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21 May 2017

☆ Review: Lil Tanks - “Just keep shooting” ☆ #GameDev #IndieGame


Lil Tanks - PC

The story of Lil Tanks begins when an alien race known as The Cuur who invade earth with the intention of taking over. After quickly wiping out all of the earth’s armies and poisoning the atmosphere, the remaining remnants of humankind’s military set to work to fashion the only weapons capable of defeating the alien invaders. These weapons are called Lil Tanks. The reason why they’re named this is unclear as they don’t seem to be all that small.

In all honesty, it doesn’t really matter as the story of Lil Tanks is largely irrelevant.

Lil Tanks plays out as a side-scrolling shoot-em-up in the vein of classic arcade shooters. The game offers four modes of play, namely Campaign, Endless, Boss Practice and Hardcore.


The campaign sees you playing as one of the aforementioned tanks supported by an invincible Lil Tank buddy as you scroll along the various stages set in different locations around the world as hordes of aliens unleash a sea of bullets in your direction.  Fighting your way through these waves of fodder will eventually bring you to a final boss on each stage that must be defeated before moving on.



Killing enemies earn XP which garners automatic upgrades at each new level. These upgrades include increased speed, firepower and a much needed protective shield. Two hits will spell death for you (at least until you get the shield) so death is a common occurrence. Luckily you keep your earned XP even after you die so you should do a little better with each new level gained, meaning you shouldn’t get bogged down for too long before moving further in the game. There are also a number of weapon pickups along the way, each with their own advantages and drawbacks. Quite a nice feature is the ability to swap weapons between your main tank and your lil buddy, which allows for some pretty nifty strategizing of your tactics on the fly.


As you complete stages you will unlock new tanks for a complete roster of four in total. Each tank has it’s own special abilities and upgrades. For example, the standard tank carries a selection of three powerful weapon abilities, while another comes with the ability to heal itself.



As for the other game modes, Endless offers a survival mode that sees you pitted against an endless stream of enemies that continue until your eventual and inevitable death. Boss practice allows you to test your skills against any of the bosses from the game without having to fight your way through the hordes of enemies first. The final game mode is hardcore for those who want a truly punishing experience.


When playing single player you are given control of the main tank with your lil buddy who follows in your tracks and shoots when you shoot. The game does, however, have a coop mode that allows another player to control your little invincible buddy, meaning the two of you can more effectively carve up the battlefield.


Summary:
The graphics and sound of Lil Tanks are functional given the simplicity of the game. While it is challenging and admittedly addictive, the gameplay is very arcade-like and is by definition repetitive. 


Lil Tanks is a fun and simple title but overall the game is about as deep as a bowl of soup and those looking for a gripping and immersive experience best look elsewhere.


RATING: MELTING

Ratings Explained
ICE COOL (Great Game Recommended)
MELTING (Just Falls Short Of Greatness)
MELTED (Not A Recommended Purchase)




Game Link: Steam
Dev Link: Lead Money Games




Review By Alex Gaillard from Bitz n Bytz


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