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Titans Of Steel | |
| Developer: Matrix Games Publisher: Just Play Release Date: Out Now Players: 1 |
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Beware; this game takes itself very seriously. If you aren't a diehard tactical wargamer with a penchant for hulking robots and reams of statistical data, then you'd best spend your money elsewhere. Commanding a squad of piloted robots (Titans), you begin the game in the arena pitted against an equal number of over-zealous students. This first game of the campaign has been designed to ease you out of the starting blocks, but if you haven't yet run through the tutorial you will soon be annihilated. The tutorial is adequate and leads you through a short training ground scenario explaining what all the knobs and buttons do and how to use them. I heavily recommend reading the manual from cover to cover (and no skipping bits) if you are really serious about taking this game on. It's a tough cookie to crack but if you do manage the task and still retain the interest for more you'll find a rewarding game just over the horizon…
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) Set in an era when war has become redundant, most diplomatic disagreements are settled in the arena via combatants in armoured Titans. The combat is naturally televised for the entertainment of all, and the paycheques are fat for any "jock" pilot brave or foolhardy enough to enter. Warring Suns claims a heavy role-playing element and the first job to hand is to create your squad within the limitations of a meagre budget. Don't do this first go - use the default squad. All the usual attributes are there for each pilot listed with related skills and other stats common to RPGs. These are all adjustable at inception but until you've played the game a few times you really don't know what you're twiddling with. The battlefield interface is both slick and familiar to the genre. It certainly works well in keeping the manoeuvre/combat orders to a minimum and the game flowing from turn to turn. Gameplay is based on timed actions, in seconds in two separate phases per turn (movement and combat). It's not a bad system when you get used to it but the learning curve is quite steep - the name of the game is persistence. Solo scenarios and custom missions are available via the in-game menu, as is a game editor, so if you do master this monster the story need never end. Using your same squad you can game on to your heart's content whilst gaining experience and better Titans along the way. Titans are all fully configurable depending on your style of play - neat huh?
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) The graphics are tidy and detailed (if a bit on the tiny side - and don't try looking for the zoom function because there isn't one), but this sort of game doesn't live or die by its visuals. Once you get used to the system and start using it to your advantage the game is okay - that's about all though - the game is way too average on all fronts, and tricky to get into for me to recommend it heartily. But if you do like the sound of it then when you've finished with your Titans, try digging up a copy of Cyberstorm - it was a classic in my opinion, and it had a zoom function…
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- Hulking mechs and a serious tactical challenge. |
- Uninspiring 2D graphics. - Too tough to get into. - The game lacks finesse. |
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