Battlefield Vietnam
Encyclopedia
Battlefield Vietnam is the second video game in Electronic Arts
' Battlefield franchise after Battlefield 1942
. The game was developed by the Swedish company Digital Illusions CE and published by Electronic Arts
on March 15, 2004 in North America and days later in other parts of the world. Battlefield Vietnam takes place during the Vietnam War
. It is first-person shooter
(FPS) games and features a large variety of maps based on historical settings, such as the Ho Chi Minh Trail
, Battle of Hue, Ia Drang Valley
, Operation Flaming Dart
, The Battle of Khe Sanh
and Fall of Saigon
. Many parts of the game have been influenced by popular Vietnam War movies. Examples are the player's ability to play Ride of the Valkyries
on the radio and the tiger striped M79 from Apocalypse Now
.
On March 15, 2005, EA re-released the game as Battlefield Vietnam: Redux (as a reference to Apocalypse Now: Redux), which includes the 1.01, 1.02, 1.1, and 1.2 patches, new vehicles, maps, and an EA-produced World War II mod, based on the previous Battlefield 1942
.
Battlefield Vietnam features a revolutionary form of asymmetrical warfare gameplay. The two teams (US or Vietnamese) are given wildly different kits and vehicles, making the US rely more on heavy vehicles and the Vietnamese rely more on infantry tactics. The US, for instance, will get heavy tanks, helicopters, and even bombers, while the Vietnamese are forced to rely on anti-tank/anti-aircraft weapons in order to stop the American side. This gameplay was intended to reflect the actual conditions of the war. The inclusion of a "Sipi Hole" for the Vietnamese - effectively a mobile spawn point, representative of the vast tunnel networks the Vietnamese used in the actual war - did a great deal to balance the gameplay.
, South Vietnam
, North Vietnam
, and the Viet-Cong.
. It also has several additions to it, such as air-lifting vehicles and, while in a vehicle, playing the vehicle's radio, which featured 1960s
music. Players can also replace the vehicle soundtrack with their own music tracks. Players are able to fire from the passenger sides of vehicles, rather than leaving the player defenseless. The game is the first in the Battlefield series to utilize a 3D map, allowing players to see icons that represent the position of control points or friendly units, giving the player an increased situational awareness.
The game features a variety of famous military vehicles from the war, that are drivable by players. These include vehicles such as the M551 Sheridan
, M48 Patton
, the AH-1 Cobra
, F-4 Phantom II
, M-113 APC and the Huey
chopper. North Vietnamese and Vietcong players also get access to a wide range of vehicles, such as the MiG-17 & MiG-21 jet fighters, Mil Mi-8
Hip helicopter, ZSU-57-2
self-propelled anti-aircraft gun, PT-76
, T-54 tank and even a Vespa
scooter
.
) to Battlefield Vietnam available for download. One of these modifications was produced by DICE, and is called Battlefield: Vietnam World War II modification. This modification consists of the Pacific maps of Battlefield 1942
remade with BFV graphics. New weapons such as a flamethrower and a mortar launcher were added to this version.
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts, Inc. is a major American developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games. Founded and incorporated on May 28, 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers...
' Battlefield franchise after Battlefield 1942
Battlefield 1942
Battlefield 1942 is a 3D World War II first-person shooter computer game developed by Swedish company Digital Illusions CE and published by Electronic Arts for Microsoft Windows and Apple Macintosh . The game can be played in singleplayer mode against the computer game AI or in multiplayer mode...
. The game was developed by the Swedish company Digital Illusions CE and published by Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts, Inc. is a major American developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games. Founded and incorporated on May 28, 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers...
on March 15, 2004 in North America and days later in other parts of the world. Battlefield Vietnam takes place during the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. It is first-person shooter
First-person shooter
First-person shooter is a video game genre that centers the gameplay on gun and projectile weapon-based combat through first-person perspective; i.e., the player experiences the action through the eyes of a protagonist. Generally speaking, the first-person shooter shares common traits with other...
