Steel Empire (aka Cyber Empires)

Title		Steel Empire (aka Cyber Empires)
Game Type	Action Strategy
Players		1-4
Compatibility	All (not fast ram)
HD Installable	No
Submission	angus@angusm.demon.co.uk

Review
There's some meaty strategy and tactical knowledge called for in this
action packed 2D Mech game. You can build armies from a wide range of Mech
like machines, fight for territory, and the resulting revenue, over a
variety of different terrains. Defensive battles range from attempting to
stand your ground with a lone Cyclops vehicle to frantically beckoning
your foes forward from behind your  heavily fortified stronghold
bristling with Titan and Hercules class monsters. For myself though, few
things compare with storming through your opponents defenses with your
assaulting force, and stomping his vital factories into the ground. I
remember this game was criticised for falling between two stools, on the
one hand being an action game, on the other, a contest of strategy.
Rubbish. The balance is excellent. There's some highly satisfying blasting
to be had, but in the end, being a joystick wiggling master is not going to
help you if your tactics are all wrong. Similarly, while the strategic
part of the game is very nicely presented, and headache free, you're going
to pay the price if you're not flexible, efficient and willing to take
risks.  A highly underrated classic.
I like the game because I'm interested in the principles of warfare and
while SE ends up as a bit of a blast, you control the factors that lead
you to that blast. You determine what risks you take in invading new
countries; do you try and grab that desert country that will provide a
solid buffer against a counterattack with your only spare mech, or do
you choose caution, and consolidate until you feel strong enough to take
the offensive? There are several different types of country, each with
different implications, while the industrial countries will provide more
revenue, they cannot be fortified. There is a tendency to try and grab
them anyway, but this often leads to great expense on both sides in what
becomes a "Stalingrad" situation. In a volcanic country, where the heat is
so intense, you can have a huge problem trying to weed out an enemy that
is sitting smugly behind his defences. I've held off vitual armies in this
situation with nothing more than a Dragon. This is where the Crossbow
comes into it's own, with it's awesome use of long range missiles. I think
the tactics in the actual fighting are probably overlooked too. When you
are assaulting (or defending) a country, commanding up to nine other
machines, you are able to influence the outcome in a quite a wide variety
of ways. Although the control you have over your battlegroup as a whole
seems very simple; Advance, Retreat, and Stand fast, you are able to
"jump" into any of your machines at any time and influence events with
your own skills.
The game is nicely presented throughout. It works superbly as a multiple
player game, but is also highy satisfying fighting the computer controlled
opponents. It is extremely accessible, but beneath the surface there is
depth which reflects many of the acknowledged principles of warfare.

Alphabetical list.