M.I.A.: Missing In Action

According to the manual, 2500 personnel were listed as missing in action after the US government decided to pull out of the war in Vietnam. In fact, this foreword to the manual is pretty grim reading. The box art even hints at a game that might just contain some hidden agenda. But as soon as you start playing you are flung into an out-and-out action game where morality is left in the packaging, and the simple idea is to blast everything in sight and try not to kill too many innocent Vietnamese in the process.

All 26 missions are preceded by well-produced FMV, and usually require you to either destroy tanks, VC, or villages that harbour VC operatives. Occasionally you end up with escort duty or humping around and picking up ground troops, but the meat of the game is air-to-ground combat. And unfortunately it's all a bit unambitious, even if it is mildly engaging.

Basing the game in Vietnam seems to have limited the style of mission you undertake. Although no sense of realism is intended, a whole lot could have been added. For instance, if after being shot down you could run around with a pistol, avoiding VC patrols while waiting for Gene Hackman and Danny Glover to come and rescue you. Even if you could get involved in some small-scale ground war it would at least be something different.

While you are given a good field of view from just behind your 'slick', it all feels too small in scale, though with four helicopters to pilot there's just enough to keep you interested.