Vietnam Strategy Game
First off don’t expect this game to be a historical representation of the Vietnam War, instead it focuses more on the American counter insurgent part of this campaign, where you take the role of a US Commander controlling an area of South Vietnam.
The is one of the vietnam strategy games played in a turn based style where you begin with a set number of units of infantry, green berets, artillery, engineers and Huey helicopters, with this you are also given a starting budget and popularity rating both of which you must keep a close eye on if your to have any chance of success.
The creators have built in two training tutorials, one basic and one advanced which gives you a nice introduction to the user interface and playing the game in general.
Starting out at your home base, you must deploy your troops in the best possible way using the Hueys to keep your supply lines going while also useful for medi-vacing injured troopers out of hot zones.
Intelligence gathering forms a vital part of this game, so searching villages and jungle locations are all worthwhile expeditions as you try to find Charlie (Viet Cong) or the NVA (North Vietnamese Army) before he finds you. Using the green berets as your forward scouts can come in very handy for this, as they can go undetected while having the ability to stay out in the field for longer periods of time than other units.
The playing area itself is made up of a number of different terrains: rice paddies, roads, rivers rough, open and jungle all with their own advantages and disadvantages.
As you progress your engineers will need to build forward bases, not only to offer closer support for your troops but also to train ARVN (Army of the Republic of Vietnam) units , your engineers are also tasked with repairing and supplying the armoured units such as tanks and helicopters, so you will need to look after these.
Throughout the game you will have the option to purchase extra units which, can only be done, at your home base so long as you have the funds and a good popularity rating of which funds are only added when you win an encounter with an enemy all adding to the tension of keeping these figures in the right zone.
Overall this is a really nice game with plenty of logistic and tactical choices to be made throughout, while the graphics are ok, the sound a much more important role as it will notify you of key points in the games such as when units need resupply.
Matrix Games is part of the Slitherine Group
About the Slitherine Group
The Slitherine Group is the world’s leading producer and publisher of digital wargames and strategy games. Under the Slitherine (www.slitherine.com), Matrix Games (www.matrixgames.com) and Ageod (www.ageod.com) brands it has published literally hundreds of games, with many award-winning titles in its portfolio and spanning all digital platforms, from home consoles to modern Smartphone’s and Tablets. Slitherine is also involved with book publishing, board gaming and works with a wide array of key licensing partners, such as HISTORY®, MILITARY HISTORY®, Games Workshop®, Horrible Histories™, Showtime, BBC, Osprey, Scholastic, Buzz Aldrin Enterprises and many others to deliver the best blend of historical accuracy in an exciting and entertaining way. Together the Group companies form the world’s largest organization specializing in this important and vibrant niche. The Slitherine Group’s mission over the coming years is to lead the way in innovation and growth in an ever expanding segment of the entertainment industry.