed upon, to commence at midnight on January 30.
Centuries before, Vietnam had won a great victory in her running war with the Chinese by attacking their Hanoi garrison at the freight of the Tet observances. In 1968, the Communist led forces in Vietnam (National Front for the Liberation of Southern Vietnam/Viet Cong, and the Democratic Republic Of Vietnam/North Vietnamese Army) chose to create their own auspicious signs by repeating history.
A little after midnight on January 30, they assaulted the Nra Trang perimeter. All day long, from Quang Tri to Ca Mau, in a barrage of rockets and mortars, they attacked provincial capitals and divisional headquarters. No target was too formidable. They attacked Bien Hoa, Cam Ranh Bay, and even Tan Son Nhut. Vietcong and NVA (People's Army of Vietnam) soldiers were fighting in the streets of Hue, DaNang, and Saigon itself.
In a sense, the Tet battles of 1968 saw both sides fall victim to their own propaganda. When NVA divisions began converging around the combat base at Khe Sanh in early January, President Johnson worried about a "second Dien Bien Phu." MACV (Military Assistance Command, Vietnam) welcomed the prospect. According to his body-count scorekeeping, the enemy was on the ropes. Dien Bien Phu would be re-fought and he would win it. He threw the bulk of his combat maneuverable into I Corps to engage NVA regulars. By the morning of January 31 "The Front" was outside his back window, F-100s were flying tactical air support over the streets of Saigon, and there were fire fights in progress on the U.S. Embassy lawn. The ARVN (Army of the Republic of Vietnam) had gone on holiday routine.
