E3 06: Whirlwind of Vietnam: UH-1 Impressions

LOS ANGELES--It has been a while since there was a really decent helicopter simulation, but 1C and developer G5 Software look to reclaim the crown with Whirlwind of Vietnam: UH-1, their sim based on the venerable UH-1 chopper that first saw heavy service in Vietnam. As the name implies, the game takes place in the rice paddies and jungles of southern Asian during a certain police action of the '60s and '70s. Specifically, the game covers the events of the Ia Drang Valley in November of 1965, near the outset of the war.

Since 1C is going for a hardcore simulation-oriented audience, at least in part, you can expect a whole bunch of crazy features, like real-time gauges and readouts inside the cockpit that change as you fly your helicopter around, if you fly while staying in the cockpit view. There are also features like physics-based rotor blur and increased bend of your rotors, depending on how fast the rotors are spinning. Luckily, there are plenty of sliders you can use to tweak the game to your liking, so if you don't want to have a difficult pure simulation, you can make adjustments to have easier flight controls or decreased damage.

Graphically, the game is looking fairly impressive, with jungles full of individually rendered trees, real-time shadows, and great-looking water. Most of the man-made environmental features are destructible, as well, such as water and buildings.

The gameplay in Whirlwind is one of its selling points. Although you take on the role of an attack chopper, you can flip between the pilot's seat or any of the other stations as you like. The copilot is responsible for firing the main guns and the missiles, while the door gunners can independently aim miniguns at ground targets. Interestingly enough, you won't ever be acting on your own in Whirlwind; instead, you'll always be accompanied by other choppers of the Air Cavalry, including medical choppers and troop transports.

From what we've seen, Whirlwind of Vietnam is looking like it should be a worthwhile simulation for fans of flight sims or helicopter games. You'll know soon enough, though, since it's set for release later this year.