Leave No One Behind: Ia Drang
- March 2, 2022
- Gaming 301
- 5h median play time
Get on Steam"Leave No One Behind: Ia Drang" is a tactical shooter game set in the Vietnam War. Players lead a squad of soldiers through the Ia Drang Valley, completing objectives and engaging in historic battles. Authentic weapons, uniforms, and military strategy bring the intense combat and challenging missions to life.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game offers a unique and immersive experience of the Vietnam War, focusing on resource management and tactical decision-making.
- Gameplay mechanics are engaging, requiring players to manage casualties, ammo, and troop movements effectively, which adds depth to the strategy.
- The graphics and visuals are appealing, enhancing the overall atmosphere of the game.
- The game is plagued by numerous bugs and glitches, including mission soft locks and unresponsive objectives, making it frustrating to progress.
- The tutorial is poorly designed, slow, and fails to adequately explain game mechanics, leading to confusion for new players.
- There is no save function during missions, forcing players to restart lengthy missions if they fail, which can be very discouraging.
- story170 mentions
- 7 % positive mentions
- 85 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The game's story is marred by significant scripting issues and bugs that often lead to mission failures and soft locks, making progression frustratingly difficult. While the concept and setting are praised for their potential, players frequently encounter unresponsive objectives and a lack of clarity in mission requirements, resulting in a repetitive and tedious experience. Overall, the narrative framework is compelling, but the execution suffers from technical shortcomings that detract from the enjoyment of the gameplay.
“This game is a diamond in the rough; the gameplay and core mechanics are solid, the missions and objectives are varied, and overall I feel it captures that air cavalry style of warfare Vietnam is so famous for.”
“The premise and first few missions (even with their bugs) of this game are really awesome.”
“Interesting story setup and storytelling.”
“The biggest mistake in this game is that you can't save during missions.”
“The missions are terrible even on easy.”
“Can't even complete the second mission because it just gets to a point where it stops updating the objective and the game just becomes how long can you last.”
- gameplay46 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Leave No Man Behind" is characterized by its unique resource management and tactical mechanics, focusing on soldier preservation and strategic planning rather than outright enemy elimination. Players appreciate the depth added by various support elements and the emotional weight of managing casualties, though many note that the execution suffers from bugs and a challenging tutorial. Overall, while the game shows great potential with its innovative mechanics and engaging combat, it requires further refinement to fully realize its promise.
“Leave No Man Behind is a unique RTS where the main objective is not to wipe your enemy out but to manage your resources and soldiers well enough that they don't die or run out of ammo. The gameplay and mechanics are great, and the game plays well for the £4 I paid when it was on sale—a bargain!”
“Intense tactical combat: the real-time tactical gameplay is tense and engaging, requiring careful planning, strategic use of cover and terrain, and effective squad management.”
“The gameplay and tactics make it interesting; for new players, scouting ahead slowly with choppers and using artillery will be your best friend!”
“Shame the developers put a lot of work into mechanics/graphics and visuals for a Vietnam RTS.”
“This game had tremendous potential with some unique mechanics, but the execution is terrible.”
“Still has lots of bugs which made gameplay annoying and the special ops missions unplayable.”
- graphics17 mentions
- 24 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players praising the visuals for their beauty and historical accuracy, particularly in depicting Vietnam's landscapes and combat scenarios. However, many users report issues such as blurriness, poor optimization, and outdated visuals, which detract from the overall experience. While some appreciate the smooth graphics on default settings, others criticize the game's technical performance and controls, indicating a need for improvements.
“Good graphics and true to Vietnam tactics.”
“Graphics are beautiful (watching the jungle light up with napalm and explosives), gameplay is enjoyable, and the game's campaign has great historical accuracy (both with events occurring and battlefield orientation).”
“Back to the game, yes it is fun to play, graphics are really nice and the 'Huey's' are awesome.”
“The visuals are blurry for some reason, as if it were designed on a potato.”
