Men of Valor represents one of the latest games in the recent influx of activity in the Vietnam War FPS genre.  The Xbox version (which hit stores roughly a week prior to the PC version’s release) was a solid entry to the genre, offering a compelling story and some gripping moments.  However, the game did have some flaws, namely poor graphics, a bad aiming system, and weak AI.  The PC version manages to improve on the Xbox version by offering a great graphical presentation and intuitive PC controls that make the game much easier (and more fun) to play.  While still not perfect, the PC version of Men of Valor offers subtle improvements over its Xbox counterpart, making it the version to pick up if you have the choice.

Men of Valor has you controlling Marine grunt Dean Shepard, an African American soldier as he deals with the most controversial war in American history.  Through Shepard’s eyes, you see the horrors of war, deal with racism and experience loss and tragedy.  The game’s storyline is conveyed through in game cutscenes as well as the letters that Shepard writes home to his family. Complete a mission and you’ll read through a letter that Shepard wrote to his family to explain his circumstances in Vietnam and his experiences.  Lose a mission, however, and you’ll read a bereavement letter written by his supervisor to the folks back home.

The overall gameplay in Men of Valor has a very cinematic feel; as in you really feel throughout the game that you are playing a movie.  The situations are very scripted, and the story arc as presented through the gameplay is very well done.  However, sometimes the action sequences can feel a little too scripted, with enemies always coming from the same spots and attacking you the same ways.

As I mentioned earlier, the PC version offers a few improvements over the Xbox version.  The control scheme is much easier, utilizing the mouse and keyboard configuration.  You still have the ability to stop, aim and lean, although now it is not required to aim properly thanks to the mouse aim.  The AI feels a bit more tweaked than in the Xbox game, with fewer instances of buggy enemies.  However, their attack patterns are still pretty simplistic, more often than not composed of them running at you and shooting as opposed to using any type of realistic guerilla warfare tactics.

The graphics in the PC version are leaps and bounds over the Xbox game.  The weapon models are slick and realistic, chock full of great detail.  The environments also boast a lot more detail, too, with excellent water effects and nice textures and great special effects.  The character models are also very good, looking a bit more realistic and less choppily animated.

The music and sound presentation is still great.  The weapon effects and explosion sounds are very crisp and ring nicely through a 5.1 speaker set.  The voice acting is still superb, utilizing a good range of emotion. Plus the game features the talents of Sean Astin of Goonies and Lord of the Rings fame.  The music is still excellent and feels lifted from a war picture, doing a fantastic job of setting the mood for the game and providing a great sense of atmosphere.

Men of Valor on the Xbox was a good game, but was ultimately plagued by many issues and flaws.  However, the PC makes many improvements over its Xbox brother, like better graphics and improved controls, to warrant it the version to pick up if you are interested in this game.  While it’s still not perfect, Men of Valor on the PC soars above its competition in the Vietnam War genre.

Gameplay: 8.5
While there are still some nagging AI issues and over scripted elements to the gameplay, Men of Valor offers some great improvements over its Xbox counterpart.  The aiming system is much better and more natural on the PC, no longer requiring you to stop cold in order to aim properly.

Graphics: 9.0 
The graphics are also a huge improvement over the Xbox version.  The game features some fantastic details and textures on weapon models, characters and environments and the special effects look really great.

Sound: 9.2
The sound department is extremely well done, with great mood-setting music and some excellent effects, all ringing true in glorious Dolby surround.  The voice acting is also great, featuring none other than Sam from Lord of the Rings, Sean Astin (no, Misser Frodo!!)

Difficulty: Medium  

Concept: 8.9 
The storyline in Men of Valor is certainly one of its high points, by offering a compelling look at the experience of the Vietnam War through the eyes of an African-American soldier, as he deals with the heartbreak, loss and tragedy of the war.  The narrative, presented through in-game cutscenes and letters home at loading screens, is captivating and adds a great personal feeling to the game.

Multiplayer: 8.5
The multiplayer element will not feature the co-op campaign of the Xbox version, which may trouble some gamers.  However, there are still the great staple multiplayer games available, like CTF and Deathmatch.

Overall: 8.8

Men of Valor may have its issues, but it is still much better than the Xbox incarnation, offering improvements in graphics, control and even slight AI improvements.  If you are thinking of picking up Men of Valor but were unsure of which version to get, then look no further than the PC game.