Steel Fury - Kharkov 1942 impressions

[Zipuli]

Hey!

Just received from the mail this little piece of software. After playing around T-34 vs Tiger, which is, yes, a bit of a bugnest and a disappointment, I was really looking forward to this one. Let me share some first impressions and experiences with this sim, maybe you will find it also interesting.

PART I

May 1942, I receive orders to attack once again. My PzKfwIVF2 (along with my platoon of 2 PzKwfIVF1s) is to support a combined arms flanking manouver against enemy preparing for an offensive - fools think the German spine was broken during their winter offensive, hah! First objective is a hill with no name in front of us, from there we will continue to a town with a name too difficult to pronounce - some kilometer away. Jawohl, Herr Hauptmann! I climb to my trusty warhorse and take commander's seat, and go unbuttoned.

Standing high in the turret I hear the engine revs rising and soon the clanking of the tracks fills my ears. Sounds damn fine! My wingmen take positions in a "Keil" -formation to my both sides and we speed up to the foremost infantry unit, already accompanied by a platoon of short barrel PzIVs. The visibility is excellent and the landscape looks really nice indeed! Green rolling landscape with a lot of grass and bush - even if I insisted that the game would show only "limited" amount of brush. Wondering the neighbourhood I take a few pictures of the attacking formation and a strong sence of invincibility takes over - with all these panzers, how could we lose?

Closing in with the infantry and ordering my tank to take a few turns and reduce speed I allmost drop inside the turret hearing a "Feuer Frei!" call from an infantry NCO. Not the pleasant, booming "Eisenschwein" -voice or SSnake's calm command, but an angry scream with authority and sence of death hanging in the air. Wow! Also my crew sounds like their hearts are beating 200 and sweat is flowing - excellent voice acting!

Looking at my map (a bit similar to SB's map view but a little different in how it presents units) I see all German units moving towards the hill, but of the Russians I see only few generic "defences somewhere here" markings. Fog of war is there like in SB.

Screenshots:

1) My Wingman taking position on my right

2) Panzerkommandant, Leutnant Freiherr von Zipuli basking in the soviet sunlight... ahhh

3) We are to support these landsers

[Zipuli]

PART II

Closing the hill our artillery opens up. Big explosions with dirt and smoke flying all around fill the hilltop. Our boys keep pushing forwards in a tight formation, scanning the hilltop anxiously. Enemy barbed wire fences are blown away by the artillery, and no sign of life yet. I order "marsch marsch!" and take right side of the attacking formation. I order my gunner to fire from the move, but with turm-MG only, if he sees anything. No need to stop while charging at the suppressed enemy! If there are tanks or AT-Guns, then I will command the gunner to fire from stationary tank only - and this happens easily with a click of a button, and with another button I can order driver to halt only for the gunner to take a shot (or MG bursts) and to continue automatically after gunner is ready (or max 8 seconds). Nice touch I missed in T-34 vs Tiger.

Artillery fire is lifted and our foremost tanks on my left seem to be on the hilltop with first infantrymen following close by. Seeing the silouette of a PzIV against the sky with the landsers following I think to myself that this is what I wanted to see!

A second later I hear a prrrrrt I could recognize any day - MG34 firing. The tanks on my left spotted something. Some of the grunts take cover while one fires his rifle standing and another guy next to him kneels to let out a few bursts with MP40. Looks like the enemy was pounded badly as they started to get of the trenches and run away, only to be cut down by angry bursts of MG fire. I still don't see any enemies, but 10m away to my right is an empty trench - they must be nearby!

Rolling over a barbed wire fence, flatting it I see the arty left big craters in the terrain - a nice feature, deforming landscape. Driving into one accidentally the tank has trouble getting up from it, but driver drops some gears down and off we go. The tank tracks and suspension live nicely in the bumpy terrain.

Advancing slowly I hear in the radio that enemy is spotted 100m away to my right. A white retangle appears on the spotted unit (a feature you can turn off) and looking that way I see some Ivans and an AT-Gun. I click F -key to enter order mode, right click near the enemy gun to order my driver to drive there, and left click on the gun to order my gunner to engage it. I also command to fire on stop, use all weapons and order the driver to take a short halt after I crossed the enemy trench. My gunner lets loose with MG and the rattle warms my heart greatly. Some of the tracer rounds bounce up in the air, or get deflected from the AT-Gun shield - another small touch that makes you go "wow" in middle of all that hassle.

