WWW.SILICON-FUSION.COM

Platform Filters:   All Platforms  Xbox   GameCube   PlayStation 2   PC   Game Boy Advance   Site Sections:   Updates  News   Games   Publishers   Developers   Reviews   Previews   Release Dates   Editorials   Glossary   Contact Us		Review:       3rd November 2004: Vietcong: Purple Haze  Take command of the U.S. Special Forces in Vietnam, in this intense squad-based, first-person shooter. Posted by John Grothier - Xbox,PlayStation 2 - UK and Europe Jungle settings for action titles seem to be all the rage at the moment, as well as a recent slew of games based on the Vietnam conflict. Vietcong: Purple Haze is a combination of the best missions from Vietcong and the Vietcong: Fist Alpha add-on pack, which was first released on the PC last year. Developers Gathering have had plenty of time to make the Xbox and PlayStation 2 versions of the game work well on the consoles, but Vietcong: Purple Haze is just another average first-person shooter. Maybe it's just me, but games based on real-life conflicts like the Medal of Honor titles from EA, and the recent crop of Vietnam-based shooters just leave a nasty taste in my mouth. With another bloody conflict in the real world that is becoming more and more like Vietnam, these titles don't really appeal to me - but if you like your FPS to be 'real' then at least this title ticks most of the boxes. Vietcong: Purple Haze is a squad-based FPS, which will see the player and his team of a pointman, medic and radio specialist creeping around the jungle trying to avoid deadly traps. So its best to send your pointman in first to make sure the path is clear, and if there are any accidents, you can heal your team with the medic. The game comes with two difficulty settings, 'Normal' and 'Vietnam.' The normal difficulty setting really should be re-labelled 'Very Easy' - so if you really want a decent challenge then players should select the Vietnam setting. Part of the problem is the fact that you can save your game anywhere, so if you loose one of you team or just take a bit too much damage - you can simply re-load you game and try again. This means that you will breeze through the levels with relative ease - something that was unfortunately missing from the real battles in Vietnam. A mention must go the graphics engine, which is one of the worst I've seen for quite some time. The jungle looks blocky and jagged, with some very basic textures that just spoil the feel of the game. Your team is not only quite stupid, thanks to some very basic and problematic AI - but they also have some very jerky animations, which often is just not up to the job. Enemy AI is also quite a joke, as foes will just stand still as you fire off round after round at them. Again, I'm sure VC's weren't this stupid in the actual conflict. Even the actual squad-based part of the game does not function well, with members of your team not following commands or even worse just committing suicide for no apparent reason. Basic commands are available like attack, disperse, stop and follow - but you rarely get the right response from your team, and they just seem to stumble blindly through the conflict - just like the real thing. Vietcong: Purple Haze is fully Xbox Live enabled, and also PlayStation 2 owners get the chance to fight it out online. As well as the standard deathmatch, team deathmatch, capture the flag, and real war options, Vietcong: Purple Haze has a saving grace in the four-player co-op. If only more FPS's would include an option like this. Now you can play through all the entire 19 missions from the single player game with your online friends taking the place of the dodgy AI. While this is a bit harder than the single player experience, depending on the skill of you online friends, it's a very playable mode with some decent maps and the promise of more downloadable content for the Xbox - it could keep this game alive for some time. The graphics in Vietcong: Purple Haze are much too basic with some of the blandest textures yet seen in a computer game. The jungle is rough and blocky, and although characters in the game have nice detail on their faces, that detail is nowhere else to be found. The sound in Purple Haze features many tracks to try and get gamers in the 'Nam mood - but without the Doors or the Stones it doesn't really work. There are many bands like Deep Purple with 'Hey Jude', but most you will probably not have heard of - and most importantly won't want to hear again. However, the voice talent in the game is surprisingly well acted, with weighted dialogue spoken with purpose. Overall Vietcong: Purple Haze is just another average first-person shooter - but with the inclusion of the online co-op modes - it almost feels like another game. John Grothier             Latest Images:		Review Scores:    Graphics:   Sound:   Gameplay:   Length:   Overall: Click here for our Review Score Guidelines.  Review Summary:  Take command of the U.S. Special Forces in Vietnam in this squad-based first-person shooter. Basic graphics and poor AI really spoil the overall effect of this title. The online play greatly improves the game, and the online 4-player co-op mode makes this title worth considering.  Related Games:  Vietcong: Purple Haze for Xbox  8  Screenshots  1  Review Click here for All Game Information. Vietcong: Purple Haze for PlayStation 2  1  Review Click here for All Game Information.
		Go Back To Main Page        Go To Top Of Page