Battlefield Bad Company 2: Vietnam Preview

By Kevin Kelly - Posted Sep 16, 2010

Preview: Battlefield Bad Company 2 Vietnam

There's good news, and there's bad news here. The bad news is that Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Vietnam is just a DLC pack for Battlefield: Bad Company 2. Which is actually only bad news because we really wanted to see this with a campaign setting. The good news is that it's a lot of fun, because it's ... Battlefield: Bad Company 2. Vietnam is basically a skin for the game that takes you back to the 60s, gives you four new maps, 15 new era-specific weapons, and six new era-specific vehicles and wraps it all up in a soundtrack straight from the movies.

There were times when I was playing this that I forgot I was in the Vietnam era, because a game of multiplayer Battlefield looks pretty much exactly the same. We were shown a lush jungle map, which looked similar at times to the Valparaíso map. The one thing that grounded it for me though was the constant chatter of AK-47s. The standard Assault loadout does include the infamous M79 "Blooper" Grenade Launcher, which sadly doesn't come in Tiger Stripe to satisfy Apocalypse Now fans. That and the Hueys blasting overhead from time to time, which are equally fun to ride in as a chopper gunner.

The biggest reminders that you're playing the game in a new era come when you see your North Vietnamese Army foes up close, clad in their infamous black pajama outfits. Or if you're playing as the NVA, you'll see handwraps on your hands where you're gripping your weapon. Although the game promises two hours worth of era-specific tunes, including "Ride of the Valkyries" (which will satisfy Apocalypse Now fans), we only heard the sounds of battle. Although to be fair, this was in a very loud room competing with several other EA games for sound domination.

This DLC pack will be available sometime before the end of 2010 for the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360, and EA has not announced a price yet. If you're keeping track, the pack includes:

Four Brand New Maps. Four distinct Vietnam-based maps each bring a fresh visual and gameplay experience.?
Six Immortalized Vehicles. Skim the treetops in the iconic American Huey helicopter. Drive the sturdy Russian T54 tank and the nimble US PBR "Pibber" patrol boat, plus three more vehicles immortalized in the Vietnam War.?
15 Characteristic Weapons. Players charge into battle with 15 new weapons modeled on their real life counter-parts, including the rare Navy SEAL XM22 machinegun and the characteristic M79 "Blooper" Grenade Launcher.?
Rocking 60's Soundtrack. Listen to eight radio channels in-game, featuring 49 era specific tracks, including "Ride of the Valkyries" and "Fortunate Son" by CCR.?
True War Dialogue. All-new voiceovers for both American and Vietnamese forces, based on authentic communication from the Vietnam war for maximum immersion.?
New Achievements/Trophies. Players collect 10 new achievements/trophies, one being to blow up Vietnamese propaganda speakers. Earn new weapon proficiency stars specific to your skills with the weapons in the expansion.