by:	October 29, 2004

Men of Valor is another game based on the Vietnam War. Yes, another war game pitting us in one of the most controversial wars ever for America to enter itself in. The reason I stress that this is another game based on the Vietnam War is because there has been about four released the past few months all ready. Does Men of Valor pack enough punch to deliver a solid game that outshines the competitors? Well read on because you won’t be disappointed at all.

Here’s a short history lesson for those who weren’t even born when the Vietnam War became real. The war began after the Geneva Conference when it divided Vietnam at 17° N lat. into the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) and the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam). It escaladed of course when the United States entered itself and became involved with helping out South Vietnam. So it’s predictable that in Shellshock you’ll be taking control of the United States soldiers to aid South Vietnam during this long and enduring war.

Men of Valor was created by 2015, the team known for Medal of Honor: Allied Assault. Men of Valor closely resembles Medal of Honor as the battle leans more to the scripted battles that give you the feeling of being lead through the game. The battles are heavily choreographed that make the game have the frenzy of warfare try to give a sense of realism. You could say that everything you expected is in the game. The choppers, the women that attack you, the called in air attacks, the women that attack you, the great Xbox Live action, and oh yeah did I mention the women that attack your squad? It’s all here and it’s not all that bad after all.

The game is typical according to what the genre currently offers. It never exceeds in any feature that others may be offering but Men of Valor does deliver all around solidity. Attached with Men of Valor are the usual cheap deaths, occasional stupid AI, corny dialogue, and the location of shots that seem to be coming out of nowhere. The game pushes you along in the combat so it’s never a dull moment when you are battling the opposition. What dampens the gameplay is that you can actually die on accident due to that you won’t know where to stand to further along the game to the cinematics that ensues afterwards.

While the single player lasts around a good 18 hours max, the core of the game is based in the multiplayer action. The multiplayer allows up to 12 players to play on Xbox Live through the standard modes such as deathmatch, team death match, and of course capture-the-flag scenarios. Also included is a mode that resembles Call of Duty’s Demolition mode where you have to destroy an object of the opposition. The multiplayer may not be revolutionary, but it still promises to be one of the hottest Xbox titles on Live until the ‘big game’ is released. We all know about the ‘big game’ so no use mentioning it.

Check on over to page 2 for graphics and audio. --->