The digital delights of Sony’s scrumptious PlayStation Network service know no bounds. Aside from letting punters compete in online gaming, stream films, browse the Internet and more, its premier attraction rests in the copious supply of downloadable games ripe for the picking. From PSN exclusives to PSOne Classics, minis and plain old add-on content, Sony’s online space is chock full of goodies battling it out for your hard-earned digital dollars.
Welcome back to another installment of Inside PlayStation Network, where every Monday – Friday we’ll pluck a PSN release—be it new or old—and put it in the spotlight for a thorough dissection. Fancy getting a new PSN game but don’t know what one to plump for? Perhaps this feature will help. Didn’t realize that a game was available in your region until now? We’ve got you covered. Or, perhaps you were musing over what those lucky Japanese folk were tucking into over in the Land of the Rising Sun? You can be sure our coverage will extend to those rare regional exclusives as much as those firmly embedded on the public consciousness.
Our latest entry focuses on the blast-em-up Tank Battles.
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Developer: Gameloft
Region(s) available:
Players: 1-4
Tank Battles is one of those games that does everything it says on the tin; a dual-stick shooter where you hop into a tank and blast your enemies to Kingdom Come. Controlling your steel beast isn’t at all complicated, with gamers simply required to nudge the left analogue stick to move and the right stick to aim. There’s an option to play without a fire button too, and in that case the right stick also functions as your blaster.
Mines can be dropped by tapping circle or L2, though you’ll have to be extra vigilant as friendly fire is very much out in full force here. Furthermore, projectile attacks have a nasty habit of bouncing off surfaces and smacking into anyone unfortunate enough to get in the way – including you. Along the way, you’ll also obtain various power-ups, including the rate of fire, invisibility, speed boots, flamethrowers and other goodies.
Campaign Mode is the main highlight on offer, and one where power-ups will likely make or break a match. Levels are played under a time limit, adding a degree of urgency to the proceedings. However, it also helps alleviate those horrible instances where stalemate rears its ugly head. Beyond that, there’s a multiplayer component to keep you busy, which maintains an almost Bomberman-esque competitive edge.
Players can set various parameters including how many lives they start out with as well as the time limit, before embarking on an all-out royal rumble until the last man standing triumphs. The modes on offer are pretty much your perfunctory competitive offerings such as Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch and Capture the Flag. You can also square up against AI players if you wish, selecting one of three difficulty settings.
That’s it for today. See you again same time tomorrow for another gander Inside PlayStation Network.