Few sharp pops of rifle come from the enemy direction and a clancs of ricochets are heard from my hull. Ordering loader to load HE ammo, I hear the clanc of breech clsing and my gunner fires. The shell case hits the floor with a loud clank and the engine roars as my driver speeds up. Hitting the AT-gun the HE shell makes a loud boom and parts of the gun shatter all over. Did I mention the sounds are awesome? "Hit!" I tell the gunner, even if the range was just some 50m... as a commander I can also tell him he shot short or over the target.

Then I hear a band, screen goes black, and next thing I see is quick peek of the turret interior, with my gunner sitting in his bench looking through his optics. Then nothing.

View is taken outside the vehicle, and I'm being told I am heavily wounded... mission ends. Damn! Some ruskie took me off with a rifle, while I was too happy standing unbuttoned and feeling invincible. Sigh.

SUMMARY:

All in all I am very impressed so far with this game. The sounds are absolutely fabulous, the feel of being there is very strong, and the controls for each crew position (driver, gunner, TC, loader, radio operator) are well thought out - you can order them to do realistic stuff, for example the stop for firing etc. I mentioned. There is also some more little details, such as how do you order your "team" (of usually a tank platoon and some grunts that move as a single unit): use the radio? If it's broken you can use flags, but that doesn't work during night. You can shout, but it's not that easy to shout over the battle noises. Use lamp signals during night? Or the illumination pistol, which makes also sure everyone around you knows where you are... The game has playable T-34/76 (1941 version), which I briefly tried and noticed that being a TC AND a gunner the same time is not easy, especially with the quite crappy sights and all! Other playables are the PzKfwIVF2 (long barrel 75mm) and lend-lease Matilda infantry tank, with which you play the tutorials. The 2 pounder with AP ammo only did not impress me... The graphics are nice and terrain deforms with explosions and all is destroyable, from buildings to running over trees. Also damage modelling seems quite accurately done. There is a number of scenarios + a scenario editor, which seems quite easy to use (vs only 12 scenarios and difficult to use editor in T-34 vs Tiger). Also at least the russian version of the game (which has been out there for quite some time now) is receiving an expansion called "Fall Blau" some time soon, and I bet they will quickly translate it to the international version too!

I bet many of you SB people will find this SP experience (yupp, no MP - at least yet) very rewarding! The demo that has been out now for a year+ was some alpha version and there is a big difference in that and the finished product. For example in FPS and stability.

Screenies:

1) Artillery firing at the hilltop

2) Contact! Feuer Frei!

3) So I can go home now?

[Tacbat]

Solid review Zip, thanks.

[[]_--__[]KITT]

Is it out in Asia?

I've never seen the game either in legal game shop or......pirated version.

The screenies looks gorgeous. Is it a technical simulation or tactical simulation?

[Zipuli]

http://www.lighthouse-interactive.com/home

You can order from there to Europe at least. It was published (english version) few days ago, and it will hit shelves early december, yet you can allready order from this site - mine arrived in 2 days all the way from Holland. In december they said a direct d-load will be made available, I guess via Gamersgate.

It is a bit of both actually. It has realistic sights, ballistics, damage models etc. (at least as far as I can tell - and pretty convincing) and also you order your "unit" (whether a single tank, a platoon of tanks, up to combined arms unit of tanks and inf) in a bit similar way as in SB (think of simplified SB) to do manouvers and such. You can't have as many units under YOUR control as in SB, but there's more under AI on both sides, ranging from inf, assault guns, half tracks, planes etc.

Here's a bit of what it looks and sounds like. A 2 min unedited clip from end of first mission in German campaign. Attacking from "the Hill" to the town - finally managed to get that far without being blown up by AT-Guns or AT grenades from hiding enemy inf

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMeiFkSqJVU

Zip

[[]_--__[]KITT]

I'll wait until it hit the legal game shop here. if I like the video that you provided.

I think I'll pass on that T-34 Vs Tiger game. Bug nest eh?

Thanks for the review the screenies look promising.

[Hartford688]

Thanks, Zipuli. Great overview. Looks like there is hope for a good new WWII tank game after all!

[Topo]

Totally agree with Zipuli, it's a great WWII Tank sim!

[Flanker15]

I've got to wait untill Dec for mine to arrive but I'm totally psyched about it.

It looks probable that they will release the expansion for us aswell. It adds the Pzrjgr 1, Pz 4 F1 and a different make of the T34/76 1941 along with new missions and general improvments.

