Vietcong 2

Vietcong 2 is a tactical war action game from the Czech studio Pterodon, which builds on the success of the first Vietcong and once again puts players into the American army's battles in the Vietnam War. The game follows a rookie who joins a special forces unit, and combines direct shootouts in dense tropical terrain with tactical command of a small squad of soldiers, who can be given basic orders to advance, provide cover, or attack a specific target, letting the player choose between a cautious advance or a more direct assault depending on the situation in the field.

Compared to the first installment, the game simplified some systems toward a more straightforward, action-oriented experience with a more linear mission structure, which earned it mixed reactions from part of the fanbase, who appreciated the predecessor's tactical depth and more open missions. The setting of Vietnamese jungle, villages, and rivers nevertheless remains the atmospheric core of the game, backed by the sound of gunfire, insects, and distant explosions, which creates a tense, claustrophobic atmosphere of combat in dense vegetation, where the enemy is often not seen before they fire, making orientation in the terrain just as important as an accurate aim. The dense vegetation also limits visibility so much that firefights often take place at very short range, which increases the tension and the feeling of vulnerability. The PC version also offered cooperative and multiplayer modes with several maps and game types, which extended the title's lifespan beyond the single-player campaign.

Vietcong 2 didn't achieve quite the same acclaim as the first installment, yet it remains a significant part of Czech war-action game development and proves that Pterodon was able to tackle the theme of the Vietnam War repeatedly and with its own recognizable style, even with less emphasis on tactical freedom. Today the game is seen mainly as a dignified, if less ambitious, sequel to one of the most distinctive Czech game titles of the nineties and early 2000s.

Why play it: For fans of the first installment, Vietcong 2 is a dignified, if less ambitious, sequel that proves Pterodon knew how to tackle the theme of the Vietnam War repeatedly with its own style.