Full Steam Ahead! Brad Finds his Next Tactical Obsession with Code Name S.T.E.A.M.

I wanted to spend a little time writing down my thoughts about Code Name STEAM for a couple of reasons. First, I don't think I'm going to be broadcasting much of the game anymore. Unfortunately this IS a strategy game, so it is not the most feed friendly. The game places a heavy emphasis on line-of-sight, and since there is no map, it is easy to lose your sense of the battle/battlefield if not paying really close attention. This makes it hard to follow if only casually watching. Throw in that fact that the game moves really slow and looks kind of "assy", and yeah, I'll be giving Nolan back his broadcast 3DS. If you really want to see me stream more, you better make some convincing arguments in the comments below.

Also, I wanted to write out some thoughts now because I don't think I will be finishing this game anytime soon. Being on a handheld, I don't see myself finding big chunks of time to play the game. I'm super OCD about my strategy games, so it will probably take me longer than the average player to finish the game as well. I could share my thoughts on our podcast, but I want to get into the gritty details, and my nerdery would be met with glazed over stares.

But anyways... Code Name STEAM is finally here and I couldn't be happier. Intelligent Systems has always been one of my favorite developers ever since I played my first Fire Emblem and Advance Wars games. But they have been working on those franchises since the 8bit days, and it is great to see them try something new on a larger scale. They do develop a lot of smaller game projects but when it comes to big releases, it is almost always Fire Emblem, Advance Wars, or Paper Mario. Since Advance Wars is long gone at this point, it would not surprise me if some of the designers at Intelligent Systems were hankering for a crack at a new strategy franchise.

What stands out the most in my first 6 hours of Code Name STEAM is the level design. It is really good! This was a big concern for me because, despite its critical acclaim, Intelligent System's most recent game, Fire Emblem Awakening, had some of the weakest level design in that series. I was also worried that there wouldn't be big complex levels due to limitations of the hardware. After all, Valkyria Chronicles REALLY suffered in its level design when it moved to the PSP. The good news is that not only is the map design good here, it's some of the best I've seen in the genre in a really long time.

Maps are large and intricate, with the ocassional emphasis on vertically. Most games in the genre are usually content with flat, board game style maps, but Code Name STEAM really takes advantage of a full 3D battlefield. Since some characters can navigate to places that others can't, while other can destroy much of the environment, my options of approach in any given encounter are plentiful. And because the game is consistently introducing new enemies, situations, and characters, it's not surprising that I find myself falling in love with this game.

I suppose I should say my peace on the complaint I've read most about the game. Enemy turns ARE lengthy. And early on in a battle, when the map is filled with aliens, the wait can last up to 60 seconds. It's an odd design decision not to give the player the option to skip these, but I think I understand where this comes from. The director of Code Name STEAM has said in interviews that he didn't want players to rely on maps to get a sense of the battlefield. Line-of-sight is a core element to the design, as much as fog of war is in many other strategy games. Positioning my units at the end of each turn to get the best view of the situation reminds me of other squad-based tactical games I've played, especially Full Spectrum Warrior. The game wants the player to use this time to build a sense of the flow of battle. Without this (and overhead maps to rely on), it would be quite difficult to understand where the enemy is coming from and how to approach moving around the map.

And because Code Name STEAM is actually quite challenging, I don't find myself getting bored during enemy turns, I find myself getting scared. In fact, the game has a healthy amount of that "XCOM fear" or the fear of knowing what is out there. I'm encouraged to use units with high vertical movement, like Lion and Tom Sawyer, to get high places to give me a better view of the map. Proper scouting gives me the info I need to set up proper ambushes or take alternate paths to get into good flanking positions. I know it's divisive, but it does feel designed and intentional. I don't want to call out others for playing the game "wrong", but if all of your characters are staring at walls during enemy turns, maybe rethink your tactics.

There's actually a lot more I could say about the game, like how much I like the way this game handles overwatch, and how smart the movement system is (rare for a tactics game); but these "impressions" are getting review length. I'm going to keep a steady pace with the game, so maybe expect a video review sometimes in the hopefully not too distant future.