By your screenshots it seems that they have got anti aliasing working now, that's good.

[[]_--__[]KITT]

I've been watching Steel Fury gameplay on youtube. Damn it it's amazing . Can't wait for December. If it ever gets here. The legal shop is notorious for not importing all released titles.

[von Kinderei]

I ordered my copy from here 2 days ago and it's on it's way as I type ...

Check it out and good luck !

http://www.lighthouse-interactive.com/Steel-Fury

vK ~

[alpha6]

"I rode through the desert on a horse with no name, it felt good to be out of the rain♭♪♭♪"

sorry but "a hill with no name" put my retro into gear.

Back on topic: From what I've read so far it doesn't sound very good.

[Sergei]

I ordered my copy from here 2 days ago and it's on it's way as I type ...

Check it out and good luck !

http://www.lighthouse-interactive.com/Steel-Fury

vK ~

I must to say that no more compares in tanks with SteelBeasts.

"T-72" and "T-34" just walk around-about.

How to buy SB ProPE from Russia?

[Ssnake]

Through our web store, the usual way. Requires a credit card, though. Resellers are welcome, and should contact me via email.

[Skybird03]

I'm lying in wait and have both TvT and SF under observation since longer time.

TvT so far seems to be more a non-starter than a MP-feast, many players report problems with MP, and AI as well. the developer shines by his absence, and his reputation build by past releases and lacking support for them is not good. I think that sim is set to get forgotten soon. that the title is available in russia since over a year, but none of the errors and faults of the Russian version are said to have been adressed in the international release, tells something.

SF seems to deliver what TvT just had promised. I am waiting for my copy. There seem to be localisation problems, resulting in so far two major bugs, one of which has been solved by a modder, the other able to get tackled by reassigning keyboard commands. An unofficial patch is said to solve the urgent issues soon. What I read in feedback about SF, and previews, sounds very good. It is officially confirmed that they are settling conditions with their producer for a sequel, SF2, which will include MP. The addon "Fall Blau" is aimed for public release in 1Q2009. By having played the demo, I was not convinced (my small "review" of the demo at tanksim.com), but I am aware that that demo is very old and not representative for the actual status of the game, and many people already pointed out that the actual status outshines the demo. I decided to took a gamble and so invested some trust into such statements, and ordered the game. It should arrive in the next days.

wioth the perspective of Fall Blau, SF2 including MP and a developer who seem to plan to stick with his franchise, I think that when choosing between TvT and SF, the latter is the way to go.

[Hedgehog]

Here's a bit of what it looks and sounds like. A 2 min unedited clip from end of first mission in German campaign. Attacking from "the Hill" to the town - finally managed to get that far without being blown up by AT-Guns or AT grenades from hiding enemy inf

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMeiFkSqJVU

Zip

No wonder you were shot in the head.

Driving round screaming:

"Death to Russians!" While waving a flag from your hatch.

:biggrin::biggrin:

[Zipuli]

Isn't that the SOP?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kGj3pG4Y48

-another clip with some night action... was quite tense mission, when my loader died I had to move the hull-MG-dude to load

EDIT: YT bastardized the visuals... oh well

[Skybird03]

I meanwhile received my copy, and played through roughly one half of the missions since yesterday. A first draft for my own review is done. I will post it at tanksim.com within the next 24-48 hours, since I found that there is not much more to be found. that I did not take more than just 24 hours to come that far, already says something about the game.

It is not the official tanksim.com review, like i did for SBP, but just my "private" one. Neal said he will do the official one. I don't know when.

I'm sad to report that i am not as enthusiastic as Zipuli, by far not. As a complex action game, SF is not bad. As a realistic sim, it is sub-standard, imo. Greatest problem is the almost broken AI. However, I am not too disappointed, since I did not expect much more than what I got. But after one day and the game half-finished, I'm already losing interest, that repetitive and simple (on highest difficulty level!) it is. A complex (non-ergonomic) interface does not make it better.

[zvlad]

Company GRAVITEAM congratulates ALL

With Christmas and New Year!!!

Best regards,

Vladimir Zayarniy

www.graviteam.com

[alpha6]

lol

[tarball]

_--__[]KITT;160480']Is it out in Asia?

I've never seen the game either in legal game shop or......pirated version.

The screenies looks gorgeous. Is it a technical simulation or tactical simulation?

Not intended to offend, but... is there really such a thing as a legal game shop in Asia?