Gameplay: 9
Graphics: 8
Sound: 8
Control: 10
Replay: 7
Multiplayer: No

Steel Battalion's difficulty has been compared to "driving a manual transmission while driving." It better be worth it for 200 hard earned dollars is more of what I think.

Gameplay: 9

The game is based in the year 2080 and there is war looming on the horizon in the Pacific. It is really a forgettable story, so don't even worry about that. Just worry about staying alive and doing your job. The learning curve on this game is incredible, and until you get the hang of everything, expect to die a lot. What doesn't help is the death sequences. If you die and don't eject in time, you start from level one all over again. It doesn't matter how far you are, you still die. If you eject, you need to buy another mech. If you don't have enough money, you are kicked out of the army and have to start over. And don't even try to edit your save data without a modded Xbox, because you can't. Play this game and you will see what a challenge it really is.

Graphics: 8

Hope you have a big TV for this game, or you may be severely let down. Most of the screen is covered with dials and gauges, so the viewing window for action is a smaller amount than what you would think. I played on a 20 inch TV and found myself leaning forward with some of the smaller enemies. Do not fear though, there is a code that can give you a full screen without all the gauges.

Once you get past the small viewing area, the game is not bad looking at all. I occasionally have some small gripes when it comes to fog or how dull the colors are, but it's the nature of the game, so it isn't a huge complaint. The mechs are modeled nicely, and they sure are fun to blow apart. And don't forget enemy fire. It helps seeing a missile trail coming your way just in time to dodge it. Also, the cockpit is fully functioning, seeing dials turn, gauges move, you name it, and it functions.

Sound: 8

The sound in this game is nothing spectacular, but it doesn't disappoint. Everything you would hear in combat in a mech you hear here. Dodging missiles, you hear them swoosh by uncomfortably close. You hear the radio chatter, static if you call a downed mech. The engine noises, the turbines winding up, slowing down, the thumping of giant robot legs, the alarms and beeps from the different functions. It's all recreated nicely, but there isn't any music worth listening to. They let you buy a tape player that plays some boring techno you can barely hear in a cockpit. And to make things worse, you can't play your own soundtracks. Think of how much fun it would be to be cruising in a giant robot listening to "Godzilla" by the Blue Oyster Cult. It is just missing something without some decent music. Good for sound effects, bad for music.

Control: 10

Come on, do I really have to go in depth on why the control gets a 10? In case you don't know, Steel Battalion is packed with a 40+ button controller. Yes, 3 pedals, 2 joysticks and lots of light up buttons. And it's nice they light up, because you can see the blue in your peripheral vision and hit it without having to take your eyes off the screen, which helps greatly in combat.

This game throws you off the deep end to learn. Hope you learn quick, because you have to hit the cockpit close button, the ignition button, flip 5 switches for different functions, and then hit the engine start button after the engine reaches 80% ready. Hope you can do it quickly, because you are under fire. And to boot, this is just the training mission!

The control scheme for combat is also very nice. The left joystick "leg stick" is for turning left and right only, and the right control stick allows you to rotate your "arms" up to 180 degrees of whatever direction you happen to be facing. And there is a little thumb stick on the left main joystick which allows you to rotate the camera "eyes" of the mech. You can click it if you lose your orientation to center the camera. This setup is very useful as you can be locked onto a target firing on your right, looking to your left scanning for more enemies, all while you are walking forwards. Don't worry about crashing into anything either, because the sub-monitor with different camera angles can let you see what is in front of you. And while your arms are doing this, you can be giving it gas, the brakes, or the dodge commands from the pedal, and making sure you're in the right gear with the gearshift.
It's really a shame this is the only game for this controller, because it could provide some new experiences into otherwise bland games. Just think, AT-AT. (Wink…wink…cue Lucasarts…..cough)

Replay: 7

This game is definitely for the hardcore gamer, so most of the people who buy it will want to play it over and over again. Especially if you include Line of Contact, which has system link play, and online combat. This game is definitely worth it if you are hardcore, but if you don't love mechs, your money may be better spent elsewhere.