Ask nearly any Xbox 360 owner about Kinect, and most would agree the hardware is a serious piece of technology that doesn't quite have enough high quality releases outside of casual experiences such as DANCE CENTRAL. Which is the primary reason why the announcement of From Software and Capcom's sequel STEEL BATTALION: HEAVY ARMOR was met with such a high level of anticipation and optimism. A game that provides serious first-person action combined with a mech simulator is enough to drive anyone to purchase a Kinect to propel the hardware into an entirely new degree of success. So, it’s a relief to see at least the majority of these high standards met.

STEEL BATTALION: HEAVY ARMOR is set in 2082, a world where Asian armies have begun showing their ferocity and military dominance in other parts of the world causing massive global conflict. A silicon-eating microorganism has made the advancement of computer technologies nearly impossible, and wars are instead fought with enormous mechs known as Vertical Tanks. You are a Vertical Tank pilot known as Lieutenant Powers, and you’re about to receive missions that will take you across the globe. The focus will be on various mission objectives such as freeing of the United States from foreign forces in New York.

Combat in the game is similar to other first-person shooters, but with a few major differences—the most obvious being that you're spending the entirety of the game inside the Vertical Tank. This is where STEEL BATTALION: HEAVY ARMOR begins stressing the lack of technology within your vehicle. To aim and fire your weapons, you'll have to look outside through a small rectangular window in front of you, where visual problems can arise if the visor becomes damaged and cracked. To get a better scope of the area and locate enemies at a distance, you can stand up and use binoculars on the outside of your Vertical Tank; the environment feeling reminiscent of an old film covering World War II.

The integration of the Kinect sensor controls mixed with the use of a standard Xbox 360 controller will find you falling hard on the love it or hate it side of STEEL BATTALION: HEAVY ARMOR. You use your standard Xbox 360 controller to move the Vertical Tank around and fire its weapons at enemies, and these controls are tight and responsive despite your limited view. The Kinect controls, meanwhile, require a short time to memorize each of the useful commands you'll need to complete each mission. The game's mission objectives will get increasingly difficult to almost a flaw, so you'll need to make sure you are investing enough time in mastering STEEL BATTALION: HEAVY ARMOR’S controls before progressing too far into the game, or you're not going to be having fun for very long.

Primarily a single player experience, STEEL BATTALION: HEAVY ARMOR hosts several missions throughout the game that allow team ups with other players across Xbox LIVE. While cooperative play is certainly smooth, you'll find playing alone even better thanks to a fantastic voiceover from your AI teammates and a cool soundtrack that sets the right mood. The only aspect better than the sound design, is the stunning visual presentation. It’s safe to say that you will currently not find a better looking game for Xbox 360 Kinect. The in-game menus are easy to navigate, and you can always replay the game's tutorial if you're having trouble mastering the complex control scheme.

While STELL BATTALION capitalizes on many great ideas, the Kinect controls aren't perfected and its difficulty could be a turn off for some gamers. Once you've put in enough time to handle your Vertical Tank under stressful situations, however, you’ll come back time after time to enjoy the great gameplay. There are few Kinect titles that are as completely entertaining as this title, and none are as epic.

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