Steel Beasts

Pros • It runs on a Pentium 266! • Detailed, realistic, yet manageable simulation of modern war	Cons • None really. Accelerated graphics would enhance the game, and it does have a steep learning curve.
Bottom Line Perhaps the best modern tank simulator on the market. It excels in realistic, yet manageable portrayal of tank combat. It hasn’t been a good 18 months for simulation gamers. There has been little, with the exception of Panzer Elite, to brighten a summer’s day. Yet like a bolt out of the clear blue simulation deficient sky, Strategy First’s Steel Beasts has struck. And a welcome storm it is. Simulating the gamut of modern tactical command--from turret commander to battalion command--Steel Beasts is mandatory fun for simulation enthusiasts and wargamers alike.

The time is today, and the battlegrounds are those of tomorrow's headlines: Kuwait, Europe, and Korea, to name but a few. Steel Beasts places two modern behemoths under the player's control: America's M1A1 Abrams and Germany's Leopard 2A4. Arguably, the finest tanks the planet has ever known, each is capable of picking off enemy vehicles at 5000 meters, destroying vehicles hiding behind a sand dune, and speeding along at over 45 MPH. The tanks use thermal imagery for finding the enemy, lasers for targeting them, and computer controlled guns for taking them out. Of course with each part sophistication there is an equal part gaming complexity. We won't kid you, Steel Beasts is a tough game. Players can play from the gunner or tank commander's position, and it takes some time to learn the buttons. It's not, however, a crushing chore, and the game ships with 31 tutorials. They are not only instructive, but fun. You'll be popping off T-72 turrets within 15 minutes of booting the game. Mouse, joystick, and keyboard are the popping tools of choice, and their use is... dare we say it--well, if not intuitive, at least common sensical (sic). Gunners do the typical sighting and shooting stuff or take targets handed off from the tank commander. The hand off system is cool. The tank commander will slew the turret to focus the gunner on a new threat, and then release control to the gunner. Conversely, this makes playing tank commander much easier--just point the turret, tell the gunner to engage and you can return to directing the battle. Steel Beasts is not graphically accelerated, but despair not, these are THE BEST graphics we've seen in a non-accelerated sim. Incoming shots burn white from their mile-per-minute velocity, tanks buck when shooting, believable buildings dot the European landscape, and turrets from dismembered tanks sail lazily through the air. Of course the graphics can't quite stand up to the accelerated glory of M1 Tank Platoon II, but they are in a non-accelerated class of their own. Beasts, however, is more than a run 'n gun simulation. It's part wargame too--a big part. Herbert McMaster (the army officer who defeated the Iraqis at the battle of 73 Easting) wannabes can plan their engagements in minute detail on the 2D map. Not only may a platoon's avenues of attack be set, but their engagement tactics, and formation. These formations and tactics may be adjusted at each waypoint. For example, a platoon may be ordered to cross a bridge in march formation, deploy into line and scout forward, stopping and seeking a hull down position when they encounter the enemy. Additionally, in a page right out of Clancy's Rainbow Six the gamer can set triggers, which, when activated, order a formation to instigate a predetermined action. And there's more good news--these formations consist of more than just Abrams and Leopards. The game includes infantry, Marder and Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFVs), and several types of artillery. You can't get inside those Marders et al, but you can use them to wax the bad guys. The aforementioned bad guys consist of all sorts of ex-Russian equipment including T-72 and T-80 tanks, and BMP IFVs and BTR armored personnel carriers. The game has also stuffed a complete editor (as if the tens of included missions aren't enough) and a robust multiplayer suite on the ROM. There are nearly two-dozen multiplayer missions. Gamers can do the death match thing or choose a bit more sophisticated fair. Two folks can even occupy the same tank--one playing the tank commander, the other playing gunner. This is it, the whole enchilada, a complete tank simulation with very few faults. Yes, there's a fairly steep learning curve, and yes, accelerated simulations such as M1 Tank Platoon II might look a smidgen better, but those are minor quibbles. If you like tank simulations, or have ever thought you might like tank simulations, this is the game for you.

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