Bashandslash.com Review of Bad Company 2 Vietnam
From bashandslash.com:
So what are your thoughts on this review as well as the expansion? Sometimes it is hard to see enemy forces, but I find it hard for both sides. It is jungle warfare afterall. I am disapointed in the music. It is 60's era, but not the actual songs that Battlefield:Vietnam had. The game feels a bit different from Bad Company 2 itself. Some other comments in the forums have been about weapon sounds, accuracy, vehicles and if its one sided, as well as some playing issues. Anything you care to add? Was it worth the purchase?
Source
BFBC2: Vietnam released today on PC and let me say, it is an awesome feeling to be a PC player knowing that you are playing something that the console guys won't have for a few days yet. So right off the bat, kudos to DICE/EA for giving the PC folks something to feel special over.
Second, it seems that the maps must have been pre-loaded in the DLC back in early December, because as soon as I bought the $15 Vietnam expansion, whammo...I'm in game. I should point out that I bought BFBC2 through EA's store but Vietnam through Steam...so if you heard that was not possible, it is. And it works like a charm.
The minute you click the little "Vietnam" button in the main in-game BFBC2 menu you are transported back into the late 60's. DICE are able to pull off this time-travel magic two ways: through music and through visuals. So, while you stare at the new Vietnam menu screen as it shows you like a tired, mosquito and leech-infested American soldier, one-hand gripping his still-smoking gun, "Fortunate Son", John Fogerty's anti-establishment Vietnam-era lament plays in the background.
Getting the era right
Taking a near-future game like BFBC2 and aging it fifty years could not have been a simple task, but DICE pulls it off. There's been an attention to detail in this game that tricks you into thinking that you are in another era. This is something Black Ops, another game that takes place in this time line did not successfully pull off. For as much as Treyarch tried, BO still looked too modern for me and never made me think for a second that I was back in the sixties. This expansion tricks you into thinking that. The devs over there in Sweden may have not even been born before 'nam ended but somehow they have been able to evoke the spirit of those times.
As far as getting the in-game atmosphere to match the era, DICE nailed it.
Sound and Music
Music is found everywhere in this expansion pack. Either coming out of the menu screens, or from amplifiers in-game. Having great music piped in while you frag is a winning combination and I wish more devs would do this.
In game sounds are great as usual. The guns are great to listen to and the concussions from mortar barrages are awesome. And the Phantoms screeching across the sky! Wonderful.
Gameplay
BFBC2 players will note a few differences in game. For myself, the differences actually make the game less enjoyable than stock BFBC2.
First, there are no "scope" attachments in this game. Your recon (Sniper) has the only scope. So much for short-sighted old-guys like myself who liked attaching a scope to their AN94. Oh...there's no AN94 of course. All the weapons are faithful to the time period.
Vehicles
The thwack of ancient rotors in the air is awesome to hear. Old UH-1 Hueys are everywhere in this game and just the sight of them brings a smile to many of us old enough to remember them as a mainstay of America's Air Cav units.
Gone of course are the Quad bikes...in are little Vietnamese Sampans. Tanks take part in some battles. Though they are as lethal to ground troops as those in BFBC2, their aiming systems are suitably 70's era and thus require a bit more finesse to use properly.
Graphics
For some reason, I found that the foliage, the low sun and high-contrast lighting and all the dark green/browns in game make spotting targets nearly impossible.
Vietnam has been made to look retro and some of that has contributed to the enhanced eye-strain situation. For that reason, this game will try your patience and your opthamogist more than it should.
The maps are as tangled with vegetation as I thought they would be, but they are not onerously leafy. Having played CoD:BO for the past two weeks, the BFBC2: Vietnam avatars, in comparison, are somewhat cartoonish looking. Hadn't noticed that back in stock BFBC2. Perhaps the low light level just brings out this detail.
Overall, I think the graphics are more suited to an oil painting than a video game and it's just too difficult to see in this game. Note to DICE mappers: please put the sun back at top dead center.
