Steel Battalion

The game that you?ve been saving your dough for is finally here. Find out if it?s time to break the bank.

Metal Platoon
Steel Battalion?s 23 missions will be familiar to anyone who has played squad-based military games?only here you have giant robots. Whether carrying out orders or commanding your own squad, the game requires lots of strategic planning and maneuvering to successfully complete missions. While there are many simulation aspects to the game, it?s really a thinking man?s shooter that plays out like an explosive game of chess?a very, very hard game of chess with limited continues. In fact, the game sorely needs a tutorial mode as the trial-and-error method will eat away weeks at a time.

Mastering the controls is part of the learning curve, and you?ll need to use more buttons the deeper you get into the game. It may be hard to find a space for the controller, but it actually works well just resting on your lap. The unit is not very heavy, so you?ll have to take care in how rough you are with it.

Time To Upgrade
Since the action is viewed from the video monitor of your mech (called a ?Vertical Tank?), the graphics have a realistic grainy quality. Every visual trick in the Xbox book is put to good use to fool you into thinking you?re actually in the pilot?s seat. The only downside is that your vision is restricted by the HUD, making it hard to play on smaller TV sets.

Steel Battalion?s audio rewards owners of home theater gear with awesome surround sound that places you firmly in the heat of battle. You?ll hear the creak of your rotors, every bullet ricocheting off your hull, and even dirt falling back to the ground after it?s been kicked up by artillery fire. If you can afford this game, there?s no reason you shouldn?t have a full Dolby 5.1 setup, and it?s highly recommended since much of this aural detail is lost if you?re listening through TV speakers.

The $200+ Question
Having to buy a large TV, a surround system, an Xbox console, and the game plus controller will make your credit card cry. The high level of difficulty ensures that you get a lot of play value, but in a game like this it?s the quality of those hours that outshines the quantity. The bottom line is that Steel Battalion offers a truly unique experience not available with any other game system. The controller, the visuals, and the audio all work in seamless unison to raise the hairs on your back and form beads of sweat on your brow.

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