Death Tank (Xbox 360)

GameSpot editors' review

• CNET editors' rating: 3.0 stars Good
  Detailed editors' rating
  Overall score: 6.0 (3.0 stars)

• Reviewed by:
  Carolyn Petit
• Reviewed on: 02/23/2009
• Updated on: 02/25/2009
• Released on: 02/18/2009
• Originally published on GameSpot: Death Tank (Xbox 360) Review

Death Tank will feel immediately familiar to anyone who has played Scorched Earth or any of the Worms games. That's because Death Tank is all about blasting your opponents to kingdom come by adjusting the angle and power of your shot so that your projectiles strike true. The big difference in Death Tank is that, while Worms and Scorched Earth require that players take turns when lining up their shots and firing, the action here is all in real time. The result is a near-constant barrage of firepower that soars across the screen and reshapes the fragile landscape. You can't unload artillery nonstop--each weapon takes several seconds to recharge after use--but you're never safe from the attacks of others, and each round lasts until only one player remains and all opponents' tanks have been reduced to flaming rubble on the battlefield. The result is an accessible, fast-paced tactical experience that can be quite enjoyable when shared with friends. Unfortunately, the 1,200 Microsoft points price tag on this simple game is outrageous.

All players have an unlimited supply of shells for their tank's cannon, but between rounds, players can spend the spoils of battle on more-advanced weaponry and other helpful items. You earn cash for each enemy you take out, and for being the survivor of a round. Some of the weapons you can buy, such as a nuclear projectile and a searing rain of artillery called death's hand, pack a tremendous wallop. If one player rakes in enough cash in the early rounds to stock up on firepower like this, he or she can quickly start dominating the game, though other players can of course team up against this threat before turning their weapons on each other. The shifting of alliances on the fly to take down a common enemy can be rewarding and prevents things from becoming too unbalanced. However, one item in the shop is too useful and too affordable for the game's good. The target comp provides you with a cursor that lets you see exactly where your shot is going to land, letting you line up your enemies in your sights before you fire. They don't cost much and they last for a full round, and though players can buy some speed-boosting super fuel or even jump jets for their tank to help escape incoming attacks, the target comp still eliminates all of the enjoyable guesswork and finesse. The game becomes a quite different, less enjoyable experience once everyone starts resting their target-comp cursors on each other's tanks and blasting away.

Nevertheless, the most glaring problem with Death Tank is the price--at 800 points, the value would've been questionable. And it was a fine free bonus in the Sega Saturn games in which it was originally hidden. But as a stand-alone product, Death Tank's 1,200-point price ($15) seems like nothing less than highway robbery.

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