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JUST WHEN YOU THOUGHT it was safe to leave the jungle you are about to be called back for yet another tour of duty. We take a look at the latest offering from Eidos.

Eidos are promising to put a far more realistic face on the war than current Vietnam war based games. In a brave move the will include some of the politically sensitive aspects of the war that in today's climate might well serve are lesson of how things turn out to be. The game will include aspects such as the napalm bombing of villages, female insurgents and booby traps.

Shellshock is played from the perspective of a rookie grunt on his first tour of duty. Forget fighting for God, country and apple pie - this game is about surviving your tour. You will be sent out into the foreboding jungle on search-and-destroy missions and confront both the Vietcong and the NVA regulars. Eidos promise an experience where every tree and bush seems a hiding place for the near-invisible enemy. See the harrowing nature of combat with fallen comrades bleeding at your feet, friendly fire, and mission plans that do not survive the first contact with the enemy.

This game certainly represents a brave step by the developers. The level of realism is seen by many other game developers as being graphics and historically correct equipment this game crosses these boundaries and introducing the true horror and gritty reality of combat.

Features include: -

Gritty Content - Portraying the brutal atrocities and controversial actions of the Vietnam War, ShellShock: Nam '67 provides gamers with the most true-to-life and completely uncensored depiction of the Vietnam experience for the first time in a video game.

Intense Combat - Powered by Guerrilla's groundbreaking technology, ShellShock: Nam '67 delivers a graphically harrowing depiction of the terror of combat. You must fight your way through a variety of missions ranging from large-scale battlefield encounters with the NVA to stealth-based missions such as assassinating a VC General. You will have to rely on the same skills and tactics employed in the battlefields of Vietnam in order to survive.

Unconventional Warfare - From napalm attacks, intricate tunnel systems and deadly booby traps to fighting militiawomen and an elusive enemy, you will experience the chaotic, atrocious and unconventional warfare of Vietnam.

Character Growth - Develop from a fresh rookie to a hard-edged Special Forces agent ultimately becoming a member of the top-secret Black-Ops.

Realistic Injury - Soldiers don't simply live or die. A struggling wounded or bleeding fighter will still attempt to take down the enemy.

Advanced AI - Creates true tension and excitement as you can never be certain things will go as planned. Misdirected support fire, random and accidental deaths of comrades in battle, and friendly fire incidents abound.

Diverse Environments - From dense lush jungles and rural villages to claustrophobic tunnels and waterlogged paddy fields, Vietnam's contrast-ridden environments are dangerous hunting grounds littered with booby traps and secret VC hiding places.

Numerous Authentic Weapons - You will have full access not only to a range of US weaponry, but can also use the VC and NVA's own weapons against them. In addition, you can call in artillery and napalm air strikes to press the attack, or rely on helicopter support units to provide cover fire for defence.

This promises to be a controversial tile when it releases here in New Zealand in June.

Show me the screenshots!