A great Nam game and the best 3rd person Nam Shooter.Frustrating and annoying in parts yes but the overall game rocks.
The version which I played was not patched up to 1.1 which is available and which I would recommend to download (it's around 10 MB and is available from Gamespot.)
Download and install first as a retro installation will wipe any saved games.
Gamespot got this completely wrong and I'll explain why. Firstly to answer to the phrase 'its a solidly average game whose few original ideas are compromised by screwy controls, some pacing problems, and a punishing save/game system'.
Some elements are true but not all and not the way they make out.
1. Line of Sight Vietnam was released in 2003 and plays similar to Conflict. Conflict clearly borrowed elements of gameplay and ideas from Line of Sight so Conflict could not be described as original.
2. Vietcong was also released in 2003 and can be described as a tactical shooter but not its major asset.
3. Screwy controls, well I used the manual textbook ones and didn't change any and they worked fine for me. Like any game you can customise controls to suit your own needs and preference.
4. The save system is ridiculous but can be fixed.
5. I don't really know what is meant by a pacing problem unless it means how the levels and the lack of saves don't add up.
I normally play games on Hard but the saving in this game was too tortuous to play through, definitely install and use the Agent Orange cheat. I don't really consider this cheating as Elite Warriors Vietnam has an infinite save type system and in these games this save system is well used and effective also.
On the main menu screen where you load the game and that hold down LEFT SHIFT and type in while holding down left shift agentorange
You will hear a drum roll type of thing. Go to options and there you will see a new menu which you can enable unlimited saves as well as other goodies if you want.
The cutscenes in Conflict Vietnam are probably the best I have seen in any NAM game and resemble not too dissimilar to those of Shellshock Nam 67 and Vietcong 2.
Now for the review.
Conflict Vietnam is a third person shooter set during the TET offensive during the Vietnam War. You are choppered in to your initial Base Camp called Ghost Town on the eve of the TET Offensive Jan 30 th 1968.
As per usual you play as a Cherry (Pvt Harold Kahler) and in this case this is your nickname throughout the game (later it changes to Doc; guess the Nam must have popped his Cherry eh!!!). However you can switch between 3 other characters and this is where the tactical fun part comes in. The squad consists of a medic (Cherry) a heavy marine gunner gunner ( Hoss) a sniper ( Junior) and a sergeant called Ragman.
Each specialist as you can tell has its own skill and ability and switching between marines and utilising their abilities is one of the keys to survival.
Ragman is the Veteran of the bunch and the leader and is the best all rounder of the group. During cutscenes he issues the orders and keeps his troops in line. In line yes that's right. A certain amount of racial friction is seen between two polar opposite characters Hoss a 'good old farmboy from the South' and Junior a shortimer African American who just wants to get out of Nam ASAP.
Conflict consists of 14 quite long missions which encompass all aspects of a good Vietnam game. The usual humping the Boonies , Patrol Boat River mission, stealth stage, Huey ride,POW rescue ( with a difference), urban conflict stage, defend the base etc. I have decided to explain a different aspect of gameplay and different odds and ends with each mission.
Ghost Town: Jan 25th 1968 I don't know why this is called this but it is basically your base in Nam (although not an awful lot of time is spent.)
You fly in as Cherry and pick up your weapon and try out the controls. You can have the usual shooting the breeze type conversations with fellow marines. White rabbit can be heard in the background (one of my favourites from this era). A quite detailed base camp and surprisingly large also. Good use of colour also which is one of the best aspects of Conflict Vietnam. You meet the rest of the squad and learn basic controls.
Tip: Become very familiar with Ghost Town as it forms mission 3.
Rumble in the Jungle: The game begins. A humping the Boonies mission and a good introduction to Conflict Vietnam. Search all areas as ammo caches can be found where you can try out some VC weapons. Beware of snipers on ledges and booby traps. Certain characters cannot use certain weapons i.e RPG'S . Eventually you come a VC friendly village. Beware of snipers and continue on. Use the map frequently to keep you on track and keep you aware of the mission objectives and bonus objectives.
These are little side missions which during normal gameplay can be completed anyway but are not essential to completing primary objectives. An unexpected Temple complex is happened upon and looks impressive going up the front stairs!!
Taking out gun turrets and AA guns are the meat of this game. Use those smoke grenades!!!
Tip: A good opportunity to try out different aspects of gameplay . Switch between characters and try out handing over ammo to others, how to heal others, covering other members, stances and skills of each specialist of the squad.
