HELL LET LOOSE: VIETNAM

The 'light military simulation' game ships out to Vietnam, 1965

- Kyle Hoekstra

Having toiled in the trenches of World War II, Expression Games is going airborne with Hell Let Loose: Vietnam, a robust, baffling and thrilling multiplayer shooter with an intimidating learning curve. It shares its toughness, historical nuance and team gameplay with its predecessor. But this time, one side has helicopters.

The extravagant 50 versus 50 battles of Hell Let Loose: Vietnam unfold over sprawling maps and embrace six game modes, including the original's objective-based Offensive mode and Warfare, which is a grand tug-of-war for control of strongpoints. The twist here is the asymmetry. The original game's fairly matched teams have been bent out of shape. Instead, players opt for the technologically advanced United States forces, or the North Vietnamese Army who deploy tunnels to help them manoeuvre in stealth.

At first glance the game bears resemblance to Antimatter Games' Rising Storm 2. However, that game released back in 2017, leaving the setting underrepresented among FPS games and giving Expression's community good reason to ask for another. And with boots on the ground, it's clear that Hell Let Loose: Vietnam occupies its own niche between military simulation and popular shooters. "We're like a middle ground," says lead producer Craig Clark. "We're a light military simulation game and I think we know what we're doing in this realm."

What continues to distinguish it from other first-person shooters is how it harnesses communication and teamwork. "That's the big thing," says Clark. "You can't solo this game. You can't be the guy."

NOT ANY FPS