Tank Universal is, at its core, more or less a
Tron-influenced version of the popular
Capture The Flag game, with one big difference. Instead of being on foot, you'll be sitting in the cockpit of a powerful tank. Essentially,
Tank Universal boils down to you and your A.I. counterparts taking on the enemy in a war game that has you infiltrating the opponent's base to steal their key, then bringing it back to your base safely to declare victory.
Just like its graphics, the concept of Tank Universal is very simple and to the point, but there were a few times when I didn't quite grasp what I was to do. Aside from that small learning curve, the controlling of your tank is quite easy and the quote of the day has to be "kill or be killed" while in the battlefield. Your tank will be equipped with shields that need replenishing, speed bursts that can help you get out of sticky situations, and a host of other power-ups available for purchase as you progress through the game.
Keeping with the theme of simplicity, Tank Universal really isn't much more than increasingly more difficult battles with some dialogue and first-person elements thrown in-between. These moments of story are pretty much forgettable, but it is a natural link to tie the battles together. Unfortunately, controlling your first-person on-foot character feels a bit clunky (or, rather like you're on ice at moments of running), so it is not all that enjoyable.
It's hard to understand why there are games out there that have an appeal beyond their lackluster graphics and average audio, but Tank Universal may fall into that category for some of you out there. Maybe it's the simplistic design or the pick up and play gameplay, and maybe it's a simple nostalgia factor that crosses Atari's Combat with Disney's Tron, that makes the simple aim, fire, and drive attitude actually a bit fun and addictive.
