Hard-core military simulations and wargames are generally shunned by large game publishers, who prefer to release games with broader appeal now that computer gaming has evolved from a niche hobby into mainstream entertainment. As a result, the burden of maintaining these genres has fallen on smaller, independent publishers, such as Shrapnel Games. Fortunately, these genres are apparently in good hands if Shrapnel's recently released tank sim, Steel Beasts, is any indication. It combines both simulation and wargaming elements to produce a superb gaming experience.

Steel Beasts is a modern tank simulator that focuses on the US M1A1 Abrams and German Leopard 2A4 main battle tanks. Both of these machines are fully drivable and are reproduced in painstaking detail in the game. In addition to these tanks, Steel Beasts models a number of modern armored vehicles such as the Russian T-80, the German Marder, and a variety of armored personnel carriers. Steel Beasts lets you assume the tank commander's or gunner's seat in the Abrams and Leopard 2, as well as move to an external camera view in each vehicle. The variety of units in the game (including infantry) allows for a wide range of different scenarios. You can't assume the driver's position per se, but as the tank commander you can issue directional orders to your driver, as well as indicate speed.

The level of detail in Steel Beasts is simply amazing and is a result of the fact that while the game was essentially programmed single-handedly by Al Delaney, he received the input and advice of a team of experienced tankers. The end product re-creates the different aspects of modern tank warfare like thermal imaging, laser rangefinding, varied ammunition loads, and gun stabilization in such detail that playing the game is almost as if you've joined the armed forces. Steel Beasts can be controlled with the keyboard and mouse or with a joystick, and although neither one of these completely re-creates the controls in a tank, the overall experience is still impressive. It also illustrates how difficult tank gunnery actually is. Like your real-life counterparts, you'll spend a lot of time on the gunnery range (almost a game in itself) honing your skills.

Steel Beasts is a perfect chance for anyone who claims to be willing to sacrifice visual appeal in exchange for exceptional gameplay to put his money where his mouth is. Steel Beasts is practically a textbook example of the strengths and weaknesses of independently developed and published games: Specifically, the graphics are not 3D accelerated, and they may seem rather drab and uninspired for those accustomed to the latest in hardware-pushing technology. Yet while Steel Beasts looks a bit like a throwback to several years ago, it is by no means ugly, and it actually does well in creating a believable environment. While the effects vary, for the most part Steel Beasts succeeds in presenting a visual environment that complements and enhances gameplay and never detracts from the superb atmosphere.

Steel Beasts isn't just a simulation. It's also a wargame, thanks to its detailed planning phase where you, as the mission commander, choose routes and waypoints for your units and issue contingency orders. Because it's impossible (and undesirable in a sim) to be in control of every tank at all times, the orders you give to your units at the beginning of the battle can have a huge effect on your chances of success. You can order a tank platoon to hold a certain position until it takes a certain number of losses and then to retreat to a holding position that you specify. The dynamics of battle in Steel Beasts are both complex and easy to manage. Sometimes menu selection can be a bit fidgety in the heat of battle when you're trying to attach a unit to your platoon, but for the most part the administrative part of combat isn't a burden.