August 27th , 2011
By MegaGamer

Genre: Third Person Shooter
Systems: Xbox, Playstation 2, and PC
Developer: Guerilla Games
Publisher: Eidos Interactive
Release Date: September 14th, 2011

Guerrilla Games, the development team responsible for the upcoming "Halo-killer" Killzone for the Playstation 2, is working on another title, Shellshock: Nam '67. Shellshock: Nam '67 is entering the arena at a time when there are so many shooters out there, particularly ones based in Vietnam, that it will be tough for it to gain any recognition. However, Guerilla Games has taken the game and has decided to do something that most games don't dare to do: try to provide an ugly, realistic war experience. Will it be controversial? Yes. Will it be fun? Yes. Will it sell well? That is the big question.

Rather than start with the gameplay, I figured we could get the graphics out of the way first. Shellshock: Nam '67 is using the same engine that Killzone will be running on, which is a good thing for Playstation 2 gamers since the game will look very good for that system, however on the whole (and especially when compared to other Xbox and PC games) the game just doesn't shine. The Killzone engine is excellent for a room by room setup, however, since Shellshock: Nam '67 takes place mostly outside in the dense jungles, the graphics just fail to impress.

You could say that the character design is the best part of the graphics. They are all realistically modeled and animated, however they aren't very detailed and their facial expressions are only average. And it's all down hill from there. Vietnam is an area that is filled with rainforests and heavy overgrowth, and the game does a horrible job of representing that environment. When you do go into jungle missions, there are definitely plenty of trees and what not off to the sides of the path, however the path accessible and able to be moved over is very lightly forested with little to know growth on the ground. Using the Killzone engine was a bad idea for a Vietnam game.

Alright, now that the bad stuff is out of the way, let's move on to what the developers are hoping will make the game so special. In just about every war game ever made, your enemies have been easily distinguishable. They will wear the enemy uniforms and you will know who and who not to shoot. Shellshock: Nam '67 is attempting to accurately recreate the horrors of the Vietnam War by making it so that you never know who is a friend and who is an enemy when you go into a new village. See that innocent looking woman standing by that hut? Yeah, she's harmless, right? Then all of a sudden she pops out and starts unloading on your squad with an AK, and now you are in some deep shit.

Just by walking through the different areas and going into new villages you will witness horrible acts of war that range from bodies hung from poles and trees to others that have been mutilated and are lying all around. You will see your own men murdering villagers and villagers who appeared to be innocent attacking you and your men.

There will also be plenty of other adult content that makes this game very deserving of its "M" for Mature rating. While you are in base camp, your safe zone, you will be able to chat it up with other soldiers or go to the shooting range. What's so good about the shooting range? If you are a good enough shot, you just might be able to get lucky with an impressed nurse. Being a sharpshooter is very rewarding indeed...

While talking with other soldiers, you will definitely hear plenty of shrewd and foul language. Just about every curse word you know, and maybe even some you don't, have been included in this game. This rather "animated" audio will show up everywhere, ranging from if you are in the heat of battle (i.e. "Die you mother ****ers!") or whether you are back at base camp listening to what one of the guys did on his mission the previous day.

Throughout the game, you will earn "Chit" points. Chit points can buy you two main things, drugs and sex. Get enough of them, and you will be living like a rock and roller. Guerrilla Games is still experimenting with the drugs aspect, however currently you can buy some drugs, get fried before battle, and then go in and you can expect to see plenty of blurred vision and some psychedelic effects just like you'd expect. As for the sex, ever wanted to get with that Vietnamese chick from Full Metal Jacket? This is the closest you'll get. You can use Chit points to buy a prostitute and get yourself laid.

What about the rest of the audio in the game? Well, it will support Dolby 5.1, which will definitely bring the war experience even more alive. As for the soundtrack, here is a full list of what's included:

Warm and Tender Love -- Percy Sledge; Percy Sledge - It Tears Me UP, The Best Of Percy Sledge (CD provided)
The Beat Goes on -- Sonny and Cher; The Best Of Sonny And Cher - The Beat Goes On (CD provided)
I Go To Sleep -- The Truth; 1966 The Soundtrack (CD1, track 23) CMEDD 705
Silly Savage -- The Golden Toadstools; Sun / Silly Savage - Golden Toadstools (CD provided)
Jump And Dance -- The Carnaby; Sanctuary - Various Tracks (CD provided)
We Ain't Got Nothin' Yet -- The Spectres; 1967 The Soundtrack (CD1, track 9) CMEDD 707
Pretty Woman -- Roy Orbison; Roy Orbison - Greatest Hits (CD provided)
In Dreams -- Roy Orbison; Roy Orbison - Greatest Hits (CD provided)
Bert's Apple Crumble -- The Quick; Universal Shellshock Vietnam (CD provided)
Don't Stop What You're Doing -- The Small Faces; Universal Shllshock Vietnam (CD provided)
E Too D -- The Small Faces; Universal Shllshock Vietnam (CD provided)
Yield Not To Temptation -- Bobby Bland; Universal Shllshock Vietnam (CD provided)
I Don't Wanna To Go To Vietnam -- John Lee Hooker; Universal Shllshock Vietnam (CD provided)
Technicolour Dreams -- Status Quo; Sanctuary - Various Tracks (CD provided)
Bass Strings -- Country Joe and the Fish; i10Q Shellshock Master CD (CD Provided)
66-5-4-3-2-1 -- The Troggs; TBC
The Hawg -- Eddie Kirk; i10Q Shellshock Master CD (CD Provided)
Pushin Too Hard -- The Seeds; The Seeds - The Seeds and A Web Of Sound (CD provided)
Who Do You love -- Juicy Lucy; Sanctuary - Various Tracks (CD provided)
Just For You -- Traffic; i10Q Shellshock Master CD (CD Provided)
Sugar Babe -- Jimmy Powell and the 5 Dimensions
Big Bird -- 1964 The Soundtrack (CD2, track 17) CMEDD 655
Someday Man -- The Monkees; The Monkees Instant Replay (CD provided)
Warm and Tender Love -- Percy Sledge; Percy Sledge - It Tears Me UP, The Best Of Percy Sledge (CD provided)

Right now, it appears that Guerilla Games will be offering a new outlook on war with Shellshock: Nam '67. And judging by the success of other Mature games such as Grand Theft Auto, this game may do very well. However, the lack of a multiplayer mode really hurt its chances. Now we will just have to wait until mid-September to see how the final product turns out.