Steel Armor: Blaze of War

If the tanks succeed, then victory follows.

Heinz Guderian

Developed by Graviteam, Steel Armor promises an in deph tank simulation combined with a bit of strategy. The first impression I got from Steel Armor was, it looks like Achtung Panzer. The user interface looks much the same and everything plays out much the same.

The core of Steel Armor is tanks, but through a tactical map you can command a whole army. I was impressed by the fun and simple strategic command mode. The game allows you to play as any crew member in a series of mostly Russian tanks in the 1970s and 1980s. Unfortunately, there is no USA and you mainly find yourself fighting in campaigns and battles where you really don't care what the outcome of the war is.

The game requires some strategic and tactical knowledge as it is compulsory to command all your troops. It makes the game more interesting, but people looking for a simple simulation will be agitated by the amount of mechanics and systems you have to consider before jumping into action. It's all up to you to balance out the battles, so every strategic move on the main operation map contributes to your game play experience.

It is quite disappointing that a lot of tanks are shared by factions. You soon get bored by repetitive game play and there is no sense of accomplishment or really sense of satisfaction after you play missions. There is no real ranking system or epic music playing after you win .

The tank game play itself is very impressive. The interface and controls makes controlling the tank a lot simpler and calls for a streamline experience. The amount of options there is in the tank is very impressive and playing as any crew member is a big bonus! The AI overall is pretty intelligent. Your crew mates will take their own initiative, except if you give the wrong orders.
You can choose ammo type, driving speed, if you want to turn out of the tank, night vision view and a zoomed in view. Still, I've seen better in other tank sims, the scope and views lack a good zoom system. The tutorial consists of a bunch of pop-up messages which really irritates and the manual I got is in Russian.

The graphics are considerably good for a tank sim. A huge variety of graphical options is available to make your game play experience as smooth as possible.

The sound is very authentic and it gives an atmospheric feel to the game. The music though is repetitive and really annoying.

So what?
Steel Armor Blaze of War goes deep into tank action. It is enjoyable as a simulation game, but also a bit boring. The scope of playability may be big and non-linear, but the fact that a lot of mechanics are repetitive makes this game a misfire.

Bottom line:
Don't go Russian off to buy it, wait for discount.

Victoria 2

Victoria 2

While some strategy games place you in command of a general/hero in relatively fast-paced action, Victoria 2 helps you create the bigger picture, by giving you the opportunity to create or change a country’s history during the Victorian time period.

Victoria 2 is a grand strategy game which places the player in command places the player in command of almost any country from the Victorian time period from 1835 to 1935.  The tutorial partly helps the player conquer the steep learning curve and once you get past the first few years of game play the game gets addictive.  The game places a lot of power through politics, diplomacy and warfare at your disposal.

The game consists of a Grand Campaign and Multiplayer, though multiplayer is for hard core fans that have a lot of time on their hands.   

The Grand Campaign is filled with events like reforming your nation, gaining prestige from a successful in Egypt expedition and improving relations with your neighbours, that will keep you busy and wanting more.  Whether you want to free Britain’s colonies or just humiliate China through defeating them in an unjustifiable war, the globe is yours.

The game play interface is based on a regional based world map where the regions contain information regarding the population, workforce, ideology, culture and the amount of armies that can be built.  The game uses a real-time system where the speed of the game can be set to the player’s liking.  Armies are simple to command, battles are resolved by the AI and the resupply system is also automated.  You can control the production, budget, research, politics, trade, diplomacy and the military of the nation.  The production mainly consists of building factories to produce goods for trade or war.  The control you have over your production depends on the country’s state economic policy.  The budget interface lets you set the tax rate for poor, middle and rich classes.  The income provided from the mines, tax etc. is used to allocate spending for things like education, administration and the military.  The technology interface shows the literacy rate and research points of your nation which determines the effectiveness and speed of research.  The politics interface is used to implement social and political reform.  The availability of the reforms mainly depends on the willingness of the Upper House to enact them.  You can also release a nation, choose the ruling party and make decisions (which create modifiers, like an increase in population).  The trade is automated, but there is an option to buy or sell goods if you don’t trust the AI.  Diplomacy options include declaring war, forming an alliance, increasing/decreasing relations and requesting/granting military access.
Another important factor is influence - a degree of influence over what decisions other countries make, either because they like you a lot, or they fear you a lot.  The current wars and great powers are also available in the diplomacy screen.  Last, but not least, your military is one of the more exciting elements of Victoria 2. Unfortunately for some, the military doesn’t completely revolve just around buying armies, the country has to have a large enough population to sustain and build armies.  Mobilization is possible, but the quality of the mobilized troops is not as effective as with sufficient troops.  You also have to bear the Casus Belli system (war justification) in mind.  When starting a war, you set a war goal and if you don’t have justification, whether you win or lose; you gain infamy which tarnishes foreign relations.  Planning is very important when occupying territory, especially when engaging a large country, because of the siege process involved. 

The enemy AI is challenging and your allies tend to stay loyal as long as your relations are good.  It is also notable that rebellions randomly rise up later in the game, but the 1.2 patch seems to fix it.

The game has a good soundtrack, but addicts may want to place the music on mute after a few days. There are some minor stability issues, but the game runs smoothly for the most part. The interface is user-friendly.  The interface is user-friendly and the menus help the player keep a close eye on everything from construction to occupying/losing territory, though the pop up messages may become an irritation after a while.

Conclusion: with just a few minor problems and a looping soundtrack, the game offers a fun and satisfying experience.   The replay value will keep fans coming back for more, though a lot of people might be put off by the steep learning curve and the patience required in becoming a true and virtuous ruler, sweet talking politician, or an egomaniacal tyrant.

Rating: 

Gameplay: 9/10

Sound: 2/5

Graphics:NA

Replay Value: 5/5

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This blog is all about gaming news from a casual-mediocre gamer perspective.  I'll be writing reviews and I'll be bring some game news to the platform.