Steam Squad is a squad-based TBS close to Jagged Alliance 2, Silent Storm, XCom and other similar games. Although it's is generally playable, it fails in pretty much all areas except maybe 2D art and story.
The good:
- the world map of the game's fictional world is fun to look at. And in the very fist mission you will be somewhere in Siberia, in the fight of Moscovia vs Tuxania (is itSteam Squad is a squad-based TBS close to Jagged Alliance 2, Silent Storm, XCom and other similar games. Although it's is generally playable, it fails in pretty much all areas except maybe 2D art and story.
The good:
- the world map of the game's fictional world is fun to look at. And in the very fist mission you will be somewhere in Siberia, in the fight of Moscovia vs Tuxania (is it China?)
- someof the graphics of the GUI look pretty nice, in the steam punk style, e.g. switches
- at least it keeps the JA2's action points system and doesn't replace it with 2-actions systems like the newer XComs and some other recent games
The so-so:
- all of the 3D art and textures, though technically ok, look very dull and lifeless. It's all a mix of green and gray
- soldiers seem to move too far in a single turn. Most can cover the whole sight range in just 1 turn. Though some may find that ok, dunno, Wasteland 2 had this
The bad:
- the GUI and the controls overall feel clumsy and unfinished. E.g. to move you need to double-left-click. If you don't double-click fast enough, nothing happens. Attacks are sometimes done with left double click, sometimes with right double-click. You can give orders to shoot although the target is blocked by an obstacle. Visual aids for giving orders are scarce and unclear. If you can't throw a grenade it's not clear why
- animations are slow and laggy. Sometimes camera shows close-ups of shots or moves unnecessarily but the effect of shots (was anything hit?) is never shown during enemy attacks.
- for the soldiers there are just 3 or 4 different portraits which are distributed among 15 or so soldiers you can pick for battle, making them all feel anonymous and generic
- the difference between soldier types (machine gunner, soldier etc) isn't clear
- AI takes too long to make its turn, and in that time you have to watch an animation of rotating gears
- soldiers hardly speak when selected or given orders
- the GUI is generally very poorly designed. E.g. "end turn" is strangely in the top right corner, and under it is the version number of the game build (is that info so important?). Some parts of the GUI have been barely touched by an artist, e.g. the squad assignment screen
- there are almost no options in the game
- you can't duck, lie down, run
Overall, the game looks like it's some pre-alpha version or even a tech demo. Rough, unpolished, with stubs here and there. More importantly, it seems to lack any kind of inspiration, as the combat itself is bland and lacks any innovative features. I'm not even sure why this game was made, except as a vague attempt to put Silent Storm in steampunk setting.… Expand
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