(FPS) games and features a large variety of maps based on historical settings, such as the Ho Chi Minh Trail
Ho Chi Minh trail
The Ho Chi Minh trail was a logistical system that ran from the Democratic Republic of Vietnam to the Republic of Vietnam through the neighboring kingdoms of Laos and Cambodia...
, Battle of Hue, Ia Drang Valley
Ia Drang Valley
The Ia Drang Valley is a valley located about 32 miles south west of Pleiku in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. It is mostly known for the Battle of Ia Drang that happened there during the early days of the Vietnam War....
, Operation Flaming Dart
Operation Flaming Dart
Operation Flaming Dart was a U.S. and Vietnam Air Force military operation, conducted in two parts, during the Vietnam War. During the bombing raid Premier Alexei Kosygin headed a Soviet delegation to North Vietnam....
, The Battle of Khe Sanh
Battle of Khe Sanh
The Battle of Khe Sanh was conducted in northwestern Quang Tri Province, Republic of Vietnam , between 21 January and 9 July 1968 during the Vietnam War...
and Fall of Saigon
Fall of Saigon
The Fall of Saigon was the capture of Saigon, the capital of South Vietnam, by the People's Army of Vietnam and the National Liberation Front on April 30, 1975...
. Many parts of the game have been influenced by popular Vietnam War movies. Examples are the player's ability to play Ride of the Valkyries
Ride of the Valkyries
The Ride of the Valkyries is the popular term for the beginning of Act III of Die Walküre, the second of the four operas by Richard Wagner that comprise Der Ring des Nibelungen. The main theme of the Ride, the leitmotif labelled Walkürenritt, was first written down by the composer on 23 July 1851...
on the radio and the tiger striped M79 from Apocalypse Now
Apocalypse Now
Apocalypse Now is a 1979 American war film set during the Vietnam War, produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The central character is US Army special operations officer Captain Benjamin L. Willard , of MACV-SOG, an assassin sent to kill the renegade and presumed insane Special Forces...
.
On March 15, 2005, EA re-released the game as Battlefield Vietnam: Redux (as a reference to Apocalypse Now: Redux), which includes the 1.01, 1.02, 1.1, and 1.2 patches, new vehicles, maps, and an EA-produced World War II mod, based on the previous Battlefield 1942
Battlefield 1942
Battlefield 1942 is a 3D World War II first-person shooter computer game developed by Swedish company Digital Illusions CE and published by Electronic Arts for Microsoft Windows and Apple Macintosh . The game can be played in singleplayer mode against the computer game AI or in multiplayer mode...
.
Gameplay
Battlefield Vietnam has the same point by point objectives of Battlefield 1942; In most maps, your objective is to take Control Points around the map to enable friendly players and controllable vehicles to spawn. Like other Battlefield games, Spawn tickets play a vital role for defeat of a Team.Battlefield Vietnam features a revolutionary form of asymmetrical warfare gameplay. The two teams (US or Vietnamese) are given wildly different kits and vehicles, making the US rely more on heavy vehicles and the Vietnamese rely more on infantry tactics. The US, for instance, will get heavy tanks, helicopters, and even bombers, while the Vietnamese are forced to rely on anti-tank/anti-aircraft weapons in order to stop the American side. This gameplay was intended to reflect the actual conditions of the war. The inclusion of a "Sipi Hole" for the Vietnamese - effectively a mobile spawn point, representative of the vast tunnel networks the Vietnamese used in the actual war - did a great deal to balance the gameplay.
Factions
Battlefield Vietnam features the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, South Vietnam
South Vietnam
South Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...
, North Vietnam
North Vietnam
The Democratic Republic of Vietnam , was a communist state that ruled the northern half of Vietnam from 1954 until 1976 following the Geneva Conference and laid claim to all of Vietnam from 1945 to 1954 during the First Indochina War, during which they controlled pockets of territory throughout...
, and the Viet-Cong.
