Sometimes going back to the past can be a risky move, but with Hell Let Loose: Vietnam, Manchester-based studio Expression Games has taken what worked from the original Hell Let Loose and dropped you headfirst into the Vietnam War, where the jungle can be just as deadly as the enemy around you.
The game keeps the same large-scale multiplayer focus that fans of Hell Let Loose will know and love, with two sides going head-to-head across huge maps. The US forces take on the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese.
Squad Based
Once again, teamwork is the name of the game, as you pick from a number of different roles. Each one has its own job to do if your team is going to have any chance of taking the objective.
The biggest change this time round is the setting, and it works extremely well. Vietnam gives the game a very different feel from what came before.
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Instead of open fields and towns, you are moving through thick jungle, rice paddies and villages connected by muddy paths, where you never really know what is waiting around the next corner or hiding in the tall grass.
You can be moving through what looks like a quiet patch of jungle one minute, and then suddenly the whole place erupts with gunfire from an enemy you didn’t even know had been watching you bumble around for the past ten minutes.
The Quiet Man
That is where the game really shines, as the Vietnam setting plays into the more tactical side of Hell Let Loose. The Viet Cong can use the environment to their advantage, while the US forces have access to helicopters, which completely changes how you move around the battlefield and get troops into the fight.
Getting dropped into a hot zone from the air is one of those moments that makes you feel like you are actually part of something much bigger. You’ll find players sticking to their roles, with chopper pilots acting like mobile spawn points.
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The gunplay is still solid but weighty, with new guns like the M16, M60, AK-47 and MAS-36 all having their own characteristics that you need to learn. A round or two can be all it takes to put you down. This also makes the more chaotic firefights feel dangerous, as you never really feel like a one-man army.
Vehicles also play a big part beyond helicopters, with tanks and other vehicles, such as boats, adding another layer to the battles. They can also become a bit of a nightmare when you are trying to move through tighter areas and the enemy has them locked down.
The Look of Nam
Graphically, Hell Let Loose: Vietnam looks good, with the jungle being the real star. The thick vegetation, smoke and weather effects help create an atmosphere that can be both beautiful and terrifying at the same time.
Sound also hits the mark, with gunfire, explosions and helicopters filling the battlefield. They often give you a clue as to where the enemy is before you can actually see them.
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On the downside, the game can still feel rough around the edges at times, with some visual glitches, hit-detection issues and moments where things just don’t work as smoothly as they should.
Also, this is not a run-and-gun shooter like Call of Duty. This is a series with a pretty steep learning curve, and if you jump in expecting to blast your way to victory, you are going to spend a lot of time respawning and wondering what actually killed you.
Based Squad
How good things go also depends greatly on the people you are playing with. If your squad isn’t communicating and playing their part, things can quickly fall apart. But when everyone is working together and the commander, squad leaders and troops are all doing what they should, the game can produce some fantastic and genuinely epic moments.
Hell Let Loose: Vietnam is a strong new chapter for the series, and the setting brings something fresh to the formula while still keeping what made the original so good.
It can be frustrating, unforgiving and rough around the edges, but when everything comes together, there is nothing quite like pushing through the jungle with your squad while bullets are flying overhead and someone is blasting Creedence Clearwater Revival out of their chopper.
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