GamesRadar+ Verdict

Pros

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Scoring system hooks you in
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Chaotic 4-player fun
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Nice levels of strategy

Cons

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Air raids feel frustratingly random
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AI is very predictable
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Price might be a bit much

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It’s seriously lucky Battle Tanks is flawed, otherwise it’s exactly the sort of game you could lose a whole weekend to. The setup is that four cartoony tanks face off in tight square maps filled with walls, breakable obstacles and various power-ups. It’s a bit like Bomberman in layout. The controls are Smash TV-style, with the left stick moving you around the map as the right fires in the direction pressed.

The real hook is the scoring system: each player has three lives at the start of each round, and the winner is not the one with most kills, but the one left standing. This means that cowardice and smart strategising can be as effective as dead-eyed shooting. That said, the tie-breaker air raids at the end of each stalemate round can feel frustratingly random, especially if you’ve planned brilliantly to get to that point. That puts a serious damper on the strategy element. It’s also nowhere near as much fun when you’re playing against the AI, which is very predictable. Throwaway fun, then – if you’re willing to throw away a few bucks…

Sep 28, 2009