Features
Built on a modified Battlefield 1942 engine, Battlefield Vietnam had many new and improved features from its predecessor. The game gives the player a variety of weapons based on the war. Various contemporary weapons and concepts are featured such as the AK47 assault rifle and punji stick trapsPunji stick
The Punji stick or Punji stake is a type of booby trapped stake. It is a simple spike, made out of wood or bamboo, generally placed upright in the ground. Punji sticks are usually deployed in substantial numbers....
. It also has several additions to it, such as air-lifting vehicles and, while in a vehicle, playing the vehicle's radio, which featured 1960s
Era
An era is a commonly used word for long period of time. When used in science, for example geology, eras denote clearly defined periods of time of arbitrary but well defined length, such as for example the Mesozoic era from 252 Ma–66 Ma, delimited by a start event and an end event. When used in...
music. Players can also replace the vehicle soundtrack with their own music tracks. Players are able to fire from the passenger sides of vehicles, rather than leaving the player defenseless. The game is the first in the Battlefield series to utilize a 3D map, allowing players to see icons that represent the position of control points or friendly units, giving the player an increased situational awareness.
The game features a variety of famous military vehicles from the war, that are drivable by players. These include vehicles such as the M551 Sheridan
M551 Sheridan
The M551 Sheridan was a light tank developed by the United States and named after Civil War General Philip Sheridan. It was designed to be landed by parachute and to swim across rivers. It was armed with the technically advanced but troublesome M81/M81E1 152mm gun/launcher which fired conventional...
, M48 Patton
M48 Patton
The M48 Patton is a medium tank that was designed in the United States. It was the third and final tank to be officially named after General George S. Patton, commander of the U.S. Third Army during World War II and one of the earliest American advocates for the use of tanks in battle It was a...
, the AH-1 Cobra
AH-1 Cobra
The Bell AH-1 Cobra is a two-bladed, single engine attack helicopter manufactured by Bell Helicopter. It shares a common engine, transmission and rotor system with the older UH-1 Iroquois...
, F-4 Phantom II
F-4 Phantom II
The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is a tandem two-seat, twin-engined, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor fighter/fighter-bomber originally developed for the United States Navy by McDonnell Aircraft. It first entered service in 1960 with the U.S. Navy. Proving highly adaptable,...
, M-113 APC and the Huey
UH-1 Iroquois
The Bell UH-1 Iroquois is a military helicopter powered by a single, turboshaft engine, with a two-bladed main rotor and tail rotor. The helicopter was developed by Bell Helicopter to meet the United States Army's requirement for a medical evacuation and utility helicopter in 1952, and first flew...
chopper. North Vietnamese and Vietcong players also get access to a wide range of vehicles, such as the MiG-17 & MiG-21 jet fighters, Mil Mi-8
Mil Mi-8
The Mil Mi-8 is a medium twin-turbine transport helicopter that can also act as a gunship. The Mi-8 is the world's most-produced helicopter, and is used by over 50 countries. Russia is the largest operator of the Mi-8/Mi-17 helicopter....
Hip helicopter, ZSU-57-2
ZSU-57-2
The ZSU-57-2 is a Soviet self-propelled anti-aircraft gun , armed with two 57 mm autocannons. 'ZSU' stands for Zenitnaya Samokhodnaya Ustanovka , meaning "anti-aircraft self-propelled mount", '57' stands for the bore of the armament in millimetres and '2' stands for the number of gun barrels....
self-propelled anti-aircraft gun, PT-76
PT-76
The PT-76 is a Soviet amphibious light tank which was introduced in the early 1950s and soon became the standard reconnaissance tank of the Soviet Army and the other Warsaw Pact armed forces. It was widely exported to other friendly states, like India, Iraq, North Korea and North Vietnam. Overall,...
, T-54 tank and even a Vespa
Vespa
Vespa is an Italian brand of scooter manufactured by Piaggio. The name means wasp in Italian.The Vespa has evolved from a single model motor scooter manufactured in 1946 by Piaggio & Co. S.p.A...
scooter
Scooter (motorcycle)
A scooter is a motorcycle with step-through frame and a platform for the operator's feet. Elements of scooter design have been present in some of the earliest motorcycles, and motorcycles identifiable as scooters have been made from 1914 or earlier...
