BattleTanx: Global Assault

Description

Brand: 3DO

Details: Product Description In the BattleTanx universe, the year 2006 ushers in a nasty virus that wipes out nearly the entire female population, sending governments into a Mars Needs Women-style stockpiling of the remaining few. Once the craze hits a Pokémon-level frenzy, countries begin waging the ultimate battle for the sexes. Nice storyline, 3DO. Luckily, the BattleTanx vehicle combat series focuses on unabashed action and only barely hints at its tacky premise, so please, read on.BattleTanx: Global Assault retreads the well-received 1998 debut with new weapons, power-ups, and locations, and revamped graphics and effects. Gameplay is simple. Players take control of 12 different tanks, ranging from an air-gliding hover tank to super-armored monster tanks, and battle it out against computerized tanks or up to three other players in a variety of global cities. Part of the fun of the original game is the ability to destroy buildings, taken to a new level in Global Assault with a greater variety of destructible objects, including cars and street lamps. Power-ups and weapons abound, with cloaking abilities, turbo boosts, mines, and nuclear weapons providing devastatingly fun ways to turn enemies into big ol’ twisted heaps of smoking metal. The single-player game features seven different modes of play, including deathmatch and capture the flag variations. The very addictive, over-the-top fun of the debut’s multiplayer mode returns with more frenzied and explosive butt-kicking. –Eric Twelker Review It’s always frustrating to watch sequels make the same mistakes as their predecessors, but it happens often. Instances such as the weak camera from the original Croc showing up again in Croc 2 are surprisingly common. That said, 3DO’s BattleTanx: Global Assault is remarkable because its developers clearly listened to all the complaints lodged against the first title and systematically corrected those problems in part two. While the end result isn’t necessarily a flawless game, it’s a title much improved over BattleTanx and far easier to recommend. The premise of BattleTanx new and old was inspired by the plots from at least several apocalyptic ’70s sci-fi films and novels. In this latest edition, you and your wife are safeguarding chieftains of a new civilization and have recently sired a child – a rarity in this future world, where most of the women have died due to a strange, if modestly generic plague. One of the other world leaders, a madwoman who controls most of Europe, has discovered that your son has telepathic powers (known as The Edge) similar to her own, and sets out to steal him from you before he develops fully. When her troops (they’re all in tanks – everyone drives tanks in this game, just accept it) fail to kidnap him, she uses The Edge to take control of your forces, setting the three of you on the run. At that point, you pop into your trusty tank and fight the good fight once again. OK, so obviously, unlike other aspects of the game, the original BattleTanx storyline wasn’t criticized enough to warrant an upgrade, but enhancements do abound here. To begin with, not only are there almost twice as many levels, but they feel less cookie-cutter than before and offer more variety. You might play a few simple search-and-destroy missions back to back, but then they’re followed up by one in which you have to guard a convoy or free allies from a prison. Your tank’s turning ability has also been significantly upgraded. While it once took forever to bring your turret to bear on an enemy, it now shifts quickly with the treads following only shortly thereafter. The graphics? They’re prettier too. There are also new secondary weapons and power-ups, such as grenades, which can be thrown into fortified areas or bounced around corners to destroy heavy-gun emplacements; a plasma pulse that zooms around the screen until it finds a target; and a cloaking effect that renders you invisible after a Predator-style shimmer. And you’re

UPC: 790561504511