Though it is a squad-based game,
Vietcong is not as group intensive as other titles in the genre. You definitely cannot survive the treacherous routes in the Vietnamese jungles without your point man, a local who knows the place like the back of his shotgun. But solo missions are more frequent here than in games like
Rainbow Six or
Ghost Recon. Another difference here is that you take control of a single person throughout the entire game, and you have your place and duties on the team when you go out into the field.
As a new sergeant assigned to a Special Forces team in a base near the Cambodian border, you begin your tour of duty on a routine mission accompanied by your base CO to a nearby village, where (not surprisingly), you are attacked by some VC regulars. Your base is the hub of your missions. It is your home, and at times you have to defend it. Your quarters are a place where you can check out mission debriefings, weapon specs, or just sit back and listen to the local radio station. There is also a gun range where you can practice with any weapon you have encountered in the game. This is also where you will outfit yourself for your next mission. Both enemy weapons and US issued firearms are available, and the choice of which ones to use is up to you.
Before each mission, you will be briefed and then dropped into the field. Usually you will have a radioman with you who acts as your communications link back to the base. A medic also usually accompanies you on your more dangerous voyages, and he will come to your aid whenever you are hit. Most of the missions will rely on the help of your companions, but they are varied enough to keep things interesting. At times you will have to help defend villages from attack, call in artillery strikes, and even navigate your way through pitch black VC tunnels with nothing but a pistol and some glow sticks.
The Multiplayer mode offers some decent replay value, as there are a number of different maps and game types you can choose from. Regular Deathmatch and Capture the Flag are available, but Last Man Standing is one of the more intense modes of the bunch. It's just like Deathmatch, but whoever is the last to die starts the next game with an M60 machine gun and extra health, while everyone else has only pistols.
