Have you ever tried to load up Storm Eagle Studio’s masterpiece of a naval game, Distant Guns, only to get the error “Last Login attempt failed due to inability to connect to the SES server” because of their horrendous DRM? If so, your prayers have finally been answered.

Everyone who knows me knows I’m a huge fan of the Russo-Japanese War. Ever since I read Constantine Pleshakov’s book, The Tsar’s Last Armada: The Epic Journey to the Battle of Tsushima, I’ve been enchanted by the story of Admiral Zinovy Rozhestvensky aboard his Borodino-class flagship, Knyaz Suvorov, on his journey to fight Admiral Tōgō Heihachirō. From the crazy voyage to the Sea of Japan and how quickly Togo was able to outmaneuver him. This victory signaled to the world, especially in Asia, that Europeans were not invincible, inspiring great national leaders across the colonized world.

Another book I love is the Japanese masterpiece Clouds Above the Hill (Saka no Ue no Kumo) by Ryōtarō Shiba, a treasured work of historical fiction about the Russo-Japanese War. It gives you a deep understanding of how the war transformed Japanese culture and how it fostered the strategic hubris that carried into the post-war era. The games I’ve played on this topic include Distant Guns, WDS Tsushima, Naval Warfare Simulations (NWS) Steam and Iron, and Totem Games’ Clad in Iron: Sakhalin 1904.

Out of all these titles, Steam & Iron: Battle of Port Arthur shows immense potential to become my absolute favorite. I originally wanted to conduct a direct comparison between this game, and Distant Guns but over the last few days, that relentless DRM server error kept getting in the way, so I’ll have to rely on my memory.

Premise

The playtest version of the game currently features six historical missions, an easy-to-use mission editor, and a quick battle generator. It should be entering Early Access later this month. The game features around 30 playable ships across different classes, along with dynamic weather cycles. At the time of playtesting, all the individual ship names weren’t available yet, including the Knyaz Suvorov, because the developer is currently implementing a feature that allows players to name their own ships.

Graphics

I love the modeling of the ships, the smoke billowing from the stacks, and the small exterior details. When your ships take hits, dark gun damage becomes visible, and when a ship sinks, lifeboats scatter across the water. I’d compare the graphics to the Ultimate Admiral series, but in my opinion, the water effects here look even better. The only visual detail missing is crew members on deck, which you can see in the Clad in Iron series.

Battle Tactics

Positioning your ships, much like in Clad in Iron or NWS Steam and Iron, is the primary way to determine the outcome. Crossing the T and delivering broadsides can completely turn the tide of battle. A great feature here is that you can assign both a primary and a secondary target for each individual ship, rather than being forced to command an entire division to target another division.

It hits a sweet spot: not too macro like NWS, nor too micro like WDS. Additionally, if a ship is damaged, you can assign either your main gun crew or your secondary gun crew to handle damage control.

Pros

• Unique Ship Modeling: Each ship class looks distinctly handcrafted and visually distinct.
• Competent AI: Your crew’s AI performs well in battle (though ships can sometimes lock up without taking damage if they ram into each other).
• Game Speed Options: Includes six speed settings—faster than Clad in Iron and much less annoying than the speed controls in NWS Steam and Iron.
• Visual FX: Water and weather effects look fantastic.
• Accessible Mission Editor: The editor is extremely easy to use. I’m usually terrible at creating missions, but I figured this one out in minutes. You can place a massive number of ships on the map, though I haven’t maxed out the limit yet.
• Community Potential: Great potential for a large library of player-created missions.
• Intuitive Controls: Simple and clean control scheme compared to Distant Guns and NWS Steam and Iron.

Cons

• Lacking Statistics: Missing some of the deep technical data naval buffs usually crave, such as precise tonnage, gun calibers, and armor thickness.
• No In-Battle Saves: You cannot save your progress mid-battle.
• Low Difficulty: Battles currently feel a bit too easy compared to WDS missions, where I lose most of the time. However, the developer noted they will refine the AI based on player feedback during Early Access.
• Anachronistic Music: The developer just updated the music to reflect the time period.
• Missing Key Ships: The Knyaz Suvorov isn’t playable yet.
• Mission Scale: Handcrafted missions are on the smaller side compared to rival titles.
• Lack of Historical Assets: Lacks the rich historical imagery that fills games like Distant Guns.
• Limited Launch Content: Only six handcrafted missions available at launch. But at least I can make my own generic level titled “dude.”

What I’d Like to See Added

• Steam Workshop Support: The developer may add this in the future, but currently, mission files must be shared manually between players.
• Smarter AI: Most naval enthusiasts will want more challenging tactics from enemy fleets.
• A Historical Campaign: A full campaign mode would add huge replay value.
• Harbor & Coastal Artillery Missions: Coastal defense cannons and harbor engagements are standard in WDS or NWS games, but rarely seen in 3D titles. The developer expressed interest in adding these.
• Detailed Ship Specs: Games like Distant Guns track crew size, crew experience, service entry dates, and armor thickness per section. Currently, this game primarily displays hull %, fire %, flooding, and overall damage severity.

Final Verdict

Do I recommend it? Absolutely. At $12.99 in Early Access, it’s a steal for fans of the Russo-Japanese War. If you dislike Early Access titles, you might want to hold off for the full release. But for Distant Guns fans who have been locked out of their game and want a modern alternative with better graphics and smoother controls, this is a must-buy even in its current state.