After a series of highly popular expansion packs
Battlefield Vietnam represents the first proper sequel to the blockbusting
Battlefield 1942. The set-up is pretty much the same as before in that you're cast as a basic infantryman, using standard first-person shoot-'em-up controls, but have the chance to commandeer and pilot any vehicle in the game. Since this new game is set in the Vietnam War that means 24 authentic-looking vehicles, including helicopters, jet fighters, patrol boats and tanks.
Battlefield Vietnam is largely an online game. There is a single-player mode but the computer AI is so appalling it's really not worth bothering with, except as a means to learn the controls of the various vehicles. When played online things really come alive as you cooperate as a part of a team to storm the enemy control points. Although the graphics are little changed from its predecessor there are significant differences in the way the basic gameplay works in Battlefield Vietnam. This is most obvious in the differences between the two sides with the Viet Cong having access to a range of special weapons such as pungi sticks and other booby traps, compared to the hi-tech American jets and helicopters. It's a pity the graphics and control interface weren't improved more but despite it sometimes still feeling like a mission disk rather than a true sequel, Battlefield Vietnam is certainly one of the best online games currently available. --David Jenkins
