Online multiplayer combat game will be free on Android
With World of Tanks Blitz still in development, the only proper alternative on Android is Tanktastic. But that is due to change early next year. Game Insight, publisher of the My Country series and Dragon Eternity is preparing to bring their largest game yet to Android: Tank Domination.
With 10-against-10 online battles, a large array of realistic tanks, and even the celebrity voice talent of Michael Ironside, Tank Domination aims to be a serious contender in the tank combat genre. We recently visited Game Insight in San Francisco to try the game out and came away impressed. Head past the break for gameplay details and our hands-on video with the iPad version.
Preparing for battle
Like World of Tanks and Tanktastic, Game Insight’s Tank Domination is an online-only free to play game. After logging in, players arrive in their own personal tank hangar. From there you can manage your tanks, purchase equipment and upgrades, and hop into battle.
Every good tank combat game needs an armada of realistic tanks for players to drive, and Tank Domination doesn’t disappoint. Each is based on a real-life vehicle or concept tank from the United States, Russia, and China.
Tanks falls into Light, Medium, Heavy, and Artillery categories as well. A tank’s size determines its movement speed, durability, and firepower – the bigger they are, the harder they fall. Artillery are a special class, with limited movement and defense but especially high damage capabilities. A light escort can be essential to keeping Artillery tanks safe.
Various tanks and armaments will unlock for purchase as players level up. 30 is the highest level, at which point you’ll have everything unlocked. You can own three tanks by default, with defeated tanks becoming unavailable for a short time. A fourth tank slot will cost Warbucks, the game’s premium currency.
Tank you sir, may I have another?
Tank Domination on iOS currently offers a single game type: Capture the Flag. Game Insight plans to add new modes over time, so the Android version will either launch with new types or get them shortly after release.
Capture the Flag is a team-based game type. Teams can consist of 2-10 players. The two teams strive to steal each other’s flags – by reaching the flag and staying with it long enough, you’ll win the game. Matches can also be won by eliminating all of the other side’s tanks; no respawns here.
Tanks are slow and deliberate vehicles. As such, touch screen controls work better in games like this than faster-paced shooters. A stick on the left side controls movement. A button beside it will set the tank to moving forward without the need to press the stick. On the right side of the screen, you’ll find another stick for aiming, as well as buttons to zoom the view and fie.
The tanks in this game can use multiple types of ammunition. Each ammo type has its own damage rating, reload time, and other properties. You can actually switch ammo types during the match, allowing you to match your firepower to your opponents.
Hurry up and get here!
At this point, Tank Domination lacks a few of Tanktastic’s features like a party system and in-game chat. But Game Insight will be adding new features up until- and after the Android game’s release, so hopefully those social functions will make it into the game soon enough. Tank Domination should arrive on Android in early 2014. It will be free to play. We’ll keep you posted, tank jockeys!
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