Slitherine announces that Vietnam '65 is now available, offering the chance to go in country to experience the Vietnam War on Windows or iPad. The Slitherine website has details on how to get your copy, and a new trailer shows off a little of what to expect. A 10% launch discount is also available on the PC edition, and they are offering a free Steam key to anyone who buys a copy of the PC version from the Matrix Games or Slitherine store. Word is this game involves winning the war of propaganda as well as battles, meaning this virtual war will be as tricky as the actual conflict it simulates:

Fifty years ago Operation Rolling Thunder was launched. Supported by dozens of US fighter-bombers, this massive bombardment campaign aimed to persuade North Vietnam to cease its assistance to communist insurgents in South Vietnam and to destroy key military targets. Soon after ground units were also deployed and the US was fully involved in this iconic Cold War conflict!

Early 1965 US commanders did not realize that they were embarking on a very tricky unconventional war. In Vietnam, firepower and technology only get you so far. Thanks to their knowledge of the terrain, close relationship with the local population and their mastery of guerrilla tactics, the Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese Army regulars proved to be a dangerous and elusive enemy.

In Vietnam’65, a new strategy game releasing today on PC and iPad, players will experience the true essence of this war. Developer Every Single Soldier has focused on providing a realistic and credible Counter-Insurgency model. As a result, victory is not determined by simply eliminating the enemy, but rather by winning the Hearts and Minds of the local population, thereby gaining their support to crush the insurgency. Finding the right balance between conducting raids, ambushing the insurgents and securing the confidence of the locals is crucial in Vietnam’65. But the jungles of Vietnam are full of traps and surprises, not to mention the difficult task of keeping up support for the war back home in the USA...