Review: Battle Tanks
Game: Battle Tanks
Format: PS3 (Playstation Network)
Developer: Gameloft
Publisher: SCE
Show me a guy that doesn’t want to drive a tank, blowing holes in walls and destroying enemy tank and I will show you a man with no soul. Show me the young boy who hasn’t turned his bedroom floor into a monumental warzone with little toy tanks and plastic soldiers and I will show you the child who has clearly been the victim of parents who impose a joyless environment. Gameloft (the developers) are doing their best to reignite that flame of a guiltless, frantic, military firestorm with their PS3 title for the PSN – Battle Tanks.
The premise of the game is simple. You control a tank. You have to shoot things without getting shot. Not too complicated really. No convoluted story to contend with here. It’s kill or be killed – simple as that. Well not quite. This PSN title features a fairly substantial campaign mode that can be played with one or two players. You progress from map to map by destroying any and all enemies on the screen. As you progress through the campaign you are faced with increasingly hazardous maps and more intelligent enemies. There are environmental obstacles to overcome such as thick mud, which slows down your tank and makes you a more vulnerable target. You also have to contend with piston powered walls which will crush your tank should you linger too long. Scattered across the maps are various power-ups that can be collected by both you and the enemy, so you need to be quick. Heat Seekers, Flamethrowers, Speed boost etc are all important to help you progress through the maps.
The controls are very simple. The left stick controls your movement through the map whilst firing your primary weapon can be done via the shoulder buttons for the more controlled and considered of you or a continuous firing mode can be done through the right stick. Your primary weapon can be bounced off of the non-destructible walls which creates a fun game play style. This can also come back to bite you in the arse – quite literally as firing wildly without thought could see your own rocket flying straight back at you. You have a secondary, limited ammo weapon in the form of a proximity mine. Pressing the circle button will deploy a mine on the ground that will destroy any target that rolls over it.
The maps themselves, although limited to a single screen, are quite varied. Moving floor panels, natural hazards and destructible walls add a dimension to the game play that is very enjoyable. As you get further through the campaign, the maps offer more of a challenge and the game play takes on something of a puzzle element as you take your time to work out exactly how you need to tackle the level. One that gave me particular trouble was a map covered in moving floors. Every time I moved, I was flung straight into a lethal crossfire, no matter which direction I went. Finally the penny dropped and I dropped a selection of mines onto the moving floors and watched them fly off toward the feet (tracks) of the opposing tanks – BOOM!
The game also features online multiplayer with Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch and Capture the Flag. Unfortunately I’ve been unable to test the game online though as I’ve never been able to get a match set up through a lack of players online. The local multiplayer is very entertaining though and very accessible as my children aged 7 and 9 were both able to properly enjoy the game. The music is fun and reminds me of games like Commando back on the Commodore 64. The graphics are bright, clean and sharp and have a cartoony feel.
REVIEW ROUND-UP
GRAPHICS – 4/5 I was particularly impressed with the graphics as they are sharp, clear and full of colour.
SOUND – 3/5 Simple, but effective with a touch of nostalgia for the older gamer.
GAMEPLAY – 3/5 Again, simple, but effective. Easy enough to learn in a couple of minutes but enough depth to keep you playing for a while.
LONGEVITY – 2/5 It’s a simple game, with a decent length campaign, but considering I was unable to get into a multiplayer match after several attempts on different days, I question how much long term appeal it will have.
OVERALL – 3/5 This is a perfect 10 minute game. The sort of thing I could switch on for a quick blast while the wife pops out to the corner shop. Gameloft have done a good job with this and it comes at a decent price on the PSN.
[starreview tpl=16]
Colour me intrigued. May well have to check this out… Have you had a look at Fat Princess yet? That’s another PSN title that looks promising…
It’s great fun locally. The sort of game where you sit with a bunch of mates, a few bottles of beer, swearing at each other as you manage to bounce a heatseaker off a wall to zero in on the buddy who thought he was safe and sound. Recomended if you want a cheap, quick-fix arcade game.
Looks pretty fun. Definitely one for local multiplayer
Are there any achievements in the game that’ll increase the gamer score? I’ve become a bit of an achievement whore of late…
Achievements? No. Trophies? Yes.
@Kamiza: Come on Trophies are just achievements covered in tin foil!
You say tomato… I say achievements and trophies are the same thing and Sony basically ripped them straight from the XBox… I do love them though.
I think I’m becoming a Trophy whore. They never bothered me before. I’ve got Resistance Fall of MAn to play, but it’s perpetually on the back burner because I want to play the games that have Trophies (yo!)