In many ways, the Vietnam conflict was a war like no other. Gone was the trench fighting prevalent in WWI and the house-to-house combat featured in WWII, replaced with guerrilla-style attacks in the thick jungles of Southeast Asia. Soldiers often couldn't see where their enemies were attacking from, relying mostly on muzzle flashes in the dark, green foliage or the sounds of foes crashing through the dense underbrush. A few games that were released earlier this season tried to recreate the panicked intensity of life in the 'Nam, with weak results. Now, Vivendi takes their chances, with a little help from industry veterans 2015 (developers of EA's Medal of Honor: Allied Assault), by releasing Men of Valor. While it's definitely better than its direct competitors, it's not without some major problems.

However, before we get into the negatives, let's start with what Men of Valor does right. One of the most important aspects of creating a war game (and particularly a first-person shooter) is making sure that the game is immersive and realistic. The player should be on the edge of his or her seat for the majority of the game, ready to react as soon as the bullets start flying. In this area, Men of Valor does not disappoint. Shots will ring out from the jungle, and you'll find yourself quickly crouching down, lest you catch a round in the head.


Most of the intensity comes from the fact that you (like the soldiers in the actual conflict) can't always see your enemy, due to the heavy overgrowth that you'll be making your way through. I can't tell you how many times I slowly walked into a clearing that I thought was empty, only to watch a few Viet Cong soldiers pop up and begin firing. Many of the VCs have leaves and grass strapped to their back, so that even if you know roughly where they are, there's a good chance you won't actually be able to see them. This could get frustrating but, thankfully, your reticle will turn red when someone is in your line of fire. Still, I found myself slowly hopping from tree to tree, peeking out and scanning the area ahead of me until I was sure that it was clear.

Adding to the realism is the very strong voice work and sound effects, from the Viet Cong soldiers charging your position while screaming profanities in broken English, to the sounds of bullets whizzing by your ears and mortars whistling down on your position. As is the case with most Xbox games, the sound is in full Dolby 5.1, and you'll be blown away by some of the directional audio. If someone's firing from behind you, you'll know it right away. Many of your compatriots' voices are well done, too, in both the noisy battle scenes as well as the quieter moments in camp. It should be noted, however, that this game reflects the stress that many soldiers are under, so there is a lot of profanity, including plenty of racial slurs.

Unlike a lot of war games, there is actually a bit of a storyline running through Men of Valor, and it helps to make the game more immmersive, as well as makes you care a bit about whether your character lives or dies. You play Private First Class Dean Shepard, an African-American Marine who doesn't have much of an opinion on the war: he just wants to make it home safely. Much of the story is told through letters to and from Dean's Mom and Dad in Tulsa, and you gradually begin to feel for this family that has been torn apart by war. Still, the games doesn't offer much commentary on the war in these scenes, as Dad believes his son is doing his duty, while Mom is scared every time she turns on the news.