Tip: If one squad member is disarming booby traps switch to another.
By the end of this mission you should be familiar with all aspects of Conflict Vietnam.
TET Offensive: This is a typical defend the base mission. Very frustrating in parts especially the end. You man turrets and repel NVA trying to gain access to the base camp through the perimeter. Essentially you withdraw to The Alamo where you make your stand.
Something which I found very annoying about Conflict Vietnam and definitely its most unendearing feature is the constant need to replay sections. Basically due to the neverending waves of attacks from VC and NVA. The crux of this mission is to take out a T-34 TANK. The use of the Huey to take out targets you mark with yellow smoke is visually a treat to watch and very entertaining and satisfying when the mark is hit successfully.
Tip: I managed to take out the tank using yellow smoke and the Huey did the job!!!
Not my favourite mission.
Bad Moon: Rescuing members of a downed chopper team (Bravo), after you yourself are shot down is the main objective. A night mission in the jungle. Multiple booby traps and hidden VC everywhere. A particular difficult bridge crossing with a difficult gun nest and snipers abound. This is where team work comes in. Stealth, Junior and smoke will see you through. Collecting Dog Tags is a bonus objective but something very annoying. Because whenever you meet a marine he is beaten up, tied up and dies before you can do anything to help him.
A very neat section in this mission. You will come across some Gun Nest, take that out and continue into the caves. Have someone man the gun and when you hear gunfire you can switch back to the gun take control yourself to fend off attacking VC.
Then switch back and continue searching the caves for the marines and weapons also.
The last section can be difficult but again a bit of thought and you can get through. Lt Jefferson: have some one cover him, take out a sniper, pop smoke and Bob's your Uncle.
A difficult enough mission but enjoyable. Great cutscene also which helps explain the tention between Junior and Hoss.
HILL 933: It's not really an up the Hill type mission but rather a bunker complex infiltration and survive type mission.
D'ont procrastinate here and you should be fine.Cover your flank and check foxholes for goodies of you have time.Decent mission ans the lead up to the camp is great.Our first look at the tyoe of Tunnels Conflict has gone with.
Into the Fire: We are at Feb 2nd 1968. Basically you hear that this area will be Napalmed (I imagine they are using F-4's but can't get a great visual).
This involves returning back through the camp against the onslaught of random VC attacks and escaping become the boys "let it rain".
I found that throughout the game Junior is often the most vulnerable. Being a sniper does have its disadvantages. Often his skills are of limited use in a fire fight so sometimes equipping him with a pistol is the way the go.
Again a trek into the jungle and two particular tricky bits to complete the objective. A bridge crossing (with really good water effects) and several gun nests with a plethora of traps (tripwires and the notorious punji stakes). A nice mission overall which needs all members working at there best to rendezvous with the PBR.
Charlie's Point: Feb 3rd 1968. A welcome change from the wet green of Nam and a bit of duck hunting to break up gameplay.
PBR missions in Nam games tend to be short but not easy and this certainly follows the trends. The old"Apocalypse Now" creeps in finally. We meet the Captain of the boat a guy called Chief. One bonus objective which is difficult to achieve is the destruction of an NVA convoy. You simply haven't got enough time to successfully shoot all transports and fend off riverside attacks as well. I found this mission to be very difficult. The later stage especially.
Tip: Mines abound in this mission. Take them out ASAP. You need the health status of your boat at least ½ if not 2/3rds full at the city port part.
Again the use of aerial strikes by Huey's is great to see and the relief is palpable when finally you get to move on. A bit more sharpshooter and the end is nigh.
Interesting and a good move is that instead of just controlling the front turret of the ship's arsenal but you can switch to 4 different sides of the boat. Trust me you will need to do this in order to survive.
The second half of this mission I had to replay several times as the health of the boat wasn't high enough once I reached the Port. However this mission could be considered short but is still tricky.
Once again a death occurs this time of the poor old captain Chief who helped rescue us escape the VC.
The Sacred Statue: After the loss of Chief our boys Dock at a Montagnard/Jarai village. Chickens roaming around camp noted. I have a big issue here. Magically you are re-supplied. What's that about? Also as Junior comes off the boat he is clearly carrying a Mosin- Nagent rifle yet at the Village Chief's it an M-14 sniper. If you could use native weapons only until you ambushed VC and took their weapons it would make more sense. Having said that you are giving the CrossBow and finally are able to make stealth kills. A guide (Village Chief's daughter D'ione) is provided to convoy us to a Temple held in VC hands.
