Before I get started with this review, I just want to thank Charlie for the invite to review this game for Gaming Nexus. It’ll be nice to write this review for much more of a hardcore audience than the typical folks over at Cinescape.
Ever since E3,
Steel Battalion has been the source of much debate. Those who managed to fight their way through the hordes of onlookers (this correspondent did just that with the help of Capcom PR) and play the game were rewarded with an experience second only to the
Doom III trailer. But there was an incredulous air surrounding the game, “could it be worth the likely $200 price tag?” “Is it anything more than a controller demo?” The answer to those questions are yes and yes, as Steel Battalion is the best Xbox title to date.
For four times the cost of a normal Xbox game, I’m sure some gamers out there are expecting the best game for their money. The reason for this high cost is the proprietary controller that you must have to play the game. If you consider the fact that Capcom is releasing more games to support the controller, it effectively reduces the overall price. Still, even for just this game, the $200 is well worth it.
In Steel Battalion, gamers pilot a giant Vertical Tank (VT), the initial sequence is somewhat corny, and has you, an untrained rookie, taking the controls of a VT in a last-ditch attempt to save the base. There is no tutorial; you just have to go based on the giant instruction manual that Capcom provides. That’s somewhat of a negative when you first begin as figuring out how to control the VT can be quite a chore.
The controller consists of three panels that you connect (screws and driver provided) and foot pedals for the floor. It’s all very sturdy and the foot pedals even have full metal for the perfect feel. The game uses just one standard controller port which was a bit of a surprise, but ultimately user-friendly.
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