Customer Ratings & Reviews

Code Name S.T.E.A.M. is a very enjoyable turn-based strategy game that, when it's good, is every bit as fun as 2012's XCOM; Enemy Unknown. The over the top characters and lighthearted story fit wonderfully in the Steampunk world the game takes place in. Having President Lincoln give you orders on saving the world from alien invaders before you take your squad made up of famous figures from American folklore into battle keeps the game from being too serious. The basic loop of the game is pretty standard for the genre. Get a mission, choose your team of four and the equipment they will use, fight the bad guys and repeat. There isn't much to do outside of combat that I've seen in the dozen or so hours I've spent in the game so far. The weapon and gear upgrades unlock based on collectibles and story progression. Which is not a bad thing, but does make the game seem fairly basic when compared to games like Fire Emblem and XCOM. During missions you and the computer computer take turns moving and attacking each other. Most of the time the objective is to move your squad safely from one part of the map to another. Occasionally you are given additional tasks such as "kill the boss alien" or "save x number of people" and completing them gains you a bonus at the end of the mission. On your turn you move your squad into offensive or defensive positions and attack using "steam" which powers your equipment and weapons. Each member has a different amount of steam and different tasks required different amounts to accomplish. Deciding which actions to take and weather to attack now or to try and get in a better position to attack next turn is often times a difficult choice. After you end your turn the alien's take theirs. A process that often leaves you staring at the screen for several minutes waiting. There is no way to skip watching this or speed along at all. And often times you don't even see anything happen. Once this is done it's your turn again and the process repeats until one of you wins. Outside of the wasted time and the lack of depth to the game outside of combat the game is very enjoyable. I haven't had a chance to try any of the multiplayer modes or amibiio functionality so I can not say if they add anything to the game or not. Even without seeing them I think the game is worth the $40.

Pros: Love the turn based, third person shooter hybrid. Very suspenseful not knowing the enemy's exact location. Deep strategy and customization with different units and subweapon classes. Amiibo support provides even more team customization options. Cons: No overworld map is jarring at first especially to Fire Emblem veterans, and can lead to devastating surprise attacks if you don't take a cautious approach. Enemy turns can take too long. Conversations and story are shallow.

If you like turn-based strategy games, and the "Lincoln vs. Aliens" premise appeals to you, give this a try. The demo is excellent and available for free on the 3DS eShop. Pros: --Very tactical turn-based gameplay in which every movement counts and very little is left to chance --Diverse cast of characters with varied abilities. --Witty script with lots of Easter eggs for curious players to find --Excellent music and voice acting --Great replay value, with additional difficulty settings and unlockable rewards for high scores Cons --Story is very by-the-numbers, with few surprises to be had. --Enemies' weak points can be too difficult to hit, even at the best of times. A lot of reviewers bemoan the fact that enemy turns take too long. I almost never found this to be the case. This game will play best on the New 3DS, as its C-stick makes controlling the camera somewhat easier. However, my experience on the regular 3DS XL was quite enjoyable.

Code name steam blends tactical strategy with a third person shooter. It has a great art style and music, with a nice variety of characters and gameplay. It starts off easy, but quickly ramps up the difficulty, making this a great game for anyone who like strategical thinking. Theres three online modes, and thoughs a nice take away from the single player campaign.

I enjoy any turn based tactics game by Intelligent Systems so this may be a little biased. The camera is a little weird sometimes, but if you like any of the Fire Emblem series, a lot of qualities are included in this one. I wish it game with the Zelda pin like the GameStop preorder, but the Gamers Club Unlocked discount trumps that. I've yet to try any Amiibos.

I've never been one for turned based strategy game play, but codename steam was a good entry to that. I appreciated the comic book art style and no holds bar wackiness of literary characters and cartoonish weapons. By far my favorite was a gun that shot explosive penguins! My main gripe was there are too many times the game got unforgivably difficult.

As a fan of turn-based strategy games, Codename STEAM is a niche title that deserves to be given a chance. Why does it deserve a chance? Why is it a niche title? Well that's because it's a brand new I.P. from a company notorious for sequels/spinoffs/remasters. Oh and did I mention Intelligent Systems, developers of the Fire Emblem and Advanced Wars series, are behind it?!?! Not only have Nintendo and IS granted our wishes with a new I.P., they've made a great one at that! This game is like a mix between Fire Emblem and Valkyria Chronicles (real time 3rd person shooting). It offers a story mode, some multiplayer modes, and streetpass as well if you're into that. The story is witty and told in a comic book style, which is why the graphics look the way they look. Trust me, it definitely looks better in person and in 3D. It introduces you to famous American themed characters such as Henry Fleming, John Henry, the Lion from the Wizard of Oz, and many others that I don't want to spoil for you. They aren't exactly fleshed out, the dialogue is corny, and the story altogether isn't deep, but its one that you shouldn't take seriously and just have fun with. You can tell this game is all about the gameplay experience. To put it simply, it takes place in London and your team called S.T.E.A.M. (Strike Team Eliminating the Alien Menace) is trying to fend off aliens to save humanity. I'll let you find out for yourself who's the leader of your team. Before every battle, you assemble a team of 4 that can be customized with sub weapons. Each character also has a unique special ability so the replayability seems endless. If you're into collectibles, you can gather coins from killing enemies or destroying boxes, and you can find the 3 COGs spread across each map to upgrade your steam supply as well. The only gripe I have with this game is the "Enemy Turn" segments where it could take up to 20-30 seconds to finish. Apparently the enemies actually strategize in this game and don't make pre-programmed moves like in Fire Emblem. It's not that big of a deal to me. I haven't touched online multiplayer yet, but from what i've seen on previews they look pretty solid. There's deathmatch where your team faces off against another human opponent team. There's a mode where you try to collect more coins than your opponent, in which you can steal from by shooting them. And finally there's a 1 on 1 mech showdown that sort of resembles a boxing match, but take the last mode with a grain of salt. All in all, do yourself a favor and get this game. Support not only a new and rare I.P., but a great one from the minds that brought you Fire Emblem and Advanced Wars. If you're into turn-based strategy games, this is a no brainer.