Maps
Choke point city. I remember talking to Zh1nt0 about Port Valdez in the last BASH webcast and asking him about how Valdez was somewhat disliked in some quarters due to its mid-map choke points. Well...those that hated Valdez' choke points will really dislike some of the collision points found in the new maps. In general I found them difficult to navigate as they are cluttered with dead-fall that hampers movement.
The new maps include:
You enter a lush, dense jungle where you must fight tooth and nail over every blade of grass and bamboo tree to get to your two objectives.
After taking these, DICE mappers force you into a tight jungle path which leads into a cave.
Out of the cave, darkness turns instantly into light and a magnificently grotesque panorama unfolds directly in front of you. With the sun straining to break through clouds of choking black smoke, you are face-to-face with pools of still incandescent napalm (jellied gasoline) strewn across hundred of yards of blackened hillside. The earth has been turned charcoal color by a napalm strike.
It's quite breathtaking. This map is probably the best looking thing I've played on this year. The fighting in this area is tough and confusing due to the color palette of the map. The major issue for me was simply the lack of contrast between the black-shirted NVA's and the dark terrain. Though it hampers game play, it's still beautful to look at.
"...we had a hill bombed, for 12 hours. When it was all over, I walked up. We didn't find one of 'em, not one stinkin' **** body. The smell, you know that gasoline smell, the whole hill. Smelled like [sniffing, pondering]" Bad Company 2 Vietnam.
Overall Impressions
Given the cost of the expansion pack, if you are a BFBC2-head, there is no question that you will be getting Vietnam. If you haven't tried BFBC2 and you like large-scale battles, where co-operation is the key to winning, the new maps that came at us early this month and now Vietnam, make compelling arguments for you to get it.
Bashandslash.com also has a link to some gameplay footage, for those interested in viewing that you can click the source link below.Second, it seems that the maps must have been pre-loaded in the DLC back in early December, because as soon as I bought the $15 Vietnam expansion, whammo...I'm in game. I should point out that I bought BFBC2 through EA's store but Vietnam through Steam...so if you heard that was not possible, it is. And it works like a charm.
The minute you click the little "Vietnam" button in the main in-game BFBC2 menu you are transported back into the late 60's. DICE are able to pull off this time-travel magic two ways: through music and through visuals. So, while you stare at the new Vietnam menu screen as it shows you like a tired, mosquito and leech-infested American soldier, one-hand gripping his still-smoking gun, "Fortunate Son", John Fogerty's anti-establishment Vietnam-era lament plays in the background.
Getting the era right
Taking a near-future game like BFBC2 and aging it fifty years could not have been a simple task, but DICE pulls it off. There's been an attention to detail in this game that tricks you into thinking that you are in another era. This is something Black Ops, another game that takes place in this time line did not successfully pull off. For as much as Treyarch tried, BO still looked too modern for me and never made me think for a second that I was back in the sixties. This expansion tricks you into thinking that. The devs over there in Sweden may have not even been born before 'nam ended but somehow they have been able to evoke the spirit of those times.
- Splash-screens are effectively aged.
- In-game reddish and green hues capture the Vietnamese jungle as though you were looking at Life magazine articles of that war.
- The Vietnamese countryside is rendered faithfully. You can feel the humidity and the rice paddies look so good I think I can see some folks from Uncle Ben's getting ready to harvest a crop.
- Pre and end game radio announcements evoke period newscasts.
- In-game voice overs respect the era
As far as getting the in-game atmosphere to match the era, DICE nailed it.
Sound and Music
Music is found everywhere in this expansion pack. Either coming out of the menu screens, or from amplifiers in-game. Having great music piped in while you frag is a winning combination and I wish more devs would do this.
In game sounds are great as usual. The guns are great to listen to and the concussions from mortar barrages are awesome. And the Phantoms screeching across the sky! Wonderful.
Gameplay
BFBC2 players will note a few differences in game. For myself, the differences actually make the game less enjoyable than stock BFBC2.
First, there are no "scope" attachments in this game. Your recon (Sniper) has the only scope. So much for short-sighted old-guys like myself who liked attaching a scope to their AN94. Oh...there's no AN94 of course. All the weapons are faithful to the time period.
