Most historic first person shooters have focused around modern conflicts or World War II. Not many of them have come near the most controversial conflict in American history, that of the Vietnam war. This is possibly because developers don’t want to make any kind of political statement by creating a game about a time in history that was politically and socially divisive. Possibly it’s picking a specific time period to focus upon in the extended history of the Southeast Asian battlefields are much more difficult to do than the more comparatively compressed periods of World War II. Or, perhaps the reason is because it’s harder, morally, to justify or condemn one side in the war as easily as games do Nazis, because both sides committed atrocities. Whatever the cause, Vivendi Universal and 2015 are taking players into the jungles of ‘Nam with Men of Valor. Players step into the boots of Dean Shepard, a young African-American soldier in the Marine Corps. Initially set in 1965 at a military base in Da Nang, Men of Valor will cover a number of the most significant battles during the war, including the Tet Offensive and the Khe Sanh Siege. The plot unfolds via letters that Shepard writes home to his parents, letting his family know his thoughts and concerns. These letters also serve as a briefing of sorts for the player before they go into a mission. As Shepard narrates, interactive cutscenes play from a first person perspective, giving gamers more of a view of what’s going on all around them as a stage commences. Following the recent trend of squad-based military combat, Men of Valor sends you into the jungle with a platoon of colorful characters. Most of your squad hosts nicknames like Greaser, Smooth, and Hoss. These guys aren’t simple NPCs that are along for the ride. Your squadmates will lay down suppression fire, pick off NVA soldiers and closely follow you to avoid potential ambushes. You’ll have to do your part to help your friends, lending support fire, disarming traps and marking targets for air strikes. This isn’t as easy as it sounds, because you’ll have to contend with a number of camouflaged enemies, along with soldiers in defensively advantageous positions, such as foxholes or bunkers. Men of Valor features many of the standard American and Soviet arms found during the conflict, along with the vehicles of the time. Shepard can carry about three different guns on him at one time, along with frag grenades. One of the things the game emphasizes is scavenging weapons from fallen opponents to survive, as the Marines are deep in enemy territory without a chance for re-supplying your diminishing ammunition. It also teaches you the value of cover and protecting yourself, as Shepard isn’t invulnerable in the slightest. In fact, players that are injured will slowly bleed themselves to death, forcing them to bandage any wounds they incur in the field with the few scattered first aid kids found in the field. One of the things that immediately stands out with Men of Valor’s graphics is how impressive battle sequences were during gameplay. Explosions launch dirt and debris high into the air before raining down on soldier’s heads, while the sight of camouflaged NVA soldiers sprinting to hide in safer areas while firing their guns are simply incredible. While I won’t spoil it, there’s a certain moment where you get an air strike, and it literally gives you chills to witness the devastation unleashed by Napalm. What was also great to hear was that the voice acting seems to be particularly solid across the board, from the basic enemy grunts who scream in Vietnamese to your squad mates who banter back and forth. Add a soundtrack that features some of the period’s best musical hits like Wilson Pickett, and it looks like 2015 will have a great title on their hands. Men of Valor will report for active duty later this year, so check back soon for a full review! Questions or comments about the upcoming release of Men of Valor for the Xbox and PC? Talk to us! [ E-Mail Jeff 'Linkphreak' Haynes ] [ Comment in our Forums ]

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