SSI Fighting Steel Simulation Review

Overall Rating
 3 of 5

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5,
1 votes

Price Paid:  $24.00 from Babbages

Summary:
I have owned this game for a few years and I played it often in the begining with hopes that sequels would come out. Being a WW2 Naval history buff I was disappointed with the lack of depth i.e. missing carriers and subs. The hype of the 3D is "overhyped". SSI let this game and us down when they gave up on it's continued developement. This could have been a very good game with many years of enjoyment. Instead, it sits in my CD case.

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Summary:
At first the game was filled with bugs, however after taking the time to download the patches the game worked perfectly. I highly recomend this to any student of WW II! Take some time and download all of the patches from the SSI home page for Fighting Steel and you will be rewarded in spades!

Overall Rating
 3 of 5

Summary:
It's been quite a while for a World War II surface navel wargame to come out. My most favorite is Task Force 1942, the best. I was hoping for much the same in this game. This game doesn't quite match up, but it's the only one out there. Here, with an OVER emphasis on 3D (look in the manual, 3/4 of the instructions are how to run the cameras, etc....) the game models surface (only, no carriers or subs) navel warefare from 1939-1942. By using a graphical interface, you control one or more divisions of ships through an individual battle or through a linked campaign. Let's see how it plays.....

Overall Rating
 2 of 5

Summary:
SSI once again adds some movement and pizzazz to a board game. As an action-junkie, I have too short an attention span for these types of strategy games. I guess I was looking for more of an Simulation-type game. One in which I could patrol the high seas and do battle.
As I played the game, eventually I was just sitting there watching things unfold. I found myself sneaking peeks at the TV while my naval strategy was being carried out by my obedient fleet.Graphics were good for a boardgame, but lacking for you Sim. fans. I wanted to see ships rolling with the mighty waves, but the oceans in FS are very calm..to calm. The ships look pretty good, but they look like they might as well be on wheels rolling on the flat blue landscape.The manual is done very well. (I read it while waiting for something interesting to happen in the game). You get a lot of facts about WWII naval warfare. The last chapter tries to explain why the game is missing the very things I was hoping the game would've included such as Simulations, Planes, Subs, more wide open gameplay with random encounters, and land.Fighting Steel is probably an excellent strategy game. But don't expect to be able to walk the decks of your battle-wagon as you plough through the cold atlantic waves in search of the Bismarck.