A reimagining of an old classic, Battlezone returns to the gaming world and arrives on Switch with a bang! Is this modern recreation rolling along the beloved treads of the original? Or does it break down short of the classic? Stay locked and loaded reader and scroll down to find out!

Developer: Rebellion

Publisher: RebellionInteract

5 Hours Played // Review Copy Provided // $34.99

School bells ring on a Friday which means my weekend was only beginning. As was tradition, my Grandmother picked me up from school and we were off to the arcade. This time would be different from the norm as I was going to brave an arcade cabinet that I had found consistently intimidating. A cockpit, veiled in a black curtain. My eyes scanned the futuristic tank, breaking out of the sides of the wooden cabinet. This was Battlezone. My experience with it that day led to continued visits and feeding that beast my shiny quarters at any given opportunity. It was an arcade powerhouse.

The Future is Now

Fast-forward from the arcade to now – Rebellion has released Battlezone: Gold Edition for Nintendo Switch. A reimagining of that quarter-eating classic. Luckily in 2018/2019, it doesn’t require me to constantly pump quarters into it! One quick purchase and you are on your way to becoming a tank pilot.

Besides the awesome thought of driving a tank the story here is bland. All you know is that in some distant future humanity is being hunted down by rogue AI (Elon Musk warned us!). A supercomputer leads the enemy forces and you are the tank pilot that will end the evil AI reign. For what it’s worth, I didn’t have an issue with the lack of story. A plot was never my reason for investing in the original. It is all about the gameplay when it comes to Battlezone: Gold Edition.

Tank Heavy but Rogue Lite

It’s a good thing because playing the game is fantastic. First, you have a choice of a light, medium, or heavy tank. Then you select your destination from a grid-like map. This is where a rogue-lite element comes into play. Mission types are at random and are usually a variation on defense or elimination type objectives.

After every successful mission, the difficulty rises. Soon enough the risk begins to outweigh the reward. This is because, despite the healthy amount of weaponry that becomes available to you in your struggle for survival, only the top-tier players will survive the harder missions on their own. Other than a few obtainable items that can help you to pre-plan, every playthrough will be a different path to your final battle against the AI Super Computer.

With talented AI pilots working against you even early runs will almost certainly be met with defeat. An army of land and air vehicles are out to grind what’s left of humanity down. Don’t be discouraged though as there is strength in numbers. Thank you multiplayer mode!

Foursome Force of Nature

The online PVE multiplayer will be essential in early survival; it’s also quite fun. Watching you and three other tanks duke it out with the enemy AI was a treat to see every time I played. One heavy, two mediums, and one light tank seemed to be a perfect combination for AI slaughter.

You know you need some tunes to complement the chorus of slaughter and gunfire! Unfortunately, the score is just okay; it’s nothing memorable. The futuristic techno ends up getting swallowed by the chaos of cyber warfare and is all but forgotten.

The actual sound of the gameplay becomes far more enjoyable. Battlezone: Gold Edition unloads an enhanced take on the classic arcade gunfire. If you can imagine those sounds in pixelated form, that is what the game offers. Of course I wasn’t expecting Mozart whilst I pummeled enemies; I won’t make a song and dance about it!

Stay Gold!

Take a step back from the dance floor and enjoy the view! The low polygon effect that makes up Battlezone: Gold Edition‘s graphics match this strange future that Rebellion has created. Make no mistake – this was on purpose and it works so well. Tanks explode into cubed messes, landscapes are vast and look like something you would find in the TRON universe. Everything is a true nod to the roots of the series. This visual style is unique to Battlezone and boy does it look superb; I love it. It made me feel like I was back in the arcades and locked in this simulation.

Even though I am at home and not at an arcade, Battlezone: Gold Edition is everything I could have hoped for. Rebellion has done a phenomenal job at capturing what made the classic great and adding to it. From the graphics to the gameplay it was an enjoyable experience through and through. The drowned-out soundtrack and steep rise in difficulty are really the only minor gripes. It would be hard for me not to suggest this gem to newcomers and veterans alike.

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