Another week, another Vietnam game. Get used to it folks, there are a few more in the pipeline, and I’m sure we haven’t seen the end of them.

Conflict: Vietnam looks good, but not great. Character models are blocky and feature very little in the way of detail. The models are certainly passable, but feel like a step back from what we’re used to seeing in recent games, especially those set in Vietnam. Environments also share in the game’s lack of detail. Textures are blurry, low res, and really don’t stand out as anything special. Where Conflict is successful is in how well its engine is able to generate dense jungle landscapes -- so it’s pretty clear that sacrifices were made.

As with the other Vietnam games, Conflict lets the F-bombs (as well as other four letter words) drop immediately and repeatedly throughout the game. While not as gratuitous in usage as in Shellshock: Nam ‘67, which throws in a “colorful” language every other word, it still doesn’t feel right, and feels like a cheap way to get attention from a certain sect of consumers. Language aside, the voice acting is surprisingly well done, as are the sound effects. Conflict follows other games in the Vietnam genre by including a selection of 60’s era music, featuring “Paint It, Black” by the Rolling Stones and “White Rabbit” by Jefferson Airplane.

Like other Vietnam-based games, Conflict: Vietnam places young, fresh-faced recruits into the harsh environments of Southeast Asia. What sets Conflict apart from the rest of the pack is that it is a squad-based shooter. Though this really doesn’t help to distinguish the game that much, it’s still enough to generate some interest in the title.

Conflict takes place over 14 missions where you’ll have to lead your small group through the jungles in order to reach safety. The name of the game is survival, and it will take everything you have to make it back alive. Missions are pretty straightforward and feature a selection of objectives ranging from killing a certain person to destroying a structure. Here you’ll have to make use of your team’s skills (sniper, medic, heavy weapons and assault weapons) to overcome obstacles. When you’re not controlling a certain member, a semi-decent A.I. will take over. This aspect really kills the game since members aren’t that bright and tend to stick themselves directly in the line of fire. After a soldier falls, you will have two minutes to get a medic to him, otherwise it’s game over. Since soldiers can never find cover, expect to spend a majority of the game tending after people with your medic. A 2-Player split-screen option is available, which at least gives you some other source of intelligence on your side, but it is only a minor redemption.

Also featured are on-rail shooter levels. These are some of the tougher, and interesting, areas of the game since you’ll have to quickly switch between group members – each of whom is stationed at a different gun station.

A.I. issues aside, Conflict: Vietnam is still a pretty difficult game at times. This is due mostly to the game’s inept save system. An automatic save system kicks in at the start of each mission, allowing you to start off at the beginning of missions. After this, you’re only given two saves per level with no hope of gaining additional saves. Considering how difficult the game can get (due to cheap deaths by both squad-member A.I. and frequent grenade attacks), and how long missions are, this system is a game breaker. Sure it adds a bit of strategy and helps up the difficulty level considerably, but at the same time, it sucks all of the fun out of the game.

Squad members can be freely selected at anytime during the game or given orders. The system used is decent, as is a theme throughout many aspects of Conflict: Vietnam, but certainly doesn’t give the same accuracy as other squad-based games. It is easy to see where the developers were trying to go with the system – but it translates into series of unnecessary button presses that will more than likely get you killed while you try to figure everything out. The orders you can give are also incomplete as there are a number of tasks where you’ll have to take control of a soldier in order to have it done.

Conflict: Vietnam proves to be one of the better Vietnam games to come out in the last few months. Unfortunately, this isn’t saying much considering the poor quality featured in the current crop of Vietnam-inspired games. Conflict makes for a decent rainy-day rental, but anyone waiting for a top rate Vietnam game should probably wait for the rest of the pack to come out before settling on this one.