Z: Steel Soldiers – Review
Recently the Bitmap Brothers classic Z was rereleased on Steam, with barely any changes. That being said, the lack of changes did have no influence on the overall quality of this classic game. It was only a (short) matter of time before the sequel was released on Steam as well. Today we are able to present you with our opinion about Z: Steel Soldiers.
Story
Commander Zod, now captain Zod has not changed a single bit and is still the typical drill sergeant he was in the first installment of the series. Now with a peace treaty in order, he is still sending soldiers to the TransGlobal Empire, or simply the Blue team, in order to spy on them.
The game starts off with a failed first mission, in which Brad, gets missing in action. A rescue team is soon underway, hoping to find the doofus that starred in the original game as well. This mission will point out that it’s not all sunshine, lollipops and rainbows on the horizon. The peace treaty needs to stay intact but it will be harder than one could imagine.
Unlike the first game, Z: Steel Soldiers has a story that is tied together. Whilst the first game provided fun intermezzos, those in Z: Steel Soldiers are a tad more serious. Each of the cinematics follows the other but they might lack a bit of the original charm we saw in the first game. The cutscenes are presented like a comic book, which has its charm. Sadly, they lack a tad of the original wit that made the first game so popular.
Graphics
Compared to the 2D visuals in the original game, Z: Steel Soldiers has received a complete overhaul when it comes to the overall style of the game. The 3D appearance does not only create a more realistic appearance, it also gives an extra touch to the environments.
With the 3D upgrade, the style of the first game is pretty much thrown in the bin. You’ll notice that the original goofy charm is being replaced with robots that look a tad more realistic. It seems the game was trying to go for a different approach compared to the first Z game.
The 3D style seems to have aged more than the 2D style of the original game. The environments often seem a bit bland and more empty. Nonetheless, the visual are still amusing and some units still make you chuckle when you see them for the first time.
Sound
Overall the sound quality is of a fairly ok quality. The music is quite subtle but still sets the tone when needed. The voice acting is of great quality but again it’s a step back from the charm of the original game. Zod sounds more tranquil and some of the other robots have actually received a more robotic and serious undertone.
Gameplay
Z: Steel Soldiers is a RTS in its core, that has influences of the first game, as well as parts of games such as Command & Conquer. This is again a different style than the initial game and combining both elements might not be as easy as one might think.
During the missions, the map is divided in different zones, which can be captured. When capturing a zone, you’ll be able to capture what’s in that specific zone as well. If there’s a building in that zone, you’ll make it your own. This might help you gain production buildings or radars in order to support your growing army.
Unlike the first game, you’ll be able to build building yourself. Certain drones are able to create buildings and repair them when they are damaged during the robotic battles you’ll surely encounter. This takes away a bit of the planning you needed in the initial game. You’ll be able to build buildings anywhere in the zones and thus there are no more real ‘key points’ like in the first game.
Controlling your characters often feels a tad clumsy, seeing selecting the character you want to select, does not always respond as it should. When trying to select a bigger group of characters, you’ll often find yourself not selecting the entire group, even when the ‘drag box’ was over all the units you wished to select. The other controls don’t always feel that responsive and truth be told a tad outdated.
The game will offer a fair amount of missions but these are not numbered at all, which makes it hard to see which is the next mission. Especially when you’re browsing through the missions, it would have been easier if they were numbered.
Conclusion
Whilst Z: Steel Soldier is still a fun sequel for the original game, it often misses the charm of the original Z. A few actual updates to the gameplay and graphical quality would have been nice instead of dropping the game back on Steam without any changes. Nonetheless, fans of the original game will still find some fun content whilst playing through this game.
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