Review
Death Tank Review (Xbox360)
In 2008, the Xbox Live service saw the rise to instant classics such as Castle Crashers, Braid, Geometry Wars 2, Mega Man 9 and even Bionic Commando: Rearmed. In 2009, while it’s only been three months into the year, we’ve only seen the releases of moderate hits such as The Maw and R-Type Dimensions. So it comes to no surprise that the once hotly anticipated Death Tank doesn’t dish out a worthy experience for the price-tag attached.
At a $15 price point, this Xbox Live Arcade should warrant a high quality experience that keeps gamers coming back for multiple visits, but alas, Death Tank will have a short lifespan for many Xbox Live gamers. As a remake of a classic that originated on the Sega Saturn in 1996 as a bonus game attached to PowerSlave, Death Tank still holds its real-time values over the turn-based combat found in Worms. Similar in many aspects, Death Tank is a shooter that has players trying to gun down their enemy on hilly terrain with coordinating precise attacks on enemies from a distance with use of angles and trajectories.
Choosing one of eight tanks, players can battle each other online in eight player multiplayer battles. The combat remains similar to what you may have experienced in the past but with improved visuals from its precursors. Moving left and right on the battlefield, players will swing their cannon in the air to perfectly angle their shots to hit their opponent in the distance. The action isn’t frenetic by any means, but it does provide tense moments when you see the shot perfectly line up and hit your target. The real-time moments of dodging incoming missiles is mildly entertaining for 15 minutes or so before it becomes dull.
The biggest problem with Death Tank is that after the first few missions, you’ll fully understand what the game offers and how limited the gameplay is. The enemy AI isn’t too hard to overcome and almost every level requires the same tactics to advance. Boredom will set in once you realize that you can shoot with a blind eye and usually win your matches as long as you avoid incoming fire. Majority of your shots will end up hitting the enemy who will eventually put themselves in danger. Death Tank will sour on your taste buds as soon as you realize that you’ve seen all the weapons and everything the game has to offer.
Having seen the end of the 20 rounds of advanced combat campaign, the only reason to push forward with the missions is to unlock new weapons and upgrades for your little death tank via the money you earn. From jump jets to bigger missiles, Death Tank doesn’t employ a critical amount of replay value to keep players returning for more warfare. The multiplayer is as limited as single-player with a bare bones ranking system and uninteresting eight-player deathmatch. Players can associate themselves with player matches or ranked matches, but there’s not much diversity in game types or modes.
As for the graphical portion of Death Tank, the game of course looks better than its predecessors but that was to be expected. The levels aren’t going to wow you, but then again, I don’t think anyone expected them to. What Death Tank does do well is deliver great looking effects to your shots and explosions when they occur. Each weapon upgrade has a different effect attached to it, so make sure to try them all out before the end of your campaign. On top of that, the lighting that has been incorporated helps pave way to a better looking game.
Does Death Tank deserved to be purchased by dozens upon dozens of Xbox Live gamers? Probably not. It’s a nice diversion for players who are fans of the Worms franchise due to the real-time elements compared to Worms’ turn-based action, but Death Tank is priced too high for a title with a lack of replay value to hold you over.
Top Game Moment: Using a nuclear warhead to dispose of your opposition is always a real treat.
At a $15 price point, this Xbox Live Arcade should warrant a high quality experience that keeps gamers coming back for multiple visits, but alas, Death Tank will have a short lifespan for many Xbox Live gamers. As a remake of a classic that originated on the Sega Saturn in 1996 as a bonus game attached to PowerSlave, Death Tank still holds its real-time values over the turn-based combat found in Worms. Similar in many aspects, Death Tank is a shooter that has players trying to gun down their enemy on hilly terrain with coordinating precise attacks on enemies from a distance with use of angles and trajectories.
 |
 |
|
| Multiplayer cap is 8. | Lining up the perfect shot takes skill. |
Choosing one of eight tanks, players can battle each other online in eight player multiplayer battles. The combat remains similar to what you may have experienced in the past but with improved visuals from its precursors. Moving left and right on the battlefield, players will swing their cannon in the air to perfectly angle their shots to hit their opponent in the distance. The action isn’t frenetic by any means, but it does provide tense moments when you see the shot perfectly line up and hit your target. The real-time moments of dodging incoming missiles is mildly entertaining for 15 minutes or so before it becomes dull.
The biggest problem with Death Tank is that after the first few missions, you’ll fully understand what the game offers and how limited the gameplay is. The enemy AI isn’t too hard to overcome and almost every level requires the same tactics to advance. Boredom will set in once you realize that you can shoot with a blind eye and usually win your matches as long as you avoid incoming fire. Majority of your shots will end up hitting the enemy who will eventually put themselves in danger. Death Tank will sour on your taste buds as soon as you realize that you’ve seen all the weapons and everything the game has to offer.
Having seen the end of the 20 rounds of advanced combat campaign, the only reason to push forward with the missions is to unlock new weapons and upgrades for your little death tank via the money you earn. From jump jets to bigger missiles, Death Tank doesn’t employ a critical amount of replay value to keep players returning for more warfare. The multiplayer is as limited as single-player with a bare bones ranking system and uninteresting eight-player deathmatch. Players can associate themselves with player matches or ranked matches, but there’s not much diversity in game types or modes.
 |
 |
|
| A lot of mayhem can go on due to the graphical effects. | The environments aren’t varied, but at least look in-depth. |
As for the graphical portion of Death Tank, the game of course looks better than its predecessors but that was to be expected. The levels aren’t going to wow you, but then again, I don’t think anyone expected them to. What Death Tank does do well is deliver great looking effects to your shots and explosions when they occur. Each weapon upgrade has a different effect attached to it, so make sure to try them all out before the end of your campaign. On top of that, the lighting that has been incorporated helps pave way to a better looking game.
Does Death Tank deserved to be purchased by dozens upon dozens of Xbox Live gamers? Probably not. It’s a nice diversion for players who are fans of the Worms franchise due to the real-time elements compared to Worms’ turn-based action, but Death Tank is priced too high for a title with a lack of replay value to hold you over.
Top Game Moment: Using a nuclear warhead to dispose of your opposition is always a real treat.
Videos
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Death Tank Gameplay Trailer
01:11 | 713 views | 0 comments -
Death Tank Reveal Trailer
00:51 | 592 views | 0 comments
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