| Previous |

Page 3

Roaring Steel Beasts
by Jim Cobb

The player is not out there alone. In the 42 solitaire missions, he will have friendly assets such as other tanks or mech infantry. Some he can control the same as his own platoon; others go their own way. Thus, he must decide how to use supporting assets to achieve mission goals against some awfully skilled opponents. For instance, infantry embarked in Bradleys can be ordered out if certain pre-set conditions are met.

Movement is plotted on the mission map.

American troops load into a Bradley AFV. The mission orders for friendlies must be understood thoroughly to maximize chances for victory. One asset that can take pressure off is off-board artillery. The player can call in high explosive, smoke, tank-killing ICM or the fast minefield, FASCAM. Each unit has it’s own time to target, allowing slight shifts of target if done early. Players must use combined arms tactics to win more sophisticated scenarios. Given the presence of a scenario editor, more complicated missions will proliferate on the ‘Net.

The issue of combined arms brings up the largest flaw in Steel Beasts; there’s no aircraft. True, the focus of the sim is on ground combat but A-10s, Apaches and Hinds are every tank commander’s nightmare. Playing without them either as assets or threats gives the experienced gamer a sense of incompleteness.

Multi-player games are not ignored. Twenty-three scenarios for different players and mission goals have been provided. Play can be done through a very stable TC/IP routine or by meeting at Kali’s Steel Beasts room. Either way, gamers will be bragging or moaning about head-to-head play for a long time.

Although Steel Beasts is a complete and great game, the design team has pledged to patch and expand their product. Some of these expansions are to include night and bad weather environments. The manual has a key for loading the anti-air MPAT round. Hopefully, this key means air units in the future. Other things that could be changed is the smooth ride-effects and the picture-postcard graphics for European terrain. Panzer Elite did both things on my puny PII 400 with a VooDoo 2.

Steel Beasts is the best modern tank sim on the market, available at www.shrapnelgames.com. Is it perfect? No. Do the imperfections really detract frpm game play? Not really. This game, with its focus and detail, may be the best modern combat buy of this year.

Ratings out of 10:


Game Play: 9 - Play captures the intensity and complexity of modern combat smoothly

Learning Curve: 7 - Getting good at gunnery and coordinating units can be tough

Graphics: 8 - Fields are too pretty and movement, while raising dust, leaves out tracks, jolts abd water splashes,

Sound: 9 - Nothing spectacular but fine.

Multiplayer: 9 - Solid and well-supported.

Realism: 8 - The all-important gunnery model is fantastic but the driving model and lack of air units are flaws.

Fun Factor: 9 - Once you figure out lazing techiques, this game hums.

Hardcore Factor: 10 - You don’t get more hardcore than this.

Documentation: 8 - The well-written manual is hurt by fuzzy screenshots. The in-game tutorials compensate for this.

Final Score: 9 - For its creativity and realism, this game deserves a top pick award.

Click to join a discussion about this article

 

| Previous |

Click Here for Printer Version

© 1997 - 2000 COMBATSIM.COM, Inc. All Rights Reserved.