Hell Let Loose Vietnam PS5 Review. Having put serious time into the original Hell Let Loose, I went into Hell Let Loose: Vietnam knowing what I wanted. Developed by Expression Games and published by Team17, it needed to deliver high-stakes tactical warfare. Thankfully, it absolutely can. When everything comes together, it delivers some of the most thrilling large-scale combat on PS5. Unfortunately, it just does not come together often enough right now.
There are visual issues, clipping problems, annoying bugs, and hit-or-miss sound mixing. These flaws stop Vietnam from reaching the heights of its predecessor. None of these feel like fundamental design failures, though. That is why I am ultimately still positive about the project. These technical hiccups can be fixed with stability patches, and a fantastic game sits underneath them.
Hell Let Loose: Vietnam Review (PS5) – A Brilliant Mil-Sim Experience Buried Beneath Some Frustrating Launch Issues
Welcome To The Jungle
The dense jungle is one of the game’s biggest strengths. It immediately gives you an authentic Vietnam feeling. Sprawling maps mean every treeline, bush, and patch of grass could hide an enemy. It creates a battlefield where you must think before you move. Rushing around in the open usually leads straight to a quick respawn screen.
That said, the foliage currently has a significant issue. Shimmering across almost every leaf creates relentless visual noise. Spotting enemies is already notoriously difficult in this series by design. Having an entire treeline flicker while you search for tiny movements does not help.
It’s a shame because the map design itself is fantastic. When visual bugs stay out of the way, these environments create incredible scale and tension. You can spend several minutes moving through undergrowth without seeing a soul. Somehow, that quiet movement feels just as exciting as a firefight.
In fact, not encountering enemies is part of the fun. Skulking around a sprawling map looking for a clean position builds constant tension. Checking windows, watching treelines, and crawling through grass keeps you on edge. You never know if you will stumble into a squad or take a sudden sniper bullet. When you finally reach a good vantage point, all that patience pays off.
Kill Or Be Killed
The combat remains just as punishing as the original. The guns feel satisfying and lethal, whether you are firing or taking hits. There is virtually no room for error here. Getting caught in the open means dying before you even spot the muzzle flash.
This brutal lethality completely changes how you play. Even as a standard rifleman, you must be absurdly careful. Peeking around corners, checking windows, and taking cover become second nature. One small mistake ends your life instantly. The game quickly teaches you that staying alive matters far more than playing aggressively.
It is every bit as unforgiving for newcomers. The series does not care if you are in your first match or your hundredth. This is not an instantly gratifying shooter where you jump in and dominate. You can carefully move for ten minutes only to die instantly, and the game offers no safety net.
It is a steep learning curve, but it is deeply satisfying to master. You will have miserable matches where you achieve very little. Then you will hit a match where everything clicks and the chaos makes sense. Steady progression helps keep you hooked as you learn roles and improve your squad tactics.
Asymmetry On The Battlefield
What really elevates the tactical clash here is the asymmetrical faction design. Playing as US forces relies heavily on raw firepower and air support. High-stakes helicopter insertions let you clear landing zones from above. The Viet Cong counter that aerial dominance with underground tunnel networks, brutal traps, and deadly ambushes. Striking from concealed positions before vanishing into the earth changes how map control works.
This fundamental divide keeps matches dynamic and unpredictable. You are never just playing a reskinned mirror match with different uniforms. Sweeping a sector as the US feels like a nervous clearing operation against an invisible enemy. Meanwhile, organizing a tunnel flank as the VC delivers a massive rush when you catch a squad off guard. It is a brilliant balance of military muscle versus tactical cunning.
Brothers In Arms
The different classes are varied enough to keep gameplay fresh. Every role has a distinct way to contribute to the fight. You can play completely differently from match to match depending on squad needs. Sniping has been my personal favorite way to play. Holding down a grassy hill and picking off targets makes frontline pushes much safer for your team.
Working with a good spotter makes the experience even better. You effectively operate as a little two-man reconnaissance team. Watching your squad capture an objective after you cleared defenders for ten minutes feels incredible. You may not get the glory on the scoreboard, but you know you made the push possible.
The Long War
Matches are long, but that scale makes the gameplay loop work. Battles feature a constant push and pull as forces advance and retreat. It feels like a full-scale war rather than a series of disconnected arcade rounds. That length gives you time to experiment. If one flank fails, you can switch routes, change roles, or move with another squad. You are never rushed toward a match timer, giving you time to learn and adapt.
Capturing a point and chasing down retreating stragglers is surprisingly rewarding. You spend so long playing cautiously, so breaking through an enemy line feels amazing. Then, inevitably, someone shoots you from a bush, which is about as Hell Let Loose as it gets.
Sound design is another area where the setting shines when working properly. The whip-crack of passing bullets, distant artillery, and overhead helicopters create incredible immersion. When the audio hits, it matches the highs of the original game. Unfortunately, sound mixing is currently inconsistent. Audio glitches have been a recurring issue since launch. That is a major problem in a game where hearing a direction can save your life. When the soundscape works, you feel the battlefield around you. When sounds drop out, that immersion vanishes.
Fortunate Son
Voice chat remains one of the absolute best features. You have quick tags and comm wheels, but talking to your squad adds so much value. Teammates shouting warnings or calling out targets makes matches feel like real military operations. It also creates great camaraderie, and I strongly encourage everyone to use a mic.
My biggest frustration is that I can see how good this game should be. When visual bugs clear up and the audio behaves, the warfare is unmatched. The jungle feels dangerous, combat feels lethal, and the slow pace builds intense tension. When everything works, it’s fantastic, but right now it feels like it needed more time in the oven.
For returning players, it is easy to recommend because the core foundations are strong. When it works, it feels like a brilliant new chapter for the franchise. For newcomers, you must be willing to put the time in and accept early defeats. Learning how to survive and actually help your squad is incredibly rewarding.
Gimme Shelter
That is why I remain positive despite the launch issues. The classic formula works brilliantly in Vietnam. The long matches, lethal combat, varied classes, and reliance on teamwork stand out from modern shooters. This is a great game that simply needs its launch bugs fixed. Once stability patches iron out the visual noise and audio drops, this will be something special. It has the jungle, helicopters, tense firefights, and brutal atmosphere down pat. It just needs time to polish the excellent mil-sim hiding underneath.
Hell Let Loose: Vietnam is a great mil-sim that captures the scale and tension of the original in a fresh setting. Lethal combat, massive battles, varied classes, and heavy teamwork make it deeply rewarding once learned. However, visual foliage shimmering, bugs, and inconsistent audio hold it back from its full potential. It can become fantastic with the right patches, but currently needs a bit more time in the jungle.
Hell Let Loose: Vietnam is out now.
Review code kindly provided by PR.