We jump into Steel Warfare's beta to see how the tank game stacks up.

Approaching a game is never an easy task; bias has to go out the window. It's like reverting to a turn-based strategy game after playing years of real-time games. It's hard to consider the factors of what might go into a title when someone plays it for scoring. I'd argue a sequel should be scored harsher than its predecessor, especially if there's an expectation set by the community. In the rules of game development, nobody expects a sequel to have worse graphics than the prequel, because these are just fundamental rules that are not only followed, but expected.

I digress though, as I'll admit I'm biased to other tank games (which shall not be mentioned). That doesn't mean Battleline: Steel Warfare (Bandai Namco) isn't fun or a bad game; I enjoyed my time playing it. There's something deeply satisfying about launching a shell against a tank while you're redlined and the sole survivor on a sudden death bout, and watching aforementioned tank blow up in victory. That's only happened a few times in my gaming career, but it was a special moment I wanted to cherish and remember with Battleline.

Interesting aspects that the game brings to the table is the fog of war, often controlled by a literal "battle line" on the gameplay map, and when this line—often pushed into your territory by enemy forces—reaches the enemy base, victory is yours. To add, Battleline is not shy about rewards. If you're unfamiliar with a skinner box, it replicates such an experiment beautifully. The laundry list of achievements I wanted to hit and rewards that popped up front just in the first few hours were bountiful, and to coin a terrible metaphor, I'm one hungry gamer sitting in front of this tank cornucopia, and there's no end in sight of food.

Much like ye olde war games of N64, blowing up an opposing tank is a reward in itself. That aside, I'd be interested to see how the balance of the game stacks up against other contenders, as tank games often try to adhere to authenticity while not making the game lopsided. Personally, I enjoy the powerups players can use out in the field, but that isn't to say everyone will. Ship jumpers from one title may expect some sort of simulation when it comes to this tank game, but I'm happy with the way it plays—simply, I want to blow things up, use some powerups, get more tanks and win each battle I possibly can.

There's so much to unlock here that a player could occupy weeks in exploring this game. My initial thoughts are that it's impressive, even as a biased individual. Although the level design doesn't pop from my perpsective (and that's certainly a subjective opinion that can be argued against), it's a leap from boring fields and mountainsides. I'm eager to see what this game might have in its arsenal to impress. If that's the case, Battleline: Steel Warfare will definitely be my new tank game and probably should be yours as well. 

Jeffrey "Undestructed" Wright