Developer:
Prof. Fog's Workshop
Producer: Infogrames
Serious
naval game players and websites such as Subsim Review clamor for
realism in their games. The lengths that players will go to prod developers
into capturing realistic speeds, battery capacities, turning radiuses, shell
trajectories, and other aspects of a simulation are often extreme. During the
early development of Ubi-Soft's Silent Hunter II, one player posted his
must-have list and it concluded with "swinging sausages" in the engine
room! Yeah, we want it all and we want it right, and right now! And it better
be like Onkel Günter lived it. Which makes it pretty tough on the developer
who aims to make a submarine game that makes no pretensions toward
realism. Steel Tide is such a game. Yes, it has submarines, cargo
ships, torpedoes, and even an ocean but for the most part the game ignores
credible physics and historical substance in favor of action, mostly of the
shoot-em-up variety.
The
setting in Steel
Tide is largely a set of expansive lagoons and bays bordered by walls
and locks. The ultimate harbor attack scenario. The game is moderately
scripted--you progress through each of five levels by solving nautical
puzzles, sinking ships, fighting off swarming planes, and sending your
frogman out to demolish underwater gates. Steel Tide has most of the gameplay
features of other subsims--time compression, in-game saves, access to deck and
AA guns, but mostly external views. There is no sort of control room view at
all--closest thing is the periscope view. When submerged, you view your sub
from the outside, much the same as Tom Clancy's SSN. The graphics are notable.
Ships and ocean textures look pretty good if somewhat imbued with
animated-quality hues. Steel Tide is a fun game to look at. There is something
to be said for watching a sub glide through the depths while ash cans sink
down around it.
You will be engaged by a host of enemy vessels,
from destroyers to PT boats, slashing criss-cross through the seas, dropping
depth charges and blasting with guns. I found Steel Tide to be mostly a
surface action game--dive to evade the enemy and you lose the practical
ability to fight back. Torpedoes can be selected to home in on the enemy but I
opted for straight running fish. There's no skill involved in the former. On
the surface, your sub is armored against attack and can sustain a lot
of hits. A damage meter keeps you in touch with your sub's damage status (why
not say it: health). You can return fire with a wickedly powerful and accurate
deck gun. A dual barrel machine gun dispatches enemy planes and troops.
There's even a sniper rifle to take out enemy troops and keep them from
sounding the alarm.
The enemy AI is adequate but since nothing in this
game requires tactics, it matters little. Simply cruise into the next arena,
drive around at high speed and work that deck gun. The only nod toward realism
(is that underwater range is limited by battery capacity, highly accelerated
to suit the fast-paced gameplay. Launch torpedoes into near-motionless cargo
ships and you are rewarded with instant salvage benefits (okay,
power-ups). There really isn't any hunting or ocean cruising, looking for
targets. At the highest level of difficulty, the furor and accuracy of the
enemy can overwhelm you, providing some good old-fashioned arcade game action.
That's what Steel Tide is.
The
interface is direct and simple. The mouse and keyboard handle the routine
chores well. All the sub's system info is displayed in a robustly lighted
panel. The game has a neat feature that slows the game time to a crawl while
the crew messages appear, supplying you with useful info and tips. Steel
Tide's story has a decidedly science fiction slant even though the
enemy Saruvians seem to be modeled after the Nazis in all but name. With the
folky crew conversing around you (in text only), you do get a sense of having
a crew included on your sub, unlike most other subsims (SH2, Sub Command,
Fighting Steel). I found this element very enjoyable and commend the developer
for giving the player the sensation of having a crew.
The
in-game campaign is rather short but Steel Tide does provide multiplay for up
to four players. There are a variety of options and maps in which to stage an
MP game. The multiplayer action is pretty limited to chase and get into
position for a spread of 3-D torpedo shots. Fittingly, Steel Tide comes
with a very thin manual (all right, calling it a "manual" is overgenerous: CD
sleeve).
Steel Tide will not win over many from the Sub
Command/Silent Hunter crowd. The game is a fast-paced shooter set in a naval
backdrop. No tactics, no strategy, and no combat planning is required. It will
appeal to some players--those new to computers and those who don't have time
to learn everything there is to know about submarine warfare; those who like
to cruise and shoot stuff (which can be fun, to be flat-out honest). For a
budget title with no simulation pretensions, that can be enough.
Rating:
63
| Realism |
Historical Accuracy |
Graphics |
Sound/
Music |
Game play |
Repeat Play |
Stability
/Bugs | Multi- play |
Mission
Editor |
|
8/20 |
2/10 |
10/10 |
8/10 |
10/20 |
6/10 |
10/10 |
4/5 |
0/5 |
|
BONUS: +3: Good graphics; +2: Budget title |
|
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Steel Tide
