Battlefield Vietnam Preview

One of our guilty little passions here at the office (apart from tying our editor Petrodon to the chair and injecting him with chlorpromazine) is playing long and intense "Conquest" matches in Battlefield 1942. After two successful expansion packs, Road to Rome and Secret Weapons of World War II, the folks over at DICE are expanding the franchise to the frantic scenery of the Vietnam War, which stretched throughout 1950 to 1975. Unsurprisingly, the game covers the period when the US involvement was at its height. Centering the gameplay on arcade-style action, DICE remains determined to deliver another exciting multiplayer shooter. Certain key elements from the original will be making a welcomed comeback, in order to keep things close to the huge Battlefield 1942 fan community. Our previous coverage of the game will give you a pretty clear picture of what to expect in the game in terms of weaponry, vehicles, and similar features. Since EA and DICE recently showcased the latest build of the game, we would like to take this opportunity to walk you through some of the uncovered maps and gameplay intricacies.

AK-47's ain't gonna help you now VC!

Touching down in a hot LZ!

Three maps, each presented in Conquest mode, have been revealed so far, the first, called 'Operation Game Warden' is a wide water-based map where players operate speedboats. The next is 'Ho Chi Minh Trail', a thick jungle map with mostly tanks and jeeps, and 'Flaming Dart' where skies are crammed with Huey choppers and F-4 Phantom fighter jets. Operation Game Warden is one of the trickiest maps tested. All flag points are placed on small islands that are scattered across the Mekong Delta. Players who find themselves on foot can only get across by swimming or by using long narrow gangways to cross. Of course, using those is a quick way to cross the river, but turns you into easy prey for enemy sharpshooters. Whichever path you choose, you better be quick about it, your safest bet once you reach the islands, is to find cover in the shrubbery and hope someone doesn't nap the area (as in drop napalm bombs - Ed.) and torch your ass outta there. If you manage to survive, it will be possible to snatch a PBR - a versatile river patrol boat equipped with a dual .50 cal turret on deck, which can be manned at any time to provide cover for troops. Those who make it to the airfield can also take a crack at maneuvering the Huey helicopters. Once you're in the pilot seat, you can use the forward and backward keys to move the craft up and down, while using the mouse to move the chopper sideways. These controls might require a bit of practice before you head off into the combat zone with a fully-boarded chopper. Newbies, in particular, are going to need some extra time with this, whereas anyone who got a chance to play Desert Storm should be able to master everything quickly (the system is quite similar).

The Flaming Dart map gives you a chance to fly in Huey and Chinook combat-ready helicopters and the powerful and swift F-4 Phantom fighter jets. Now I cannot speak for all of us here at Action Trip, but I'm pretty sure my piloting skills won't be able to master this one. I remember having difficulties flying one of them slow-moving B-17's... so I can imagine my success with handling jets. In any case, the F-4 Phantom is supposedly the fastest aircraft ever included in a Battlefield title, allowing you to cover a great deal of the map in a matter of seconds. They also pack some heavy firepower, so you better watch your aim before you unleash hell on unsuspecting ground targets.

Not all maps are about choppers, jets, and napalm. The Ho Chi Minh Trail map, for instance, requires players to survive as they pass along through the dense brush, high grass, and many trees. At the center of this map is a temple, which is where most of the action takes place - it'll be a blast especially in 16 vs. 16 player matches. Apart from tanks, you'll also be able to mount cannons to improve defensive support. The landscape was clearly well-designed to make the most out of your available firearms. For example, if you prefer hiding in the high grass, your best choice is to pick a good sniping spot. Your M16 might also be put to good use. A portion of the area has hills and mounds that can be used as excellent ambush spots by M16-wielding characters. You just go prone, wait until you catch sight of your prey, and then let her rip at pointblank range.

Although there are many innovative moments to be found in the gameplay, Battlefield Vietnam upholds an atmosphere due to which you'll still have an impression of playing a classic Battlefield match. Generally, we feel that experienced gamers won't have any problems getting use to the game and will most likely find some of the new improvements gratifying. The basics of the intuitive interface and map system have been preserved, but were also perfected to go along with game's new setting and new features. For starters, the mini-map indicates when enemies are attacking your positions; instead of having to run from checkpoint to checkpoint, verifying if your opponents are nearby, you are immediately notified of their whereabouts - which adds some overall improvements to the conquest mode.

Sense of realism is also a crucial part of the whole experience. Each map was designed carefully in accordance with the harsh environments of Vietnam, which means you'll mostly be heading through regions clogged with rich wildlife. But that's not all. The experience gets even more genuine when you listen to approaching choppers as they play popular tunes aloud. Once you're in a vehicle (any vehicle) by pressing "0" you may play one of the 12 available songs. Some of licensed hits include Jefferson Airplane's "Somebody to Love," Edwin Starr's "War," "Surfin' Bird," "Wild Thing," Canned Heat's "On The Road Again," CCR's "Fortunate Son," and more. What's even better is that players will be allowed to input their own MP3 files and turn the volume up as they fly across the jungles and swaps of Vietnam.