Green Berets

The Good
Green Berets is a very good total conversion. Units are highly detailed and ambient jungle noises really help the game's atmosphere. Although only ten levels long, this game is offered at a bargain price, includes Myth II (needed for play) and level and unit editors. Also, like Myth II, players can play multiplayer using the new units and maps.

While overall level design was spotty, I did like the variations between levels. Some levels require holding off enemy assaults, others include rescuing downed pilots and POWs, and others involved attacking enemy defenses.

I really liked using the grenade launcher. Rather than just clicking on the enemy, you must locate a halfway point between you and the enemy and account for their movement. This was challenging and rewarding. Also, while I hated the mortar attacks, trying to find enemy snipers as they were picking off my troops really added to the suspense.

The Bad
This game has some problems of its own and inherits some problems from the Myth II engine. First, the dated Myth engine means that the graphics are roughly two years old and it shows. This game also uses the love it or hate it, camera system. While ambient sounds are great, voice overs are unappealing and sound effects seem muted. Also, while Myth II features ranged combat, a great amount of focus is given to hand-to-hand combat. Green Berets is 99% ranged combat and often with enemies out of sight. As a result the camera can never pull back far enough to see the combatants. The AI was also poor. My troops would fire into hills, stand in the line of fire, and seemed to have no level of autonomous action.

Some problems specific to Green Berets: This game is extremely difficult. While Myth II increased in difficulty, Green Berets is difficult from level one. While the ten levels make for interesting maps, actual level design is poor. On at least two levels, the missions seemed to end suddenly with the mission successful screen. While I was glad to have completed the level, I wasn't quite sure how I did.

My biggest complaint about Green Berets is that it didn't take chances. It mostly dealt with a squad of six soldiers when the engine could have easily supported two or three times that number and would have resulted in memorable battle sequences. Also one level allows the control of a huey, which was incredible and should have had a bigger role. Finally, the introduction of civilians was interesting but soooo much more could have been done with that.


The Bottom Line
I would highly recommend this game to anyone who does not already have Myth II. If you have Myth II already, please realize that similar mods are available online for free and that Myth III is right around the corner. Green Berets is not a bad game, and it is actually quite fun, but $20 is still asking a little too much.