Battlefield Vietnam - T
Common Sense Note
This game has both positive and negative aspects. Negatively, as a first person shooter, there is a significant amount of glorified and dramatized violence. Although putting the violence in a historical context makes it less gratuitous, the game cannot help but glorify warfare, and in some ways make it a spectacle. If you get shot, you may hear yourself choke on your own blood as you collapse to the ground. Looking through a sniper?s scope, you can see every aspect of your victim?s death throws. Particularly close explosions can send a body, albeit not body parts, flying high into the air.
Positively, the game provides opportunities for younger players to learn about the Vietnam War. The game provides an excellent jumping-off point for parents and teens to discuss the war and era. Personal accounts could add a great deal of depth to the game, and discussions could branch into a variety of topics not touched upon in the game.
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Jeremy Gieske
The jungle is lush and calm as the sun sets on a beautiful day. Crouched low, you can hear the quiet sounds of wildlife as evening sets in. But this is no peaceful vacation. Seconds later you hear bullets zing just overhead. A sniper is on to you. In a panic you look around, and in desperation you unload half a clip from your M-16 in what you think is the general direction of the sniper. The situation seems hopeless as you spot enemy reinforcements approaching in a BMP troop carrier. Machine gun fire splatters the ground in front of you. Suddenly you hear the chop, chop of a friendly 'copter. A Bell UH-1 pops over the trees, launching rockets at the BMP. Seconds later it hovers next to you, offering a chance at escape. Leaping in, you hear explosions as the enemy BMP turns into a fireball of twisted metal. You have lived for another minute, and in this game that seems like a lifetime. Welcome to BATTLEFIELD VIETNAM, a first-person chance to experience the Vietnam War.
Following in the footsteps of its prequel, Battlefield 1942, BATTLEFIELD VIETNAM puts you in the midst of all-out warfare. Don the uniform of either U.S., South Vietnamese or North Vietnamese forces, choose from four "classes" of troops, each with different weapon and equipment combinations, and fight through some of the major and minor battles of the Vietnam War.
The game offers more variety than most first-person shooter games. The game's environment is very interactive, as you can use booby traps, gun emplacements and natural cover to your advantage. However, one of the most "fun" aspects of the game is its use of vehicles. Run up to a jeep, tank, helicopter or boat, and with a simple press of a button, you are flying or driving your way into the battle. Vehicles are designed with multi-player action in mind, while most have spots for additional players to be gunners, or at least catch a ride into the battle. Despite the number of vehicles and options, the controls are relatively easy to master. Flying a helicopter or jet takes some practice, but doesn't require you to be a flight simulator pro. The rest of the game follows along basic first person shooting type controls with the use of the keyboard and mouse.
On a gameplaying level, BATTLEFIELD VIETNAM isn't designed to run on Dad's accounting machine. To run the game with the graphic levels it deserves, a near top-of-the line computer is required. Despite the high system requirements, the game's artificial intelligence or AI players are anything but intelligent. AI players have particular difficulty flying or driving vehicles. It is not an uncommon sight to see a helicopter with an AI pilot flying backwards, and eventually upside down -- promptly crashing and killing everyone involved. Other times you will see AI characters simply sitting in a jeep or vehicle, confused about what to do next. This emphasizes that the game is designed for multi-player support over a network or the Internet with human players.
A positive highlight is the infusion of miniature "history lessons" into the game. The extraordinary long load times are put to good use by illustrating various points of interest about the War. For example, the "media revolution" is discussed; emphasizing how television correspondence slowly transformed the "once heroic and romantic views of war". The differences between communism and capitalism are discussed, as are the types of equipment used on each side, and "who really won the war". Even popular music of the time is placed into the game to add to the atmosphere. Although by no means a history lesson in itself, the game does pique interest and may inspire teens to investigate further.
The game also emphasizes teamwork. Generic commands can be used to direct AI characters, but much greater success is to be had with a close team of human players. A well-balanced, organized team with strong communication skills and a chain of command is much more successful than the individual charging in with guns blazing. The teamwork aspect is especially prevalent when using vehicles, since several players can be using the same vehicle at once.
Negatively, the game is naturally quite violent. Although putting the violence in a historical context makes it less gratuitous, the game cannot help but glorify warfare, and in some ways make it a spectacle. If you get shot, you may hear yourself choke on your own blood as you collapse to the ground. Looking through a sniper's scope, you can see every aspect of your victim's death throws. Particularly close explosions can send a body, albeit not body parts, flying high into the air.
Parents should also note that the true terror of the Vietnam War is hinted at throughout the game. In the jungle it's extremely difficult to tell friend from foe. The heavy foliage provides excellent cover for snipers. Many times you'll be shot and killed without a clue as to where the enemy is. Although this is too "real" for younger players, older players may begin to comprehend the impact of the war on individual lives, and with discussion may grow to understand the personal decisions soldiers made during the War.
The game provides an excellent jumping-off point for families to discuss the war and era. Despite the historical information, the game does not really begin to approach the complexity of issues facing the world at that time. Many parents may be familiar with the war, or know people who were in the war. Personal accounts could add a great deal of depth to the game, and discussions could branch into a variety of topics not touched upon in the game.
Overall, the game offers a more positive experience than many first-person shooting games available today. By putting the violence into a historical context and coupling it with historical information, the game attempts to make some sense of the violence -- in other words, it's not purely violence for violence's sake.
Rate It!
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ViolenceSignificant violence, blood. A player may be killed at any second. |
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Social BehaviorWarfare, complex social issues are only briefly discussed. |
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Educational ValueSome educational value. Historical information about the war and the era. |
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