.
Modifications
There are numerous modifications (called modsMod (computer gaming)
Mod or modification is a term generally applied to personal computer games , especially first-person shooters, role-playing games and real-time strategy games. Mods are made by the general public or a developer, and can be entirely new games in themselves, but mods are not standalone software and...
) to Battlefield Vietnam available for download. One of these modifications was produced by DICE, and is called Battlefield: Vietnam World War II modification. This modification consists of the Pacific maps of Battlefield 1942
Battlefield 1942
Battlefield 1942 is a 3D World War II first-person shooter computer game developed by Swedish company Digital Illusions CE and published by Electronic Arts for Microsoft Windows and Apple Macintosh . The game can be played in singleplayer mode against the computer game AI or in multiplayer mode...
remade with BFV graphics. New weapons such as a flamethrower and a mortar launcher were added to this version.
Music soundtrack
The track list for Battlefield Vietnam included throughout the game play is as follows- Creedence Clearwater RevivalCreedence Clearwater RevivalCreedence Clearwater Revival was an American rock band that gained popularity in the late 1960s and early 1970s with a number of successful singles drawn from various albums....
- "Fortunate SonFortunate Son (song)"Fortunate Son" is a song by Creedence Clearwater Revival on their album Willy and the Poor Boys in 1968. It was released as a single, together with "Down on the Corner", in September 1968. This song reached #14 on the United States charts. It won the RIAA Gold Disc award in December 1970...
" - Edwin StarrEdwin StarrEdwin Starr was an American soul music singer. Starr is most famous for his Norman Whitfield produced singles of the 1970s, most notably the number one hit "War".-Biography:...
- "War" - Martha and the VandellasMartha and the VandellasMartha and the Vandellas were among the most successful groups of the Motown roster during the period 1963–1967...
- "Nowhere to Run" - - The TroggsThe TroggsThe Troggs are an English rock band from the 1960s that had a number of hits in UK and the US. Their most famous songs include, "Wild Thing", "With a Girl Like You", and "Love Is All Around"...
- "Wild Thing" - Rare EarthRare Earth (band)Rare Earth is an American rock band affiliated with Motown's Rare Earth record label , who prospered in 1970-1972. Although not the first white band signed to Motown, Rare Earth was the first big hit-making act signed by Motown that consisted only of white members...
- "Get Ready" - Canned HeatCanned HeatCanned Heat is a blues-rock/boogie rock band that formed in Los Angeles, California in 1965. The group has been noted for its own interpretations of blues material as well as for efforts to promote the interest in this type of music and its original artists...
- "On the Road AgainOn the Road Again (Canned Heat song)"On the Road Again," a song recorded by the American blues rock group Canned Heat, was released as a single in April 1968, and appeared on their 1968 album Boogie with Canned Heat as well as the 1969 compilation The Canned Heat Cookbook...
" - - The Guess WhoThe Guess WhoThe Guess Who are a Canadian rock band from Winnipeg, Manitoba. Initially gaining recognition in Canada, they also found international success from the late 1960s through the mid-1970s with numerous hit singles, including "American Woman", "These Eyes" and "Share the Land"...
- "Shakin' All OverShakin' All Over"Shakin' All Over" is a rock and roll song originally performed by Johnny Kidd and the Pirates. It was written by frontman Johnny Kidd and reached #1 in the United Kingdom in August 1960...
" - Count FiveCount FiveThe Count Five was a 1960s garage rock band from San Jose, California, best known for their Top 10 single "Psychotic Reaction".The band was founded in 1964 by John "Mouse" Michalski and Roy Chaney took over bass duties, two high school friends who had previously played in several short-lived...
- "Psychotic ReactionPsychotic Reaction"Psychotic Reaction" is an early garage rock song released by the American rock band Count Five in 1966, and also the title of their only album. The song Psychotic Reaction was written by the five members of the Count Five, Craig "Butch" Atkinson, John Byrne, Roy Chaney, Kenn Ellner and John...