“Horrible controls, visuals are outdated, voice lines are repetitive and boring; it really sounds like the dev used his mom or something.”
“Many technical issues: very poor graphics, poorly optimized, atrocious sound mix and audio quality in general, countless (including game-breaking) bugs.”
- stability14 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is heavily criticized, with numerous reports of persistent bugs, glitches, and crashes that significantly hinder gameplay. Many players express frustration over mission objectives failing to progress, requiring multiple restarts, and the lack of updates for over two years. While some still appreciate the core concept, the overwhelming issues with stability lead to a general recommendation against purchasing until improvements are made.
“This game is both buggy and brilliant; I am genuinely gutted there haven't been any further updates in over 2 years.”
“I love the idea of the game and enjoy playing it, but the game is buggy. It took 3 tries for the intro mission due to objective bugs, and the second mission had the same issue. I had troops camping the Vietcong as far as possible and played that for over an hour, but the hilltop troops objective glitched and never progressed.”
“Game crashes, freezes, and stops working halfway through the mission; too many bugs.”
- optimization5 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received significant criticism, with players reporting frequent performance drops and technical issues, particularly on older hardware. Many have noted poor graphics, a subpar audio mix, and numerous bugs, some of which are game-breaking, contributing to an overall frustrating experience.
“Performance issues: some players report occasional performance drops and technical hiccups, especially on older hardware.”
“Many technical issues: very poor graphics, poorly optimized, atrocious sound mix and audio quality in general, countless (including game-breaking) bugs.”
“Make no mistake about it, this game is hard even on the easy setting and will punish poor performance as the storyline flows from one mission to the next.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is mixed; while it offers multiple playthroughs with varying starting conditions and units, some users feel that the lack of dynamic missions and poor user experience significantly limit its overall replay value.
“Replayability and different perspectives: the campaign offers multiple playthroughs with different starting conditions and playable units, allowing you to experience the battle from different perspectives and try out different strategies.”
“As this one is, it has great promise but the lack of replayability and horrid user experience make it worth $10.00.”
“Not much replayability.”
- monetization3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization of the game is widely criticized, with players feeling it is a cash grab that lacks sufficient content and updates, leading to a sense of abandonment. Many users express disappointment, suggesting that the game's financial model prioritizes profit over player engagement and satisfaction.
“I have 54 hours in this game and can promise anyone reading this that I won't get any more hours unless more content is added (which is doubtful). It's an abandoned game that feels like a cash grab at the end of the day.”
“It was just a cash grab.”
“Seems like a cash grab.”
- emotional3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game effectively explores the emotional complexities of war, placing players in morally challenging situations that highlight the emotional toll on soldiers. This depth enhances the gameplay experience, making the struggle to keep the platoon alive both a tactical and an emotionally resonant journey.
“As the leader of a U.S. Army platoon, you'll face a constant struggle to keep your men alive, achieve your objectives, and navigate the complex ethical and emotional challenges of war.”
“Moral dilemmas and emotional depth: the game doesn't shy away from the moral complexities and emotional toll of war.”
“This adds depth and emotional resonance to the gameplay.”
- music2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
Reviewers express a desire for the inclusion of engaging music, such as tracks from the Vietnam era, and highlight the need for a functional saving system. Additionally, they note that the master volume control does not impact the music, indicating a need for further refinement in audio settings.
“The music perfectly captures the essence of the game, enhancing the overall atmosphere and immersion.”
“The soundtrack is a delightful mix of genres that keeps the gameplay fresh and engaging.”
“I love how the music evolves with the gameplay, creating a dynamic experience that draws you in.”
“Many little things that need finishing touches; for example, the master volume does not affect the music.”
“The music feels repetitive and lacks variety, making it hard to stay engaged.”
“The soundtrack is forgettable and doesn't enhance the overall gaming experience.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its immersive atmosphere, which enhances the overall experience and challenges players to engage in critical thinking to progress.
“Amazing game, immersive atmosphere that requires good critical thinking skills to complete.”
