Campaign Series: Vietnam 1948-1967

The 5 Best Strategy Games of 2022

Campaign Series: Vietnam is a classical hex-based, IGO-UGO, operational (and tactical) level wargame focusing on the jungle conflicts of Indo-China, with scenarios spanning several conflicts, starting with the First Indochina War, from 1948 to 1954 all the way to the late 1960s with the American invasion of Vietnam. In between both conflicts, CS: Vietnam also represents the South Vietnamese Civil War of 1955-1964.

In Strategy and Wargaming’s 3 and a half stars review, it was stated that “I might be becoming an old bat that enjoys slow-paced, methodical turn-based games. Given that the last game on this website to receive a 5-star rating was Ardennes Offensive- a truly unique gem of a game that improved on the genre in almost every way- I don’t think it’s fair to attribute the same score to Campaign Series, mainly because it stays so glued to the typical wargame formula it’s hard to praise something for playing it too safe.

I also don’t know enough about the Indochina Wars to fully appreciate the game and I’m almost certain that if I did, there would be little doubt in my mind that Campaign Series: Vietnam would earn four and a half stars based on mechanics and details alone.

2 January, 2023

Strategy and Wargaming

Then, Sir, We Will Give Them the Bayonet!

When I first saw that a game called Campaign Series: Vietnam was coming out, I was skeptical. I’ve told you about it before but (at the risk of being repetitive) the reason was that I questioned the match between the scale of, essentially, the Panzer Blitz games being applied to jungle warfare. I now admit that I was wrong.

My bottom line is this; Campaign Series: Vietnam turned out to be much better than even what I might have hoped for, a few months back. I’m still only a handful of scenarios in, so I reserve the right to complain down the road but, at this stage, I mark it tied with TOAW’s Vietnam Combat Operations for the best historical treatment of this conflict in wargaming.

23 April, 2022

et tu, Bluto?

Campaign Series: Vietnam. Indepth Review Special

The painstakingly-crafted scenarios in the latest version of the Campaign Series (CS) match the rich history of the game’s design and development. From the struggle of the French to re-establish their position in Indochina beginning with Vietnam in 1948, to U.S. involvement starting in the early 1960s and ending prior to the communist Tet Offensive in 1968, the 100-plus scenarios shipping with the game offer wargamers a playground with an unprecedented level of detail.

Add to this a wide variety of combat units with unique capabilities, including combat and transport helicopters, riverine assets, tunnel “rats,” civilians, and supply units, and even the most hard-core Campaign Series veterans may have their hands full tackling the new tactical realities. These include, among many other challenges, flight limitations, no-go zones, IEDs, hidden minefields, and other combat elements specific to unconventional, asynchronous warfare.

What’s more CSVN isn’t some kind of half-baked, early access wargame debuting on Steam, for example. To the contrary, the game engine has been expanded, enhanced, tweaked and improved based on input from experienced players for more than two decades since its first iteration – TalonSoft’s East Front II – was released.

Is it perfect, yet? Well, not quite. But for the type of game it’s designed to be, it’s currently pretty close to ideal and getting better with every update.

For board and digital wargamers alike, there is simply nothing out there with the depth, historicity and role-playing elements of CSVN. All of us at AWNT are hoping that readers “vote” with their hearts, minds and dollars and support the continued development of this excellent wargame.

18 February, 2022

Rosseau

A Wargamer's Needful Things

Campaign Series: Vietnam Review – Welcome to the Jungle!

Having different nations across different time periods and using different equipment means that the scenarios included can vary wildly from one another and there’s a lot of fun and experimentation to be had with the 100+ scenarios included. Content-wise, it’s hard to impossible to fault CS: Vietnam. Jungle warfare aficionados will find themselves entertained for months and it’s hard to imagine anyone could play all the scenarios and find time to play anything else. If you enjoy the Vietnam conflict, the sheer amount of content included should be enough to justify a purchase.

Enjoy the Vietnam conflict and are craving more than what you already got?

Have only but a passing interest in this kind of conflict and you’re a wargamer accustomed to modern sensibilities?

7 February, 2022

Strategy and Wargaming

Campaign Series: Vietnam considered

Helped by thick fog-of-war, plentiful cover, carefully engineered victory conditions, and a dash of Lua scripting, few of the foes I’ve attempted to humiliate thus far have shown much appetite for humiliation. Having been brutally ambushed and stealthily infiltrated more times than I care to admit, having chased shadows, been lured into minefields, and watched numerous friendly outposts fall to multi-directional, arty-supported attacks during the past week, I wouldn’t hesitate to rate CS: Vietnam’s “adaptive”, “nation-tuned” AI B+. To wring a higher rating out of me the CPU would need to demonstrate helicopter assault competence.

28 January, 2022

Tally-Ho Corner

Final Thoughts: Time to Run Through the Jungle

Campaign Series: Vietnam is excellent. The core gameplay is solid, the appreciation of the unique factors of the conflict are well represented, and there is a reasonable learning curve. The vast amount of content will keep players going for quite some time, and I can’t imagine a better Vietnam War game on the PC right now. Go check it out!

An excellent wargame with a classic style and tons of content. Definitely worth your time.

22 January, 2022

Joe Fonseca

Lets Talk About Wargames

Is this the most detailed Vietnam War Game in existence? Quite possibly yes!

… Especially for the grognards, you fans of military strategy, this game is unbelievable, and in my opinion the most in depth representation of the Vietnam War of all sides, the War of Indochina, etc, that you’re going to find.

20 January, 2022

Agrippa Maxentius

AgrippaMaxentius YouTube Channel

Campaign Series: Middle East 1948-1985

BLUF – Bottom Line Up Front. The new [update of] Matrix Games Campaign Series Middle East 1948 – 1985 2.0 (ME 2.0) really has nothing revolutionary under the hood as regards game engine, AI or even gameplay. However, the cosmetic changes and additional scenarios are so vast and sweeping; one could consider this product to be an entirely new game vice an update. For those who have that original, this free reimaging is mandatory. For everyone else, the $ 19.99 US sale price (50%) is just plain silly to pass up. New body styling, paint and accessories have elevated a good game to exceptional.

16 January, 2018

Mr. Bill Gray

Wargamer.com

To sum it up Campaign Series Middle East is a good tactical game of the years of warfare it portrays. If you are interested in the progression of warfare from WWII to modern, or are just in a WWII rut then take a look at Campaign Series Middle East 1945-1985. I have been in touch with Jason Petho of the Campaign Series Legion, the developers of the game. In 2017 you can expect a Campaign Middle East 2.0 version. This was a review of the 1.02 version.

16 January, 2017

Mr. Robert Peterson

A Wargamers Needful Things

The last turn/hex-based computer game produced on this subject was Talonsoft’s Divided Ground in 2001. That game and HPS’ earlier Middle East ’67 were both designed by John Tiller and covered the four big conflicts in the middle-east between 1948 & 1985: 1948’s War of Israeli Independence, the Suez crisis of 1956, the 1967 Seven-Days War and the Yom Kippur War of 1973. Much has change since then, and using Tiller’s engine, Jason Petho has led a crack team to update the Campaign Series to cover conflicts since 1973 and some interesting but overlooked operations in the 1950s and 1960s.

25 July, 2016

Mr. James Cobb

Wargamer.com

GREAT GAME.
BUY IT.
DO IT NOW.
FANTASTIC WORKMANSHIP BY THE DEVELOPERS.

Thanks

26 September, 2015

VegasOZ

Matrix Games CS Middle East Forum Post First Impressions