Hell Let Loose: Vietnam from Team17 and Expression Games brings us a 50 vs 50 Rated M for Mature military battle experience on PlayStation 5. Check out our Hell Let Loose: Vietnam review!
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Hell Let Loose: Vietnam from Team17 and Expression Games brings us a 50 vs 50 Rated M for Mature military battle experience on PlayStation 5. You’ll be jumping straight into the conflict of the Vietnam War as you try to fight your way through some deadly scenarios that will have you running through harsh terrains packed with enemies to take down. As the North Vietnamese Army takes on the US Armed Forces, each side must make the most of their skills and loadout to try to outsmart and punish their respective opponents.
It’s a first-person multiplayer tactical shooter that acts as a follow-up to 2021’s Hell Let Loose. That game has an interesting development story, since its original developer, Australian studio Black Matter, took the project to Kickstarter in 2017, seeking $136,000 AUD in funding for the game’s development. Once the crowdfunding campaign was over, and thanks to the support of more than 5,200 backers, the studio managed to secure $300,000+ AUD in funding.
The game then got a Steam Early Access release on Windows in 2019, and this was followed by a full release in 2021 on PlayStation 5. The publisher for the game? Team17, who is also the publisher for Hell Let Loose: Vietnam. And now, here’s the twist: in 2022, Black Matter sold Hell Let Loose to Team17 for a reported £31 million, with the potential of an extra £15 million based on the game’s performance. Black Matter stayed for a bit to continue working on the game’s development, until it was fully handed over to Team17 at the end of 2022. It’s now 2026, and we’re getting a sequel that moves from the Western, North African and Eastern Fronts of World War II to the Vietnam War.
There’s a good variety of different battle roles that you can take on, split across 6 battlefield units. These include the following:
Command: Commander.
Infantry: Squad Leader, Rifleman, Grenadier, Engineer, Medic, Specialist, Machine Gunner.
Recon: Spotter, Sniper.
Armor: Tank Commander, Crewman.
Helicopter (US only): Logistics Officer, Pilot
Mortar Squad: Observer, Support, Gunner.
With the game being played from a first-person perspective, you’ll be taking control of your character by using the left analog stick, as you use the right analog stick to move the camera around you as needed. Sprint by pressing in on the left analog stick, and crouch by pressing the Circle button. Press the X button to vault over objects. You can use the D-Pad to switch between your available items. These can include, for instance, a mighty grenade that can make others go BOOM, or bandages to treat your wounds and heal a bit of your lost health.
You’ll sometimes need to swim to stay alive. You can dive in by pressing the Circle button, and can resurface with the Square or X buttons. Swim faster by pressing in on the left analog stick. Press the X button to get out of the water once you’re near the ground. Equip a bayonet to your long-range weapon by holding right on the D-Pad, so that you can then melee attack by pressing in on the right analog stick and deal good damage from a short distance.
Speaking of which, you can aim down the sights of your weapon by pressing the L2 button, so that you can get a better view of your target before you fire by pressing the R2 button. You can also lean left or right by pressing in on the left or right analog sticks, respectively, so that you can safely look at what’s up ahead. You know, without putting yourself in the crosshairs of your enemies. Another option for protecting your integrity is to go prone. You can do this by pressing and holding down the Circle button.
Hell Let Loose: Vietnam currently includes six different maps for you to take on: Thanh Hóa Bridge, Huế Outskirts, Vạn Tường, Quảng Ngãi, Đắk Tô Airfield, and Cam Ranh Port. While not offering 1:1 reproductions of each area, they have indeed been inspired by each location and will send you into important historic battles of the Vietnam War. Thanh Hóa Bridge was one of the most defended locations during the Vietnam War. It crosses the Nam Ma River, making it a very challenging scenario during the war. Huế Outskirts is where the Tet Offensive took place in 1968. This was a series of coordinated surprise attacks from the North Vietnamese Army against the US and South Vietnamese forces in South Vietnam. The dense jungles and mountainous terrain make it feel different from other maps.
The Battle of Vạn Tường is considered the first US offensive of the Vietnam War. For this one, you’ll be going through semi-urban small villages while also taking advantage of the river network to navigate – no pun intended – through the fight. Quảng Ngãi is where Operation Piranha took place, and its aim was for the US forces to cut off the possibility of the enemy forces from retreating any further after Operation Starlite. The location is a bit trickier, with monsoon flooding, rocky caves, and tropical bamboo forests, so you’ll have to adjust accordingly.
Đắk Tô Airfield was a battle that targeted a key US airfield base in South Vietnam. This was a very important mission, since the airfield base was key for deploying recon units and other air support for US troops. The last one is Cam Ranh Port. By 1969, the Cam Ranh Bay Logistics Facility was a well-established Air Force base, Naval base, and large munitions and POL storage site, greatly aiding in helping out all other missions.
What are the game modes you can currently play? There are four modes on offer: Warfare, Offensive, Conquest, and Domination. Warfare is what could be considered the main mode for Hell Let Loose: Vietnam. It’s a tug-of-war battle as each side aims to retain control over their territory while also expanding their area. In Offensive, one team is placed on the attack and the other one is tasked with defending. For Conquest, both sides will need to gain as many capture spots as quickly as possible, while trying to keep Morale high, since it will constantly deplete based on how many capture points each side controls, as well as how many deployments take place. The last one is Domination, in which you’ll aim at capturing the enemy HQ. But before you can do that, you’ll first need to take control of the majority of the three central capture points.
These types of games usually have additional content released after launch, and that’s also going to be the case for Hell Let Loose: Vietnam. The development team has recently revealed the roadmap, which includes plans for additional content. The image below gives you a good idea of what to expect, and you can check the full Hell Let Loose: Vietnam Roadmap plans right here.
And now, let’s talk about the trophies! This game features a full trophy list with a Platinum trophy waiting for you. The list is split into 32 Bronze trophies, 16 Silver trophies, and a single Gold trophy for you to work on. What will you need to do in order to add this shiny Platinum trophy to your collection? Some of the objectives to complete include finishing one, four, and eight tutorials, defeating your first enemy, getting a total of 100 kills with artillery, destroying an enemy boat, building 100 fuel nodes, winning 3 matches on each map, destroying a vehicle with an AT mine, building or upgrading 30 structures in a single match, and piloting a chopper for 3 minutes in one match, to name some examples.
Hell Let Loose: Vietnam brings us a 50 vs 50 Rated M for Mature military battle experience on PlayStation 5. You’ll be jumping straight into the conflict of the Vietnam War as you try to fight your way through some deadly scenarios that will have you running through harsh terrains packed with enemies to take down. As the North Vietnamese Army takes on the US Armed Forces, each side must make the most of their skills and loadout to try to outsmart and punish their respective opponents.
Hell Let Loose: Vietnam is out on PlayStation 5 with a $39.99 price tag. There’s also the Hell Let Loose: Vietnam Deluxe Edition for $59.99, which, along with the base game, also includes the following:
Hell Let Loose: Vietnam 2026 Field Supplies including:
Field Supply: NVA Boat Crew Uniform
Field Supply: ANZAC & NVA (Delivered Q3 2026)
Field Supply: Green Berets & Navy SEALs (Delivered Q4 2026)
Disclaimer
This Hell Let Loose: Vietnam review is based on a PlayStation 5 copy provided by Team17.
