Early on in the development of Battlezone there was one important question we had to ask ourselves: what’s better than piloting the most powerful tank in the galaxy?

The answer of course was blindingly obvious: piloting the most powerful tank in the galaxy right next to your friends… who are also piloting the most powerful tanks in the galaxy!

Yes, that’s right, Battlezone’s entire campaign can not only be played solo, but also in online co-op for two to four players. We’re incredibly excited about this announcement. We’ve always loved the co-op in our other games like Sniper Elite 3 and Zombie Army Trilogy, but Battlezone was a fresh slate and really allowed us to go to town with new mechanics and gameplay.

The immersion of VR combined with the headsets’ built-in mics make you really feel like a badass fireteam. Nothing beats seeing your comrades-in-arms boost past you, cannons ablaze, as you take down all in your path.

Co-op isn’t just a nice extra, either. Specific combinations of playstyles, loadouts, and tank types complement each other in different ways, and certain Special Equipment can be used to boost the abilities of your teammates in combat (Yes, there’s even a revive mechanic, too!).

Defeat will make you stronger!

If you’ve tried Battlezone at a Best Buy demo or a public show like PAX or EGX, you’ll know how empowering it feels to obliterate waves of sky and land-borne enemies into little pixels!

But did you know that you couldn’t actually die in the demo? Well, defeat is a real part of the final game, and when you do lose that final life your campaign will begin anew. It’s a meaty challenge, but on your way you’ll learn new tactics, experiment with loadouts, and — most importantly — earn “Data” from fallen enemies and installations, which is important because…

You’ll level up (…But so will your enemies).

Tanks can be equipped with up to three weapons and one piece of “special equipment.” Saving Data earned in previous battles and playthroughs means you can spend it on new weapons, new special equipment, new modulators for your tank, and intel on the campaign map. But beware, enemies also level up at their own pace! More about that in a second…

You’ll make choices with real impact.

Something we haven’t talked about much is the game’s strategy. Yes, strategy! While most of your time is spent blasting The Corporation’s tanks to smithereens, behind the scenes, your strategic choices are influencing the outcome of battle.

Do you spend Data on revealing secret missions and resources on the hex map, or do you save it for upgrades in the short term? Do you take a diversion to a tempting target or crucial supply point even though it risks giving the enemy more time to level up? You’ll make countless decisions like these in every playthrough.

You will face your Nemesis!

That terrifying purple-hued tank covered in spikes? That’s the Nemesis tank, and it’s a beast. If you allow enemy power levels to get too high they’ll drop one of these monsters onto the campaign map, and it’ll move to intercept you. Trust us when we say, you won’t forget the first encounter quickly.

If only that was the toughest enemy you’ll have to face…

Thanks for reading everybody, and remember to look out for live co-op sessions with the devs from launch day via Battlezone’s PlayStation Live Area!