Stealth kills are very fun and using the Crossbow you will found it invaluable.
The use of foliage and hidden VC on high are two really great assets to the setting A mixture of stealth and search and destroy in this mission. The tension is palpable upon making a stealth kill.VC talking and muttering to themselves, whistling even a great touch. Stealth until you come to the Temple complex. Probably the best Temple in any Nam game I have played .The brilliant use of lighting, cobwebs, dark interiors, carvings on the wall and surprise VC attacks make this Temple come alive.
Unfortunately no flashlight is supplied or glow sticks but using automatic fire can illuminate the unseen. A bit of rough and tumble in the main temple complex and the mission will be all but be done. Returning back to the village isn't a stroll in the park.
Make it back and cue cutscene and the radio as a reward. Huey to the rescue.
Ist Air Cav: Feb 5th. .I hate this mission. Unfortunately this is par for the course in Nam games but the second to date here. Defend the base against VC and NVA. Again an indestructible marine leads you this time a Major. Dressed similar and sounding exactly like the surf mad Kilgore in Apocalypse now.
Not much here survive waves of attacks, escort the Major and eventually mission over. Grenades are our biggest foe here. Splitting up the team or not can either help you or hinder you. Whether to use the M-79 or stick to automatic fire? Well it depends on the situation. Bunkers pose a problem as the whole squad can be wiped out at one. Throwing grenades properly is crucial at the bunkers and the most effective weapon. Several ways to work here but beware of mortar rounds near the finale.
Russian Roulette: Feb 19th 1968. A disturbing cutscene and the death of Major Wallace our leader from Ist Air Cav. Despite out heroics at Air Cav our boys are held hostage at a VC camp and are forced to play Russian Roulette.
The Deerhunter makes it into a Nam game at last. My favourite mission in Conflict and brilliantly executed all round. The use of colour here once again adds aesthetics to the game. There are several ways to escape the camp. By that I mean there are several ways to covertly kill the VC guarding the camp. A nice touch I noticed was a pile of used cigarettes marking where a VC guard was on patrol. Brilliant the way that you switch between the POW'S and hear their thoughts. Old Hoss and his Southern pride and anger come out there. This mission is great and definitely captures that difficult Vietnam feel I long for in these games.
A new touch to the game. Vehicles. Similar to the use of vehicles in FARCRY. Of course this wouldn't be Conflict Vietnam if the road leading away from the camp wasn't covered in mines. Hop on, hop off a few times is the deal here. The first few VC you encounter have their backs to you and must be blind deaf and dumb not to hear you approaching. Enjoy the scenery along the way. Great ravines and lush hillside eye candy.
We encounter a fuel depot, transport hiding area. Destroy it, abandon the vehicle and continue on foot. Fight some VC and surprisingly we encounter some Australian Special Forces guys. Again fight some VC with their help and mission complete.
Tunnel Rats: This mission should really be called swamp rats. After meeting up with our Allied Aussie mates we are given to task to help them out and help us get out of this mess were in. It's good to see Australian Anzac involvement but I really hate the slang that goes with them. In the interlacing cutscene Junior once again kicks off what with him being a short timer and all. Junior and Hoss trade insults. Ragman keeps them in Check.
"That's the kicker Mate" "Rack off" "Tinnies and a Barbie".
Making it to the tunnels is the hardest part. Similar to the Swamp mission in Vietcong you first have to traverse a marsh, swamp, river bed area. Thankfully this takes place during the day, not at night like in Vietcong.
Cover and having a rearguard is the key to making it to the tunnels. Numerous gun nests and flanking VC will dog you on the trail. How come the VC here has so many rockets? Similar times the team was taken out by a RPG from nowhere.
I spotted a school of fish swimming around while fighting off some VC. Effects like this make all the difference to a game. In this mission I noticed that although my reticle could be positioned directly over an enemy no fire would hit him. Very annoying but thankfully it doesn't happen too much in the game as a whole.
The tunnels themselves. Well in my opinion The Underground City in Vietcong has set the benchmark in terms of tunnel atmosphere and feel. In third person games like in Line of Sight and Elite warriors Vietnam, Shellshock Nam 67, tunnels don't work so well. However these are probably the best of the rest. A good bunker command centre and use of a generator and a small infirmary are the highlights here. I don't know for sure if tunnels in Cu Chi or elsewhere had Catwalks in them. Destroy the ammo caches, place some C4 and onto the next mission.
