You wait years for a game based on the controversial Vietnam War to be released, and then three come along at once. Eidos didn’t really break into a sweat with Shellshock: Nam ‘67 and SCI failed to impress with the surprisingly below-par Conflict: Vietnam. So what of Coyote’s bizarrely named Vietcong: Purple Haze‘
Well, the first obvious difference between this and the other two titles is that Purple Haze is a first-person shooter. For Xbox Live play, this is spot on, since a million and one first-person shooters have found success online, but when it comes to offline tactical squad control, the game leaves a lot to be desired. You’re dropped into the heat of the Vietnamese jungle and provided with missions that, once completed, unlock more weapons and other options for other modes. Completing these missions is easier said than done though, for a number of reasons.
First off is the embarrassingly bad AI of your squad members. Once you’ve gone through the long and drawn out process of sending a command to them, they will carry it out obediently for about ten seconds, before returning to their regular milling. Not only is this clearly not long enough, but the fact that getting your squad to do anything as a group is nigh-on impossible leads to some infuriating moments. Also, they don’t seem to do anything for themselves, especially when bombs are in play. Quite often, your team will happily stand next to a bomb or grenade, waiting for it to blow. If you want to save them, you’ll have to tell them to move away manually, which then leads to them getting stuck on scenery or bumping into each other. The poor lads are doomed, but there is nothing you can do other than run away yourself with tears in your eyes for your soon-to-be-fallen comrades.
Whereas Nam ‘67 was a fairly enjoyable romp that featured some lazy execution and unpolished edges, Vietcong: Purple Haze is a game that features some tiresome missions and AI that leaves you feeling plain numb. It is also a game that makes you really want to like it, as it does have some charm, should you spend the time looking for it. The introductory movie is fairly original and can be enjoyable to watch, whilst the soundtrack features some classic tunes of the era (‘Purple Haze’ is missing, strangely) and these are used well. Unfortunately, the upsides only comes in small doses and you’ll find a multitude of hindrances in their place.
Take the first mission as an example. A downed pilot must be saved, so as the closest team of soldiers to hand, you are sent to do the job. You tell your pointman to find a route through to the crash site, avoiding booby traps, VCs and other dangers. He takes one step at a time and eventually brings you to a trip wire cunningly hidden between a rock and the bank of the river. The game tells you to crouch and press your ‘A’ button to disarm the fatal device, but however many times you try, your soldier just will not carry out the order. So, what do you do’ Take a few steps back and shoot the trap, of course. It explodes, you walk on through. When you reach the crash site, an enemy pops up and ‘ firing in tiny bursts ‘ slowly walks like a zombie directly towards you. When he’s no more than thirty feet away, he suddenly realises that you’re armed and heads behind a bush ‘ where you shoot him anyway. You weren’t ever in any danger, and realise that for about thirty shots, he hasn’t even ripped your uniform.
And so it goes on. The fact of the matter is that for the majority of Vietcong: Purple Haze, I was just plain bored. Shellshock at least provided a hint of tension and atmosphere during the first few missions to make you want to play on. Purple Haze doesn’t. Enough said.