- Assaulters have an M16A1, AK47, M14, 870MCS, M1A1 and an M2 Flamethrower.
- Engineers have the M10, PPSh, Uzi, 870MCS, M1A1 and an M2 Flamethrower.
- Medics use the M60, RPK,XM22, 870MCS, M1A1 and an M2 Flamethrower.
- Recons get the M21, SVD, M40, 870MCS, M1A1 and an M2 Flamethrower.
Vehicles
The thwack of ancient rotors in the air is awesome to hear. Old UH-1 Hueys are everywhere in this game and just the sight of them brings a smile to many of us old enough to remember them as a mainstay of America's Air Cav units.
Gone of course are the Quad bikes...in are little Vietnamese Sampans. Tanks take part in some battles. Though they are as lethal to ground troops as those in BFBC2, their aiming systems are suitably 70's era and thus require a bit more finesse to use properly.
Graphics
For some reason, I found that the foliage, the low sun and high-contrast lighting and all the dark green/browns in game make spotting targets nearly impossible.
Vietnam has been made to look retro and some of that has contributed to the enhanced eye-strain situation. For that reason, this game will try your patience and your opthamogist more than it should.
The maps are as tangled with vegetation as I thought they would be, but they are not onerously leafy. Having played CoD:BO for the past two weeks, the BFBC2: Vietnam avatars, in comparison, are somewhat cartoonish looking. Hadn't noticed that back in stock BFBC2. Perhaps the low light level just brings out this detail.
Overall, I think the graphics are more suited to an oil painting than a video game and it's just too difficult to see in this game. Note to DICE mappers: please put the sun back at top dead center.
Maps
Choke point city. I remember talking to Zh1nt0 about Port Valdez in the last BASH webcast and asking him about how Valdez was somewhat disliked in some quarters due to its mid-map choke points. Well...those that hated Valdez' choke points will really dislike some of the collision points found in the new maps. In general I found them difficult to navigate as they are cluttered with dead-fall that hampers movement.
The new maps include:
- Hill 137 (also known as Hamburger Hill)
- Vantage Point
- Cao Son Temple
- Phu Bai Valley
You enter a lush, dense jungle where you must fight tooth and nail over every blade of grass and bamboo tree to get to your two objectives.
After taking these, DICE mappers force you into a tight jungle path which leads into a cave.
Out of the cave, darkness turns instantly into light and a magnificently grotesque panorama unfolds directly in front of you. With the sun straining to break through clouds of choking black smoke, you are face-to-face with pools of still incandescent napalm (jellied gasoline) strewn across hundred of yards of blackened hillside. The earth has been turned charcoal color by a napalm strike.
It's quite breathtaking. This map is probably the best looking thing I've played on this year. The fighting in this area is tough and confusing due to the color palette of the map. The major issue for me was simply the lack of contrast between the black-shirted NVA's and the dark terrain. Though it hampers game play, it's still beautful to look at.
"...we had a hill bombed, for 12 hours. When it was all over, I walked up. We didn't find one of 'em, not one stinkin' **** body. The smell, you know that gasoline smell, the whole hill. Smelled like [sniffing, pondering]" Bad Company 2 Vietnam.
Overall Impressions
Given the cost of the expansion pack, if you are a BFBC2-head, there is no question that you will be getting Vietnam. If you haven't tried BFBC2 and you like large-scale battles, where co-operation is the key to winning, the new maps that came at us early this month and now Vietnam, make compelling arguments for you to get it.
So what are your thoughts on this review as well as the expansion? Sometimes it is hard to see enemy forces, but I find it hard for both sides. It is jungle warfare afterall. I am disapointed in the music. It is 60's era, but not the actual songs that Battlefield:Vietnam had. The game feels a bit different from Bad Company 2 itself. Some other comments in the forums have been about weapon sounds, accuracy, vehicles and if its one sided, as well as some playing issues. Anything you care to add? Was it worth the purchase?
Source
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