Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Elite Warriors: Vietnam puts you in command of a four-man SOG (Studies and Operations Group) squad, tasking you with eight grueling missions that mirror real-world operations. The game borrows its tactical feel from nFusion’s Deadly Dozen, but tightens the focus on reconnaissance, sabotage and extraction deep in enemy territory. Instead of jumping mission-to-mission in isolation, you navigate an overhead, RPG-style map of Vietnam. Plotting your course between villages, supply drops and chokepoints becomes as crucial as clearing out a Viet Cong bunker.

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Once your squad’s icon reaches a point of interest, the action seamlessly transitions to an isometric, real-time combat level. Here, you must coordinate your men: set waypoints, decide who carries demolition charges, who provides covering fire and who scouts ahead with night-vision goggles. Stealth and timing are rewarded just as highly as heroics—blundering in guns blazing often leads to heavy losses and compromised objectives. The pacing fluctuates between tense infiltration sequences and high-octane firefights, keeping you on your toes.

Resource management and squad progression add an RPG edge to the shooter formula. Ammo is finite, medkits are precious and every successful mission yields intel that can tip the balance in subsequent operations. You’ll find yourself weighing the risks of a direct assault against the benefits of scouting for alternate entry points or waiting for a supply drop to resupply your men. It’s this strategic layer—melding planning, stealth and firepower—that elevates Elite Warriors: Vietnam above a simple run-and-gun experience.

Graphics

For its era, Elite Warriors: Vietnam delivers impressively detailed environments. Lush jungle canopies filter shifting sunlight, swamps reflect a murky sheen and the dense foliage feels both beautiful and claustrophobic. Villages, riverbanks and enemy encampments are distinct enough to memorize and exploit, yet varied enough to avoid visual repetition across eight campaigns.

Character models and animations are serviceable if a bit dated. Your four operatives sport authentic gear—M16s with underslung grenade launchers, PRC-25 radios and period-accurate uniforms. Animations such as crouch-walking through tall grass or rappelling from helicopters help sell the immersion. Explosions kick up dust, muzzle flashes momentarily blind you and water splashes realistically when you wade through streams.

The overhead map interface, while functional, occasionally feels clunky. Icons can overlap, and zooming in to place precise waypoints requires some patience. However, mission briefings and cutscenes use pre-rendered art that captures the gritty atmosphere of the Vietnam War effectively—complete with grainy film overlays, period maps and radio chatter echoing in the background.

Story

Elite Warriors: Vietnam draws heavily from Maj. John Plaster’s book Secret Commandos, offering a narrative rooted in classified SOG operations. Briefings feel more like real military dossiers than video game backdrops. You’re not simply chasing a faceless enemy; each mission ties into a larger campaign of reconnaissance, sabotage and hostage rescues that defined SOG’s covert role.

Characters are introduced with short bios, detailing their specialties—demolitions, communications or sniper duties—and occasionally you’ll receive personal letters or journal entries that hint at the mental toll of jungle warfare. This approach lends emotional weight to the campaign, making each man’s survival feel significant. When teammates fall or equipment is lost, the sting is real, not just a respawn timer.

While the story arc is linear, mission variety keeps the narrative fresh: one operation might have you blowing open a tunnel network, the next extracting a CIA informant under the cover of darkness. Contextual radio chatter and in-mission dialogue reinforce the stakes, reminding you that every choice you make can alter the fate of soldiers behind enemy lines.

Overall Experience

Elite Warriors: Vietnam shines as a tactical squad-based shooter with a historical backbone. Fans of realistic military titles will appreciate the deliberate pace, the emphasis on planning and the palpable tension that emerges from every firefight. The combination of an overworld map with real-time missions provides a sense of continuity and consequence often missing in single-objective shooters.

Difficulty can be steep—especially on higher settings where ammunition is scarce and healing items are rationed—but this challenge reinforces the game’s authenticity. There’s no hand-holding; you learn to scout, flank and coordinate or face brutal setbacks. If you prefer run-and-gun action, be warned: Elite Warriors demands patience and tactical foresight.

In the end, Elite Warriors: Vietnam offers a compelling mix of strategy, stealth and squad combat. The graphics hold up for a late-’00s release, the story immerses you in classified SOG operations and the gameplay loop keeps you invested mission after mission. For buyers seeking a historically grounded shooter that rewards careful planning and cooperative tactics, this title is a worthy addition to any collection.

Retro Replay Score

5.5/10