" - Deep PurpleDeep PurpleDeep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertford in 1968. Along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, they are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although some band members believe that their music cannot be categorised as belonging to any one genre...
- "Hush" - The KinksThe KinksThe Kinks were an English rock band formed in Muswell Hill, North London, by brothers Ray and Dave Davies in 1964. Categorised in the United States as a British Invasion band, The Kinks are recognised as one of the most important and influential rock acts of the era. Their music was influenced by a...
- "All Day and All of the NightAll Day and All of the Night"All Day and All of the Night" is a song by the British band The Kinks from 1964. It can be found on their debut album "Kinks". It reached #2 on the UK Singles Chart and #7 on Billboards United States chart in 1965....
" - The KinksThe KinksThe Kinks were an English rock band formed in Muswell Hill, North London, by brothers Ray and Dave Davies in 1964. Categorised in the United States as a British Invasion band, The Kinks are recognised as one of the most important and influential rock acts of the era. Their music was influenced by a...
- "You Really Got MeYou Really Got Me"You Really Got Me" is a rock song written by Ray Davies and performed by his band, The Kinks. It was released on 4th August 1964 as the group's third single, and reached Number 1 on the UK singles chart the next month, remaining for two weeks...
" - The Box TopsThe Box TopsThe Box Tops were a Memphis rock group of the second half of the 1960s. They are best known for the hits "The Letter," "Neon Rainbow," "Soul Deep," "I Met Her in Church," and "Cry Like A Baby," and are considered a major blue-eyed soul group of the period...
- "The Letter" - Jefferson AirplaneJefferson AirplaneJefferson Airplane was an American rock band formed in San Francisco in 1965. A pioneer of the psychedelic rock movement, Jefferson Airplane was the first band from the San Francisco scene to achieve mainstream commercial and critical success....
- "Somebody to LoveSomebody to Love (Jefferson Airplane song)"Somebody to Love" is a rock song that was written by Darby Slick and originally recorded by 1960s folk rock band The Great Society and later by the psychedelic rock band Jefferson Airplane...
" - Bobby Fuller Four - "I Fought the LawI Fought the Law"I Fought the Law" is a song written by Sonny Curtis of The Crickets and became popularized by a cover by the Bobby Fuller Four, which went on to become a top-ten hit for the band in 1966 and was also recorded by The Clash in 1979...
" - Budapest Symphony Orchestra - "The Ride of the Valkyries" As a reference to Apocalypse NowApocalypse NowApocalypse Now is a 1979 American war film set during the Vietnam War, produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The central character is US Army special operations officer Captain Benjamin L. Willard , of MACV-SOG, an assassin sent to kill the renegade and presumed insane Special Forces...
. - The TrashmenThe TrashmenThe Trashmen are a rock and roll band formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1962. The group's original lineup was Tony Andreason on lead guitar and vocals, Dal Winslow on guitar and vocals, Steve Wahrer on drums and vocals, and Bob Reed on bass guitar...
- "Surfin' BirdSurfin' Bird"Surfin' Bird" is a song performed by the American surf rock band The Trashmen; it is also the name of the album that featured this hit single. It was released in 1963 and reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100...
" - As a reference to Full Metal JacketFull Metal JacketFull Metal Jacket is a 1987 war film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick. It is an adaptation of the 1979 novel The Short-Timers by Gustav Hasford and stars Matthew Modine, Vincent D'Onofrio, R. Lee Ermey, Arliss Howard and Adam Baldwin. The film follows a platoon of U.S...
. - Jefferson AirplaneJefferson AirplaneJefferson Airplane was an American rock band formed in San Francisco in 1965. A pioneer of the psychedelic rock movement, Jefferson Airplane was the first band from the San Francisco scene to achieve mainstream commercial and critical success....
- "White RabbitWhite Rabbit (song)"White Rabbit" is a song from Jefferson Airplane's 1967 album Surrealistic Pillow. It was released as a single and became the band's second top ten success, peaking at #8 on the Billboard Hot 100...
" (Menu theme, instrumental remix)