The handheld market is usually home to classic turn-based strategy games. The GBA had Advanced Wars and Final Fantasy Tactics Advanced, the DS has Age of Empire, Advanced Wars Dual Strike, and the eventual release of Final Fantasy Tactics Advanced 2. The PSP has seen Field Commander and the Generation of Chaos series. Field Commander was Sony's answer to Advanced Wars but unfortunately it didn't quite live up to the Nintendo title. Sure the PSP has a remake of the PSOne classic, Final Fantasy Tactics and a Disgaea in the works but what will the starved strategist play until then? Well Konami has an answer for you with Steel Horizon.

Prepare for Tactical Warfare

Steel Horizon will offer gamers both turned based and real-time strategy gameplay. Players will have complete control of a naval armada equipped with battleships, submarines, fighter planes, and your basic artillery weapons. Taking control of one of three super secret navy vessels, players will fight against the Axis of Evil in both the Atlantic and the Pacific fronts.

The game is played with turn-based tactical moves called the Strategy view. In the Strategy view, players will set a course of sail and plan out where the armada will move and what positions they shall take upon arriving at the set location. After moving into place its time for the fun to begin with battles. The battles happen in real time or known as Combat view within the game. When engaged in Combat view you'll actively load your guns and fire at ships, submarines, and PT boats. However, you can't be careless and shoot constantly at anything in the water because this will leave you open for attacks on your other ships. Players will have to protect their larger ships for submarine attacks and PT boats but intercepting their attacks.

As the battles go on players will be able to build new bases and replenish your fighting strength to win the war. New bases will play key roles in Steel Horizon just like every other strategy title. Through new bases new ships and reinforcements for battles will come into play. However, just because you can acquire new ships to use in battle doesn't mean you should be careless on the battlefield. New ships and weapons will cost players funds and these aren't unlimited. So be careful on the battlefield and try to make do what you can with what you have before carelessly wasting your armada and hope for victory. Although it may be true that there's no clean victory but that doesn't mean it has to become a dirty one.

The Look of War

Steel Horizon has the look of some of the older PC strategy titles. The ships are nicely detailed and the battle damage done to the ships look very nice. You will notice fire and smoke effects after a long battle and your ship has taken heavy damage. After a long intense battle the ship will begin to deteriorate and pieces of the ship will begin to fall apart as well. War is anything but beautiful.

When ordering your ships to move you'll have a top-down look over the current location. Although, the land doesn't have many details on it, it does the job of giving the player the overall landscape and mass of the area.

A War Nears

Steel Horizon will feature over 20 missions for players to engage battle in. Steel Horizon will be hitting retail shelves later this month. Stay tuned for a full review right here.