Bloody Hue: 25th Feb 1968. You have to give credit to a Nam game that covers both Jungle and urban conflict. Badly missing in some games (Urban fighting I mean) so a change in scenery can be welcome. After the tunnels are blown a jeep appears and the boys are transported to Hue to try and regroup with the rest of the 101ST.
For me this mission featured the most annoying of objectives and I'll explain why.
The streets themselves are nicely rendered if missing vehicles on the road to provide cover. Also you can't access the second floor unlike the VC who make use of this with sniper and heavy calibre weapons.
The old T-34 tank is back and needs to be taken out. Smoke and grenades and RPG'S can do the trick. The next section for me was messed up. We meet up with some allies (other marines) and a defend the street against a wave of NVA scenario approaches.
However the wave is never-ending literally. I ran out of ammo for all squad members for all weapons and had to resort to using that crossbow thing. I replayed here ad nauseum and finally finished this section. Basically try and keep at least 3 of the marines alive when you reach this section. Hide on the commanding officers RT hand side. Use grenades and switch characters often and persevere and finally the NVA will back off and the fighting subsides.
The next section was enjoyable enough if a little tricky at first. You get command of a Sherman Tank. I hadn't driven one of these since Call of Duty 2 so it was great to actually take charge of one in a Nam game. The inscription on the tank reads THE BIG KAHUNA. It's good to see little things like that. Shows the boys making this game had a sense of humour I suppose. Short lived, too short lived for me. Those pesky VC and those RPG'S really wreck the tank ride. Other T-34'S are around here and unfortunately a one on one tank battle doesn't ensue.
Those tanks are very hard to take out I have seen several diagrams and numerous strategies to take out the 3 tanks here. Basically I got through but with some luck.
Really only two of the tanks need to gotten rid of though. But claymores don't seem to work on these tanks only RPG'S which need to be gotten off dead RPG wielding VC!!!
Survive one last wave of Charlie, a gun turret and onto a US camp. The Huey which comes for you seems to take an unusual long time to descend and pick you up.
Air Mobile: February 25th 1968 A nice break form all everything as this an on the rails type Huey ride. Quite similar to the PBR mission I found this very short and sweet but a hell of a lot easier than the boat ride.
Once again you can change gunning position by switching character. A nice touch is the visualisation of the ejected bullets as you crank out ammo. The foliage of the palm trees can be seen blocking some of the SAM'S that you have to take out.
Once you reach the LZ our pilot is shot by a tank yes that's right a tank. Cue next and final mission.
The Citadel: Feb 25th 1968: No name game set during the TET would be complete without a storm the citadel type mission. A difficult mission overall. Clearing the initial NVA tank took me a while but again there a several ways in which to destroy it.Into a rather usual vehicle ( the inscription reads ' Ho Chi Minhs Hearse" and off to the Castile as the French would say.
TIP: What works the best here is a John Wayne approach. Go Gung Ho for the Gate and don't look back. The inside of the citadel is a mess of VC and Guns and snipers.
Doesn't dilly dally too long in one area. Make full use of your arsenal and complete those bonus objectives.
I'll leave the rest to your imagination.
The Final Cutscene; without doubt that the best of any Nam game I have played.
White rabbit playing in the background truly adds to the elusive Nam feel. In a great change we get an idea of what happened to the boys after there time in Nam.Well worth all that agro and frustration for me in finally completing the game.
I noticed that Gamespot actually commented on the good cutscenes except they grudgingly referred to them as "not especially embarrassing".
Just one last thing before my conclusion.
Weapons: one of the games strong points but does take a bit of getting use to in changing inventory and characters. For example if you heal a member of your squad and don't change back to a weapon then the character you were playing will continue to hold a stupid med pack thing , even though they are under fire!!
I loved destroying things using Claymores so as not to leave anything useful to the VC when I moved on from an area. Beware of what fire rate you are using also.
The first person iron sights are poor.
In conclusion:
Probably the second best Nam game out there. Definitely the best 3rd person Vietnam PC game. Well presented and original in parts. A multiplayer aspect would have really helped increase the rating. Taxing, challenging, frustrating yes but attention too detail and that hard to achieve Nam feel makes ups for it. I would definitely recommend this game hands down.
On the last line of Erik Wolpaw flawed review he alludes to how we are still waiting for that definite Vietnam War shooter. I believe we have that PC game and it's called Vietcong PC.
Any questions or comments welcomed.
Thanks for reading