PixlBit

Urge to destroy... rising...

In a surprising turn of events from a company who loves to rehash content, BattleTanx: Global Assault is a rather significant improvement over the first game. It's still very much a guy game, but hey, tanks are always a winning formula. You like tanks too. Don't deny it.

The story is continued from the previous game, taking place five years after those events, and revolves around Griffin and Madison's telekinesis son being captured by an evil QueenLord bent on world domination (what's left of it anyway). But really, who cares? Who's going to play this expecting a deep or engaging story? At least that nonsense is skippable, I just want to blast stuff! Bring on the destruction, I'm getting antsy!

The levels of the campaign mode have a wider array of objectives than before. There are still missions where your goal is to blast every tank in sight, but these are broken up with more purpose-driven stages. There are missions where your goal is to locate and rescue prisoners, seek and destroy a specific target, protect a defenseless convoy as it moves across a battlefield, and more. Each one requires a bit of strategy, mostly in finding ways to flank the enemy instead of meeting them head-on. It is also beneficial to complete stages within the par time limit, as this gives the reward of Tank Bucks, which are sort of like lives in that they are used to purchase tanks if the current one used is destroyed.

There is a wide array of tanks to choose from, which helps instill variety to an otherwise straightforward game. Each one has either a special primary weapon, or a little gimmick to help it out. There are fast tanks with weapons such as a laser and a flamethrower, but they have little armour and can withstand only a couple hits. There is a hover tank which is very maneuverable but difficult to control, and another tank which can flip from side to side to avoid enemy attacks. With such a large number, they aren't exactly balanced, as the more heavily-amoured tanks seem to have an advantage. The only downside is that not all tanks can be used in the campaign mode.

Unfortunately, one area where things haven't been improved upon is the control. The game contains the same few preset layouts as the first one, offering no new options for more precise or less restrictive control. The turning of the tanks feels more tight, but other than that, everything is virtually the same. It's disappointing to see no improvement in such a critical area of a game.

Where this game truly shines is the multiplayer. There are seven modes to choose from, which are all variations of a standard deathmatch and capture the flag type of modes. Each player can select a gang to use, which all have their own set of five tanks to choose from during the match, as well as spawning in possession of a specific powerup. There are twenty battle arenas on offer, all of varying size and with differing obstacles. The smaller maps tend to make for fast-paced action, whilst the larger maps have a little more strategy to them. There is also a 2-player co-op mode, enabling the 1-player campaign to be played alongside a buddy.

The presentation is quite a bit better this time around, though still nothing spectacular. The fog is pushed farther back, providing much more visibility, though it is still a bit close for comfort. The buildings have simple textures, but have more variety in both colours and shapes. Fortunately, the framerate remains constant, even when there is a lot of action on screen. The music is more generic rock with tinny sound quality, though the compositions are slightly better. It's still nothing memorable, but it isn't distracting either. The sound effects have more varied sounds for tank movements, shots, and explosions, but can sometimes grate through repetitiveness. Thankfully, the "powerup" voice has been removed.

BattleTanx: Global Assault is a much-improved sequel. It took almost everything from the first game and improved or expanded it, as any good sequel should. It still contains a few flaws, such as the campaign being relatively short, and somewhat restrictive control. The multiplayer stands along greats like Mario Kart 64, Goldeneye, etc. as being the best the system has on offer; the wide variety of game modes and tanks provides dozens of entertaining possibilities. How could you pass on a game where you drive tanks and destroy stuff? You can't. It's fun. Admit it.