|
Release Dates Out Now (North America) Out Now (Europe) |
Review
The year is 2080, you are part of an expeditionary force sent to the island of Hai Shi Dao to strike back and stop the rebellious government before they attack the rest of the Pacific Rim Islands. You and two of the other pilots are in a transport ship awaiting deployment at the beachhead which will be the spearhead of operations against the island nation of Hai Shi Dao. You start up the ignition sequence for your vertical tank and get ready for the battle ahead...
This is Steel Battalion, a game in which you have to pilot your mecha (which, if you don’t watch anime or read manga, means big robot, usually with lots of weaponry) through a series of missions to quell the rebellious nation of Hai Shi Dao. This may sound like a fairly standard game plot, but it’s not the main focus of this game. Oh no, the main feature of this game is the amazing, sometimes lush graphics, and the beast of a controller you get to play this game with.
You see, this isn’t an all out adrenaline rush game, it’s actually a simulation, with a frighteningly large and accurate controller hosting a total of 40 buttons, two joysticks, a 5 shift gear box and three foot pedals. Capcom have really gone into the simulation front with this, the controller is every geek and collector’s dream and every girlfriend’s nightmare. Everything on this controller has to be used and this is one of those games where you have to read the manual before even thinking of approaching it. However, having said that, the controller is exceptionally light and robust, and can easily have the main section sitting on your lap, without any discomfort. Also, once you become acquainted with the controller, it’s like you are really are piloting inside a mecha.
The button with which you will quickly learn has the biggest impact on your gaming experience is the eject button. Yes, that’s right, there is an eject button. If your mecha starts to explode you have exactly three seconds to hit the eject button else its game over, your pilot is dead and you have to start all over again from the start. Now this can be argued to be a bit too realistic, as it removes your pilot from use entirely, but it also makes sure you don’t go charging in like some gun toting action hero, Instead, you have to tackle the problem as tactically as possible.
The game itself is a sight to behold. The graphics look very convincing and realistic, with only a few exceptions, but I’ll get to them later. The missions are also challenging, but also have a steep difficulty curve. The first few are quite easy and fun to play, but then it gets a lot more difficult and can frustrate some players. However, the type of player who won’t give up is rewarded, as every few missions that you complete you will unlock new mecha’s that come with weapon and option additions. Also, every mission you complete successfully you unlock that same mission in free play mode, so you can go back and play to your heart’s content, with any of the options you have unlocked along side. On top of the game’s steep learning curve, which may sometimes lead to frustration, there are two campaigns, which can be played over many difficulty levels. This game will keep you occupied for quite a while.
Steel Battalion’s environment interaction is generally good. For example, when you hit a building a few times with your main weapons, it will have a few explosions and collapse, or if you rake along the side of it with machine gun fire, you will see the shots slash into just the surface of the building. The rest of the environment is well natured and realistic, with the sole and puzzling exception of the trees being two-dimensional. This is slightly confusing and inexplicable as the rest of the game is up to such a high standard. One of the other main problems is the relatively limited draw distance (how far into the distance graphics are displayed and thus how far the player can see). Steel Battalion has quite a short draw distance and it’s quite disconcerting to see a mecha disappear from your view as it exits your draw distance. The draw distance is limited since the graphics are quite high detail and offer a gritty feeling to them. In terms of the A.I. (Artificial Intelligence) in Steel Battalion, it can be said that your comrades generally seem to idle and remain inactive much of the time. This is a game that can both entertain and frustrate in equal measures and your fellow mecha pilots can let you down due to the poor A.I., the game itself does rise above this, but you will have to put a fair amount of effort in.
The in-game sound is good and often your hearing will warn you before your mecha’s systems will, once you are used to the game. However, there is very little in game music and the tracks available are pretty poor, this game would have benefited form allowing custom soundtracks.
The quibbles aside though, the game is good. It’s best if you give it a go first to decide if it’s for you since the price tag is so dear, coming in at around £130 ($180) retail. Unless you are either a simulation or mecha fanatic, you would be best to try it first to see if you feel the investment is worth it. However, given that once you are used to the game, it can reward you with hours of fun. Also the controller itself will probably make the game a collector’s item.
Review by Jamie Cameron - 14th November 2003
Scoreboard
| Gameplay: | 8 | ||
| Visuals: | 8 | ||
| Audio: | 7 | ||
| Presentation: | 9 | ||
| Lasting Appeal: | 9 | ||
| Overall Score: | 8 |
Awards
---
Options
- Check prices and buy Steel Battalion
- Find out more about this game...
- What do you think? Write your own review of Steel Battalion.
Page : 1 |
|