Be sure to get the update for this game off of the eShop! It fixes a lot of the "issues" others have complained about back at its launch. A very fun, if straightforward, light strategy game that anyone can get into. Even works with some amiibo for bonus features.

I went into this game pretty much blind - no trying the demo beforehand, a lack of research, going on the minimal pre-release information from last year's E3. This feels like a strong IP that I hope Nintendo decides to use more in the future. The mechanics are fun, with a host of characters that all feel genuinely different with unique properties. You really have to take them into account when you build your 4-person team. The gameplay itself is surprisingly hard, but in that satisfying strategy game sense where you can only win by assessing the field and situation as a whole. Rushing in blindly can really screw you over. The game loses a star for the length of time that the enemy turns take - it might sound like a small thing, but considering there's no real option to skip or significantly speed it up, it adds to a lot of wasted time. But it's the only element that really bothers me in a rather well-constructed product.

If you are a fan of the Fire Emblem series, you will likely enjoy this game. An interesting mix of 3rd Person Action and Strategy. The comic book art style is neat as well. Play on New 3DS to be able to speed up enemy turns as fast as possible, which helps a lot.

This game is so addictive! A great turn based real-time strategy game set in a unique universe with all the bells and whistles standard with Intelligent Systems and Nintendo. Only gripe is having to wait for every enemy to make their moves.

I was skeptical about buying this for full price on release despite enjoying the demo overall it felt rather slow. Since then it has been updated with a fast forward mode which makes enemy turns go much faster. It has tons of characters and using Amiibos to play with Lucina is great. Unfortunately the gameplay can still be somewhat painful and some of the enemies are brutal, namely hard to hit flying enemies and the ones that burrow underground. They can still be dealt with but it can make some of the longer battles more painful than fun. Overall I have enjoyed the game and allthough the style is strange, it is not enjoyable. Hopefully they bring another entry to the series that fixes some of the issues and it could become a great new IP.

Intelligent Systems has made some of my favorite games for the Nintendo family of consoles such as Fire Emblem, Advance Wars, Paper Mario, Warioware, and more. I had very high hopes for this new STRATEGY game by IS as Fire Emblem and Advance Wars games are some of my most favorite of all time. Code Name STEAM is a great tactical game that includes humor, fun gameplay, impressive graphics, and inclusion of Fire Emblem characters as a bonus. There are some extreme slowdowns during the enemy turns which can be VERY annoying, but IS is pushing out a patch to alleviate this issue. This is a great game that is tiding me over for the hopes that they release more Advance Wars titles and the release of the upcoming Fire Emblem 3DS title.

This game hasn't recieved the amount of attention that I personally believe it deserves. Nintendo rarely produces a new IP, so I was very happy to see a fresh game added to their lineup. I typically don't like turn-based strategy games like this, a la Fire Emblem, so I was quite surprised how hooked I became to this game. The mechanics/gameplay isn't overly complicated, the characters (while lacking any true depth) are fun, and the world is a laregly interesting Steampunk adventure. For someone looking for a fresh experience, I would recommend this game. However, if you don't like thinking too much, lack patience, or bore easily from non-combative gameplay, this may not be the best investment.

Awesome game! If you like the xcom series (the recent ones) or valkyrie Chronicles then this game is for you. Cell shaded characters and environments thay seem to come directly from the pages of Jack Kirby's New God's comic books, with excellent gameplay and a variety of specialities and enemies will keep you playing for a long time. And Abe Lincoln.

Codename STEAM is one polished and joyful tactical RPG. The XCOM style of presentation adds an incredible amount of depth and planning to conquer missions effectively. The story, art and characters all burst with personality and cheeky humor. With the 1.1 patch to speed up enemy turns, this game is quick, responsive and a joy to play.

S.T.E.A.M. is a game that is turn based meaning you go then the defenders go then you again. The SteamPunk theme is spot on, and the Aliens are pretty tough at times. With some quick whits you can defeat them but you have to make sure you plan it out wel or else you wil start the level over. Great game, and good price too!

Picked this up as a deal of the day for $10, better than I expected. If you like x-com you might like this

Clever game, uses a lot of strategy. Great theme. I enjoyed it a lot.

Great game! Definitely recommended if you are into strategy games.