Set during the height of the 1960's most
controversial conflict, Evolved Games' Whirlwind Over Vietnam is a solidly
entertaining helicopter simulation that brings you right into some of the
most dangerous and exciting confrontations of the war. With ten unique
single player missions, your objectives including fire support, fire
coordination and seek and destroy missions. These give you lots of variety
during the game, and you can also choose other variable. Most of your
mission objectives are laid out clearly on the game's HUD and its
interface is intuitive and easy to understand. During the game, players
can choose from different positions in the chopper's cockpit including
Pilot, Co-Pilot and Gunner. This plays a huge role in how the game unfolds
and each position you select offers a completely different set of
requirements and options. You can also call on a variety of ground based
vehicles such as tanks and jeeps for support, which adds more depth and
realism to each mission Whirlwind's variety is further enhanced by the
missions themselves, which are quite challenging. The controls are a
little bit complex at first, but become more intuitive and easy to use
once you get the hang of it. It takes some practice to get used to
piloting the chopper, but it definitely becomes easier as time goes on.
The earlier missions are fairly easy to beat, but Whirlwind's later stages
become significantly more difficult to beat. While it's not excessively
difficult, the game requires some effort and concentration to beat, and
you'll definitely need some skill and luck in order to survive.
The
game's graphics engine is fairly solid and is complimented by numerous cut
scenes that are cinematic in presentation and approach. The game's visuals
are quite impressive with realistic renderings of the Vietnamese jungles
that offer a decent draw-distance. The game's developers have done an
excellent job in recreating the look of the era, and each of the military
vehicles and copters is rendered realistically with authentic structure
and layout. Adding to the sense of realism are the layouts of each level
and style of the cockpit controls. This approach emphasizes that you need
to learn what different things do before you can fully command your
vehicle. Beginner and novice players can also select from several
auto-pilot modes to make things easier. This is probably the mode most
casual players will use and allows you to focus on the task at hand
without drowning in the details. You can also use this mode to view the
action from outside of your helicopter, which sometimes helps to put the
missions in better perspective and can also be helpful if you want to
locate enemy positions at certain points during the missions. Whichever
approach you decide to use, Whirlwind Over Vietnam offers satisfyingly
authentic gameplay that helps to immerse you into the action at hand.
The game's AI is also impressive and
features a number of persistent non-playable characters who make recurring
appearances during the course of the game. Each mission unfolds like a
mini-movie and has a distinct look and feel that brings you into the
action. The game's authenticity is impressive on a number of fronts, and
this well-polished combat title should please those who enjoy this type of
thing. While the gameplay is solid and the design is well-executed, the
overall impact isn't quite as impressive as you'd expect, since Whirlwind
feels a little bit dry and flat in some areas such as dialogue and
plotting. There really aren't any surprises here which make for a somewhat
predictable experience.
However,
the game succeeds in carrying out it's mission and delivers a solidly
entertaining simulation experience. While many games have traversed the
well-worn Vietnamese jungles, Whirlwind's focus on the helicopters and
strategy helps to make it stand out from the pack. Its historic accuracy
is probably the biggest draw for gamers but its mix of realistic machinery
and cinematic flair makes for an immersive and entertaining simulation.
The visuals are solid, if unspectacular and do an excellent job of brining
the feel of the war to life. Varying difficulty settings allow hardcore
sim-fanatics and casual gamers alike to get into the game. Overall,
Whirlwind Over Vietnam is a solidly entertaining release that offers the
solid play mechanics and authenticity that players have come to expect
from the genre.
- Michael Palisano
Grade:
C
