Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. follows a cast of characters that include Henry Fleming, John Henry and The Cowardly Lion that team up with Abraham Lincoln to fight back against an alien invasion. The game's setting takes players to a futuristic Earth across different locations where new characters are met and made available as playable characters. The game's protagonists are interesting and are one of the biggest reasons for players to check out the new release, and the narrative is good enough to keep players interested in finding out what will happen next.
Gameplay in Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. combines third-person shooter mechanics with turn-based combat. In the game's main campaign, players will be given unlimited time to move around the battlefield and choose their actions before watching the turns unfold in real time. Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. gives players freedom of movement not always seen in turn-based strategy games, while the shooting mechanics make aiming properly and using the best firearms for certain situations vital. The game can be difficult at times thanks to several overpowered enemies that are nearly impossible to defeat without some tricky strategies.
Players can customize their party and characters between missions and combat. Player parties consist of up to four different characters, and the game includes twelve playable characters that each come with a unique weapon and special ability. The active characters will change the layout of levels and progressing through each mission. It's important to assemble a team of characters that can play off of each others strengths and weaknesses or use their special abilities together to deal a hefty amount of damage to enemies. It's also important to equip the most effective weapons and gear before battles to have the best chance at success in combat.
Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. puts a ton of effort into creating fun playable characters. Not only are the characters unique and based on a nice collection of real life and fictional personalities, but the game features a cast of fantastic voice actors to portray the characters. Unfortunately, Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. doesn't put the same love and unique qualities into enemy designs. The aliens seen in the game feel uninspired with very basic designs and some enemies that look nearly identical. The AI isn't a whole lot better either, as some enemies are complete pushovers and others are challenging to defeat for more experienced players.
The game also makes things more difficult on players with some presentation issues. The shooting controls work well, but preparing for a turn and cycling through different attacks can be more difficult than it needs to be. Even more discouraging is the game's often poor camera work and level design that can hide the player and cause damage to pile on before players can discover what is happening. The plain enemy design can make developing a strategy before a battle begins tough as well, as some enemies look far from distinct.
Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. includes three different online multiplayer modes in addition to the game's single player campaign. Deathmatch is easy to understand and fun to play, and Medal Match, a race to collect coins from fallen enemies, is entertaining as well. A.B.E. Battles places players in massive Abraham Lincoln mechs with bland gameplay that has players firing machine guns at their rival until only one robot is standing. This mode should be avoided at all costs, but the other mutliplayer modes are serviceable and seem to have no connectivity issues.
Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. is a solid game that presents some good ideas, but the game has issues that take away from the overall experience. Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. puts a lot of care in the construction of its playable characters, but enemies are not nearly as well developed, and combat is hurt tremendously as a result. Other presentation issues including poor camerawork, make the game tough to play at time. There are some good multiplayer modes that combine with a campaign that will divide gamers to give Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. some replay value. Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. is unique and mildly entertaining. Fans of strategy and shooting genres can look for Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. out now only on Nintendo 3DS.
Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. is now available from most major retailers and can be purchased for the MSRP of $29.99 exclusively on Nintendo 3DS. Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. is rated T by the ESRB for Blood, Fantasy Violence & Mild Suggestive Themes. For more information on the game, check out the official Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. website.
Game Features:
- Online Multiplayer 1-2
- Historic Characters in Steampunk World
- Three Online Modes
- Plenty of Unlockable Weapons and Gear
- Amiibo Support
Game Information:
Developer: Intelligent Systems
Publisher: Nintendo
Available exclusively for Nintendo 3DS (reviewed)
Release Date: March 13, 2015