Shattered Steel
Overview
Shattered Steel is a first-person shooter video game developed by BioWare and published by Interplay Entertainment. Released in 1996, it marked BioWare's debut in the gaming industry. The game is set in a futuristic world where players pilot a mech—a large, heavily armored robotic vehicle—through various missions to combat alien threats. Shattered Steel is notable for its dynamic terrain deformation and strategic gameplay elements, which were innovative at the time of its release.
Development and Release
Shattered Steel was developed by BioWare, a Canadian video game developer known for its role-playing games. The development team aimed to create a game that combined the intense action of a first-person shooter with the strategic depth of a simulation game. The game was built using a proprietary engine that allowed for real-time terrain deformation, a feature that added a new layer of strategy to the gameplay. Interplay Entertainment, a prominent publisher in the 1990s, saw potential in the game and agreed to publish it.
The game was released for MS-DOS and later ported to Microsoft Windows and Macintosh. It received positive reviews for its innovative features and engaging gameplay, although it was not a commercial success. Despite this, Shattered Steel laid the groundwork for BioWare's future successes in the gaming industry.
Gameplay Mechanics
Shattered Steel's gameplay revolves around piloting a mech through a series of missions, each with specific objectives. Players can customize their mechs with various weapons and equipment, allowing for different playstyles and strategies. The game features a variety of environments, from barren deserts to lush forests, each with unique challenges and enemies.
One of the standout features of Shattered Steel is its terrain deformation system. Players can use weapons to alter the landscape, creating craters and trenches that can be used for cover or to trap enemies. This mechanic adds a strategic element to the game, as players must consider the impact of their actions on the battlefield.
The game also includes a dynamic mission system, where objectives can change based on the player's actions. This adds replayability and encourages players to experiment with different strategies.
Story and Setting
The narrative of Shattered Steel is set in a distant future where humanity is under threat from an alien race known as the Krell. The Krell are a technologically advanced species with a mysterious agenda. Players take on the role of a pilot in the resistance force, tasked with defending human colonies and uncovering the Krell's plans.
The game's story unfolds through mission briefings and in-game events, providing context for the player's actions. While the narrative is not as deep as those found in later BioWare titles, it serves to enhance the gameplay experience by giving players a sense of purpose and urgency.
Technical Innovations
Shattered Steel was praised for its technical achievements, particularly its terrain deformation system. This feature was groundbreaking at the time, allowing players to interact with the environment in ways that were not possible in other games. The game's engine also supported advanced graphics for its time, with detailed textures and dynamic lighting effects.
The development team faced several challenges in implementing these features, particularly in optimizing the game to run smoothly on the hardware of the time. Despite these challenges, Shattered Steel managed to deliver a visually impressive and technically advanced experience.
Reception and Legacy
Upon release, Shattered Steel received positive reviews from critics, who praised its innovative gameplay mechanics and technical achievements. However, the game did not achieve significant commercial success, partly due to the competitive nature of the gaming market at the time.
Despite its modest sales, Shattered Steel is remembered as an important milestone in BioWare's history. It demonstrated the studio's ability to innovate and create engaging gameplay experiences, qualities that would become hallmarks of their future titles.
The game's influence can be seen in later mech-based games, which have adopted similar mechanics and gameplay elements. Shattered Steel also paved the way for BioWare's transition into role-playing games, where they would achieve critical and commercial success with titles like Baldur's Gate and Mass Effect.