Conflict Vietnam

With more hang-ups than my hall closet, Conflict: Vietnam might well be the most frustrating tactical war game to date.

Much like the protracted and difficult war on which this game is based, Conflict: Vietnam is an altogether ugly and unsatisfying experience. Those familiar with the previous Conflict games might enjoy the funky squad-based gameplay, but gamers who prefer dealing death to delegating responsibilities will find the infuriating control scheme to be a nearly insurmountable shortcoming.

Control Conflict

You control a four-man team of American commandos who fight together throughout the course of the bloody war, starting with the Tet Offensive of 1968. On the plus side, you can switch between any of the squad members at will while alternating between first- and third-person perspectives on the fly. But on the negative side (which encompasses just about everything else), controlling your team and issuing complex orders under enemy fire is a teeth-grinding, spirit-crushing exercise in aggravation. The difficulty of successfully surviving enemy attacks and maintaining some semblance of order is exacerbated by the clumsy real-time command and inventory menus, which force you to focus on your idiotic allies while you take a few clips to the head. Unlike in the popular Tom Clancy tactical-shooter games, Conflicts friendly A.I. is worthless as even the simplest actions require you to micromanage the action while trying not to let any of your zombielike buddies wander into any of the well-hidden booby traps. This is no Rainbow Six.

Beaucoup Bad News

Aesthetically, Conflict: Vietnam is a mixed bag. The mediocre graphics do an adequate job of rendering believable jungle environments, but the unattractive artistic style tends to jar with the hardboiled atmosphere. The sound, however, is one of the games strongest points with an absolutely rocking 1960s soundtrack and great character dialogue that manages to be both convincing and entertaining. But even golden oldies by the Rolling Stones cant save this sinking swift boat as Conflict: Vietnam drowns under the weight of its poorly conceived control scheme, faulty targeting system, and ho-hum visuals.

Ultimately, Conflict: Vietnam is an ambitious but fatally flawed game that reaches for the impact and entertainment value of films like Platoon and Full Metal Jacket, but ends up feeling like Hamburger Hill. This is one tour of duty you may not survive.

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