Insider Gaming has had one of the first chances to get hands-on with the second installment in the Hell Let Loose series, Hell Let Loose: Vietnam.
Hell Let Loose has always been one of my go-to World War 2 games since it released in early access in 2019 following its successful Kickstarter campaign (which I backed!). Its huge scale, impressive visuals, and its high-stakes one-shot kill gameplay have made the game one of the most immersive World War 2 multiplayer games that I don’t think anyone has been able to match.
So when the publisher behind Hell Let Loose, Team 17, announced that there was going to be a new installment in the series, but this time set in Vietnam, I had to jump on the chance to get some hands-on.
Familiar, But Entirely Different
To start the match, I made my way to the action as a gunner in a helicopter, ready to rain down bullets on any Vietnamese fighters we came across. After a short one-minute flight over the rivers and the jungle, we landed at our objective on a swampy riverbank.
Almost instantly, enemy mortar fire started to rain down on our location as we made our way to our objective, which was a Vietnamese village already crawling with enemy soldiers. Bamboo bridges provided fast but risky navigation from building to building, and we were under attack from green tracer rounds, suppressing our position from the jungle tree line.
After a couple of minutes of taking down a few enemies, we secured the objective and made our way to the next one, which meant crossing a large river. For those familiar with Hell Let Loose, you know that this would often provide a challenge of trying to find an uncontested bridge or a canal boat pile-up to get across, but in Hell Let Loose Vietnam, we were able to swim across.
Unfortunately, our squad’s time was short-lived as we were all killed, but the moment made for one of those classic Hell Let Loose cinematic moments that never get old, as the treeline facing us was suppressed by an artillery strike. Sadly, it didn’t hit the enemy that lit up our squad with an AK-47, but hey, what can you do?
Massive Improvements Across The Board
For those who adore Hell Let Loose, this game feels really familiar, with plenty of improvements across the board that I hope will bleed over into the original game. But importantly, the game feels refreshing in the grand scheme of things. The developers have managed to maintain that immersive feeling that Hell Let Loose is known for, all while making sure the game feels different enough that it warrants an entirely new title.
One of the biggest concerns I had when I heard about the series heading into Vietnam was the lack of enemy visibility, which sometimes is a problem in the first game. However, the improved lighting overhaul, coupled with the game’s upgrade from Unreal Engine 4 to Unreal Engine 5, has seemingly made a massive difference to the game’s overall colour palette. While you’re certainly going to be shot from weird places from time to time, those concerns are now firmly squashed. The audio has also made a tremendous difference in the game, enabling players to rely on both their ears and eyes to pinpoint enemy locations.
Another concern was around the game’s performance, too. Hell Let Loose has been notorious for not having the best performance on some of its maps; however, on the map that we played, I’m pleased to say that I had zero performance issues. Granted, the PC that I was playing on probably had top-of-the-line specs, but I was also keeping an eye on a developer’s screen during the playtest, who was playing on a laptop, where the FPS counter didn’t drop below 100. So, at face value from the test, it appears a lot of effort has been put into making sure the game is as stable as possible.
Overall, Hell Let Loose: Vietnam is going to be an unforgettable entry into the Hell Let Loose franchise, giving players a fresh and immersive gaming experience that is often overlooked in the first-person shooter scene.
Hell Let Loose: Vietnam currently has a vague release date of 2026 for the PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series S|X.
Are you excited to play Hell Let Loose Vietnam? Let us know in the Insider Gaming forum.
For more Insider Gaming previews at Gamescom, visit our preview of World War 1 multiplayer shooter WW1 Gallipoli.
