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Platoon

Score: 65%
ESRB: Teen
Publisher: Strategy First
Developer: Monte Cristo
Media: CD/1
Players: 1 - 4
Genre: Miscellaneous

Graphics & Sound:

If it weren't for all the glitches, the graphics in Platoon wouldn't be all that bad. Higher screen resolutions will not only yield greater detail, but more technical problems as well. Soldiers will be missing their rifles and the mini-map doesn't work half the time. However, even on lower resolutions, the look of the game is done nicely. It does get a little monotonous at times, though, as the landscapes in Vietnam apparently all look the same, but if you can overlook this then things aren't too sore on the eyes.

What little sound effects and music included are nice, but there just aren't enough of them. You never quite feel like you're in the jungle, and instead of playing quiet tracks as you walk through the thick foliage, things remain uncomfortably quiet. Quantity, or lack thereof, is a big issue here.


Gameplay:

If you haven't guessed by now, Platoon is based on the popular Oliver Stone movie of the same name. It doesn't exactly parallel the movie's storyline, but it does take place in Vietnam and everything revolves around squad based combat. Unfortunately, though, Firefights remain on a smaller scale than those of the movie, and they are noticeably less intense.

Usually given a hero and a squad or two of riflemen, you must follow orders (which are usually to go out and kill some Vietcong squads) and execute them with the least amount of casualties to your men. Your hero leads the rest of the squads, and if he is killed then the mission is over.

Terrain plays an important role in the completion of your missions. Flat, barren ground will yield no cover for your men, and if they are caught out in the open during a firefight, the enemy will make short work of them. Scouting ahead to look for ambushes is crucial, but there will be times when you can set up your own nasty traps.

Despite the Vietnam appeal, there is very little replay value to Platoon. The Campaign mode is short and monotonous, and the Multiplayer mode sports very few maps and is good for only Deathmatches. The weaponry in the game is varied well, as you can control guys with bazookas and even a tank or APC, but the gameplay doesn't lend itself to make use of these features.


Difficulty:

Ironically, when your troops come in contact with the enemy, they won't shoot them at all. At least, not until you give them the order to fire. No, this isn't a bug. It is a futile attempt to recreate the military hierarchy of order giving, and nobody does ANYTHING until you tell them to. Taking these suicidal troops into battle isn't the easiest thing to do, and this roadblock could have easily been avoided by the developers if they sat down and thought about what they were doing.

Game Mechanics:

As far as control schemes go, Platoon's is pretty average. You point and click your units' way around the battlefield, and you can issue a few suborders to them along the way. They can run, crawl, or walk, as stamina plays an (annoying) role in the game. Your soldiers' stamina runs out at all the worst times and takes forever to build back up. Also, there is no indication on the screen as to who you have selected, adding needless confusion to the mix.

Had it been done right, Platoon could have turned into a really fun game. However, with its limited options and shallow gameplay, it comes up short in the end. Not even fans of the movie will be interested in this title, making it virtually worthless to almost everyone. The film will offer more fun for a longer amount of time than its video game counterpart will.


-Snow Chainz, GameVortex Communications
AKA Andrew Horwitz

Minimum System Requirements:



Windows 98/ME/2K/XP, 600 MHz Processor, 32 MB RAM, 8X CD-ROM, 56K Modem for Internet Play
 

Test System:



Windows 98, 1.4GHz AMD Athlon, GeForce 2 mx 32MB video card, 40 gig hard drive, 56x CD-ROM, 256MB DDR Ram, Sound Blaster Live! sound card, T1 Internet connection

Windows Planetside: Core Combat Sony PlayStation 2 Airforce Delta Strike

 
Game Vortex :: PSIllustrated