Steel Beasts does hit a couple of snags – most notably the graphics in this game really don't do the gameplay justice. Players expecting to see the most state-of-the-art, and accelerated graphics will probably be more than a bit disappointed. Steel Beasts is not the most advanced game, and regrettably the forests are far from convincing while the deserts are all too bland. But it also proves that gameplay is vastly more important than lackluster graphics, and if this title had come out two or three years ago it would be almost considered cutting-edge.

The game's other minor flaws are with combined arms, and there is no air-support role in Steel Beasts; something that really made this reviewer even more disappointed that Microprose isn't doing their combined network gameplay of Gunship and Tank Platoon. The lack of helicopters in the modern battlefield keeps this from seeming 100% realistic, but it also lets players concentrate on just the armor aspect. And while the infantry's role has been somewhat reduced, they are there and just as deadly as ever to the tanks.

Steel Beasts is only online from the Shrapnel Games Website, a trend that is starting to catch on among smaller developers. The game doesn't include any fancy extras or a glossy box but it does offer some excellent and highly challenging gameplay.

It is worth noting that some of the best military simulations seem to be coming out of smaller, independent developers. First, gamers had the excellent Combat Mission: Beyond Overlord by Big Time Software, which let gamers recreate WWII squad-based warfare, and now military buffs have Steel Beasts. While this simulation has a few minor flaws, and could certainly use some graphical enhancement, tank warfare has never been so well recreated in a game. Other games might look better but few are as balanced and offer the compelling gameplay of Steel Beasts.

Peter Suciu
Contributing Editor