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 historical focus on the Vietnam War, providing an immersive experience with attention to detail.
- Gameplay mechanics involving troop management, logistics, and tactical combat are engaging and can be rewarding when functioning properly.
- The concept of managing resources and making moral decisions adds depth to the gameplay, making it appealing for strategy enthusiasts.
- The game is plagued by numerous bugs and performance issues, making it frustrating and often unplayable, with many players unable to progress past certain missions.
- There is a lack of developer support and updates, leading to concerns that the game has been abandoned, which diminishes its long-term value.
- The tutorial is poorly designed and confusing, making it difficult for new players to understand the mechanics and objectives, contributing to a steep learning curve.
- story159 mentions
- 7 % positive mentions
- 84 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The game's story is marred by numerous bugs and mission-trigger issues, leading to frustrating experiences where players often find themselves unable to progress or complete objectives. While the concept and strategic elements are appreciated, the lack of save options during missions and poorly executed scripting detract significantly from the overall enjoyment. Despite some engaging moments, many players feel that the narrative is hindered by technical flaws and a lack of clarity in mission requirements.
“The concept is amazingly refreshing, but bugs and getting stuck in a mission that cannot progress is a killer for me.”
“Nice story-driven RTS.”
“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 biggest complaint I have, and it really needs to be highlighted, is the fact that some missions require very specific criteria to be beaten.”
“I couldn't even complete the second mission on the campaign because the game wouldn't load the next task... waste of money.”
“The missions are terrible even on easy.”
- gameplay39 mentions
- 46 % positive mentions
- 46 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The gameplay of this Vietnam RTS is characterized by intense tactical combat and a variety of unique mechanics, such as managing wounded soldiers and utilizing support elements like artillery and airstrikes. While the core mechanics and strategic depth are praised, many players note significant execution issues, including bugs and a frustrating tutorial experience that detracts from overall enjoyment. Despite these challenges, the game shows potential and offers engaging missions that can captivate players for hours.
“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 game is challenging and introduces a lot of original mechanics I've never seen before.”
“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.”
“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.”
“Furthermore, the post-La Drang missions are... eh... it's kind of lame going from commanding a heli-assault battalion to just being some Green Berets in Cambodia with basically half of the mechanics taken away from you.”
- graphics15 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the beautiful visuals and attention to historical detail, particularly in dynamic scenes like explosions in the jungle. However, many users report issues such as poor optimization, blurry visuals, and outdated graphics, leading to a frustrating experience overall. While some players appreciate the smooth performance on default settings, others feel that the graphics need significant upgrades to enhance the overall quality.
“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.”
- stability13 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game is plagued by numerous bugs and glitches, leading to frequent crashes, mission failures, and a frustrating gameplay experience. Many users report that the game feels unfinished, with critical issues affecting mission progression and overall stability. Despite some enjoyment of the core gameplay, the overwhelming instability makes it difficult to recommend at this time.
“This game is way too f***ing buggy, and it's been abandoned by its makers... don't even consider buying!”
“It's a buggy mess causing endless missions, has bad controls/UI, subpar voice acting, and overall just feels like it got the core game but never actually finished it.”
“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 been criticized for significant performance issues, including occasional drops and technical glitches, particularly on older hardware. Many players have reported poor graphics, a subpar audio mix, and numerous bugs, some of which are game-breaking, indicating a lack of overall polish and optimization.
“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 players find the lack of dynamic missions and poor user experience limits its overall replay value. Overall, it has potential but may not provide enough incentive for repeated play.
“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.”
- emotional3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game effectively explores the emotional and moral complexities of war, placing players in the role of a U.S. Army platoon leader who must navigate ethical dilemmas while striving to keep their men alive. This focus on the emotional toll of combat adds significant depth and resonance to the gameplay experience.
“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.”
- monetization3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization of the game is widely criticized as a cash grab, with players expressing disappointment over the lack of content and feeling that the game is abandoned. Many users indicate that they are unlikely to continue playing unless significant updates are made.
“It was just a cash grab.”
“Seems like a cash grab.”
“I have 54 hours on this game and can promise to whoever reads 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.”
- 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.”
- music1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The music in the game has been noted for lacking polish, with specific issues such as the master volume control not affecting the music volume, indicating a need for further refinement.
“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.”
