Steel Fury Kharkov 1942

About

"Steel Fury Kharkov 1942" is a realistic tank simulation game set in the Battle of Kharkov in World War II. Players can command various Soviet and German tanks through challenging missions, with a focus on historical accuracy and detailed vehicle models. The game features a complex physics system, strategic gameplay, and intense combat scenarios.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

68%

Audience ScoreBased on 105 reviews

graphics6 positive mentions

atmosphere3 negative mentions

One of the best tank simulators available, offering a realistic and immersive experience.
The game features detailed tank interiors and a strong focus on historical accuracy, enhancing the gameplay.
With the right mods, the game can be transformed into a highly enjoyable experience, providing extensive content and improved graphics.

Controls are clunky and unintuitive, making the gameplay frustrating for new players.
The game has significant compatibility issues with modern systems, often requiring extensive modding to function properly.
The tutorial is poorly designed and does not effectively guide players, leading to confusion and difficulty in learning the game.

graphics
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
68%
11%
The graphics of "Steel Fury: Kharkov 1942" are considered decent for its time but appear dated compared to modern titles, often requiring extensive modding to function properly on current systems. Players have reported issues with resolution and graphics card recognition, which can hinder the experience, though some mods can enhance visuals significantly. Overall, while the game showcases some appealing elements, it would benefit from a graphical update to fully realize its potential.
- “The steppes are rendered beautifully, and I can spot Soviet tanks and troops from afar, which is surprising... the graphics are superb at 1080p, and the frame rate is an easy 60fps with a GTX 1660 Super.”
- “The game's geriatric in its graphics and some of its UI, but it still looks and plays enjoyably enough.”
- “Arguably the best WWII tank sim still standing strong 13 years after release with thrilling gameplay and still appealing somewhat unique visuals; what it needs is Steam Workshop so we can have all the best modifications in one place.”
- “The graphics in 'Steel Fury: Kharkov 1942' are alright for its time, but they might look a bit dated compared to newer games.”
- “The game was developed for an earlier generation of machines and you'll encounter all of the usual issues: screen resolution locked to minimum setting, graphics card not recognized, not enough virtual memory, and so on.”
- “Resolution is broken, the game won't register most modern graphics cards (and thus forces itself to run on the lowest setting) and there really is no way around this except, as I said, extensive modding.”
story
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
54%
23%
The game's story aspect is enhanced significantly through mods, particularly the STA mod, which introduces a wealth of new missions, tanks, and scenarios, making the gameplay more immersive. However, the vanilla version offers limited content, with players quickly exhausting the available missions. While the missions can be engaging, they are often described as short, leading to a sense of repetitiveness without the added mods.
- “If you enjoy IL-2 Tank Crew, I would highly recommend buying this forgotten gem and getting the ATS mod, which adds more theaters, maps, missions, and vehicles.”
- “Tanks with infantry support, historical missions, sounds of war all around.”
- “There is a lot of custom scenarios online, as the game has a mission editor.”
- “The vanilla game does not have that many missions; you'll do like 10 and that's it. You've done all the missions, congrats.”
- “The vanilla game doesn't offer that much content. I heard that the STA mod gives you a bunch of missions and new tanks to use, but the way to get those files is hard. You can either download them through a Japanese website or pay money on a forum to get access to the latest version of the STA mod. Even after you download them, you might not be able to run them properly, so get ready to waste time trying to download the STA mod and get it running or accept the fact that you only have 3 tanks you can use and only a few missions you can do.”
- “The missions are rather short if you apply constant effort.”
gameplay
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
45%
27%
The gameplay of this WWII tank simulator is praised for its solid mechanics and immersive experience, particularly for players familiar with previous Graviteam titles. While the controls and physics differ from other tank games, the overall experience remains engaging, with a strong emphasis on realism and tactical gameplay. However, some players note limitations in control for certain roles and express a desire for updates or mod support to enhance the experience further.
- “Really good gameplay, and if you have played any of the other Graviteam titles, you should feel right at home, as this is built on the same engine, albeit a much older version.”
- “The controls and mechanics hold up really well.”
- “Arguably the best WW2 tank simulator still standing strong 13 years after release with thrilling gameplay and still appealing somewhat unique visuals; what it needs is Steam Workshop so we can have all the best modifications in one place.”
- “The only drawback mechanically is the lack of control in certain roles.”
- “The keys and feel of this game are much different than SABOW in that the physics of tank maneuverability and gun mechanics are different.”
- “The youthful flesh has wrinkled and aged, but underneath is some solid gameplay.”
atmosphere
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
20%
60%
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its realism and immersive experience, particularly when operating WWII tanks, which enhances the feeling of power and impending danger. The presence of infantry alongside the tanks significantly contributes to the scale and tension, enriching the overall ambiance of the game.
- “It adds to the realism and the overall atmosphere.”
- “I love the atmosphere of the possible impending doom of your crew getting wounded.”
- “Having infantry push alongside you does so much for the scale and atmosphere of the game!”
- “Infantry brings a lot to the tank sims in terms of atmosphere and danger.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is frequently criticized, with users reporting numerous bugs and issues, particularly related to modding and startup errors. While some appreciate its vintage appeal, many express frustration over persistent technical problems that hinder gameplay. Overall, it appears that the game requires significant improvements to achieve a stable experience.
- “Seems great for its vintage, but sadly the modding process seems buggy even after September 2020 according to other users' patch notes and updates. On the first day of trying, I encountered an error right after the v2.2 splash screen when going into the game. I've tried three times already and will have to start from scratch again some other time. It needs some care to earn its place on Steam, or someone should write an installer package for the mod.”
- “Buggy, but one of the best tank simulators out.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Blaze of War offers high replayability, particularly for fans of immersive tank simulation games like Graviteam, enhancing the overall gameplay experience.
- “Blaze of War is incredibly immersive and offers a high level of replayability, especially if you enjoy the detailed and engaging Graviteam tank simulation style.”
- “The variety of strategies and outcomes keeps me coming back for more; every playthrough feels fresh and exciting.”
- “With multiple factions and dynamic scenarios, each game session offers a unique experience that encourages repeated play.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
300%
Users report that the game's optimization is accommodating, as it runs smoothly even on older hardware, such as a 2013 laptop with outdated drivers. This suggests that the game is designed to perform well across a range of system specifications.
- “The game runs surprisingly well on my outdated laptop from 2013, even with drivers that haven't been updated in over five years.”
- “I appreciate how the game optimizes performance, allowing me to enjoy it on older hardware without significant issues.”
- “The optimization is impressive; it makes the game accessible even for those of us with less powerful machines.”
- “Performance: I use an outdated laptop from 2013, which had its drivers expire over 5 years ago.”
- “The game struggles to run smoothly even on high-end hardware, making it frustrating to play.”
- “Optimization is severely lacking; frequent frame drops and stuttering make the experience unenjoyable.”