Tanky Tanks – Reloaded Review (Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation & Switch)

Tanky Tanks isn’t a game that has the global backing or forward momentum to span a second homecoming. It is, however, a tactical shooter game that makes for a pleasant surprise, especially if you’re looking to take a break from the usual fatigue that connects to most battlefield precision shooters. Is it a game that you need to play? No. Is Reloaded, in particular, the beginning of something fresh and exciting? Again, no — but you can count on us to tell you the truth.

Reloaded, despite the fact that it is, in short, a rehash of an older game, a great introduction for players who’ve yet to experience the frontline. For older fans of the original, though, there isn’t a lot to feast on here. Matter of fact, Reloaded isn’t much more than a clone of an Xbox One arcade title. Granted, it looks cleaner, and it plays to the strengths of a modern-day Xbox Series X|S game. That being said, I personally wouldn’t get your hopes up here. Reloaded might tease the idea of the would-be anthology making a comeback, but the truth is, it is a means to an end. Don’t expect a prelude to a future of tank-studded combat, basically, because you won’t find it here.

If you’re unfamiliar with the concept, Tanky Tanks is a combat-based precision shooter game in which two warring factions duke it out in airtight conditions and in maze-like environments. Either alone or with an extra pair of hands in its local and online co-op mode, you take to the field and pilot a tank, outmaneuver fleeting projectiles, and land critical shots on the battlefield with the hopes of being the last remaining pawn on the board. Honestly, it doesn’t cut much deeper than that. It’s good old-fashioned PvPvE, and it doesn’t pretend to disguise that identity.

The game itself is played from a top-down perspective with both factions controlling either side of the board. As one of several tank commanders, you have the task of using the environment to shield oncoming attacks, pivoting to cover, and manually aiming your weapons with the intent to deal massive amounts of damage. Suffice it to say, it’s a simple concept, and one that you more than likely would have seen hundreds of times before in alternate war-themed PvP battlers. That said, it’s also a concept that works well for what it is at its core. It doesn’t do a lot to redefine the genre, but it plays into its strengths, and that counts for something.

It doesn’t take a lot of time or effort to master the basics here, given that the entire control system is reliant on three basic functions: aiming, shooting, and driving. Frankly, anyone can jump in the hot seat and start winning battles without having to breeze through the manual. The act of beating rivals without taking a shot to the chassis, on the other hand, is a lot trickier than it sounds on paper.

True to the spirit of a traditional cover shooter, Tanky Tanks is all about leaning into the environment to devise fool proof strategies on the spot. With clusters of walls to protect you against enemy fire, you have the task of fortifying your defenses, locating weak spots on the board, and using well-timed shots to deal damage. It’s quick, chaotic, and, if and when the tide turns in your favor, surprisingly entertaining. Or at least, it is until the novelty wears thin and the fatigue begins to take hold. Unfortunately, that’s something that Tanky Tanks suffers from: repetitive gameplay.

Given that there aren’t all that many original maps to work through in Tanky Tanks, what you’re essentially left to ponder is a collection of brown-washed boards that have little to no outstanding design elements or graphical effects. In the beginning, it comes across as a welcome change to your usual FPS war drama. But after so many battles, the murky browns and familiar cloisters begin to grate, and the thrill of the battle soon boils down into a rather dull and predictable cycle.

There is one saving grace to this: the fact that Pong makes an unofficial contribution to the gameplay. See, unlike most bullet-brazen PvP titles, Tanky Tanks relies on rogue projectiles to keep things feeling fresh. For example, if you fire your weapon at a wall, then it doesn’t explode on impact, but immediately bolts back and zigzags its way through the battlefield. Again, it’s a simple idea, but it’s also one that keeps you on your toes and second guessing your next shot. Add the fact that you also have bombs to dodge and plant, and you have quite the handful of threats to juggle.

If not for its collection of multiplayer modes, Tanky Tanks probably wouldn’t have a lot going for it. With a campaign that’s disappointingly predictable and a lack of variety in its map design, it is awfully difficult to find something that’s worth holding out for beyond the initial wave of battles. With friends, it’s great. But as a solo player, it leaves a lot to be desired.

Aside from the odd technical hiccup here and there—a minor bug in the audio, for example—Tanky Tanks, from a gameplay standpoint, plays surprisingly well, with fluid controls and smooth transitions. Again, its simplified controls make it so that there isn’t a lot of room for error here. Still, it does harbor a couple of teething issues, most of which can be overlooked and swept beneath the rug, thankfully.

Verdict

Tanky Tanks – Reloaded might be an unnecessary extension for the existing chapter that launched on Xbox One back in 2019, but that isn’t to say that it’s any less of a well-rounded crowd pleaser. It might not be the best tank shooter on the battlefield, but it is one that does a lot with very little. And that’s something that I can give credit for: the fact that it delivers something of value, despite being in receipt of the bare minimum.

If you’re looking for a quick way to burn rubber and wage bite-sized wars on the battlefield, then consider Tanky Tanks – Reloaded as a great substitute. It’s best not to overcomplicate or oversell it, though. It gets the job done, but given that it doesn’t offer a lot more than the bare necessities of a war-themed shooter, it also leaves a lot to be desired.