Preview
October 31, 2008

WW2 Battle Tanks
WW2 Battle Tanks: T-34 vs. Tiger
by Chuck "Magnum" Ankenbauer

Note: All information, screens, and videos are works in progress, incomplete and subject to change before official release.

What is WW2 Battle Tanks?

WW2 Battle Tanks: T34 vs. Tiger is a WW2 tank simulation, developed by G5 Software, and published by Lighthouse Interactive. As the sales tag says, “WW2 Battle Tanks lets you relive the WW2 clash in this realistic and accurate tank simulation”.

Game Summary

"WWII Battle Tanks: T-34 vs. Tiger" is the first in a series of realistic tank simulations with focus on realism and historical representation of environments and vehicles. Based on historical references, the tanks' interiors were carefully reconstructed with fully animated 3D environment for driver, gunner and commander positions. The vast Belarusian landscape, with its villages, forests and streams, is based on historical maps and photos of that time period. The vehicles are represented in painstaking detail, featuring high quality textures, historical markings and realistic physics and ballistics models. The game features two single-player campaigns and two multiplayer modes (skirmish and team-mode) for LAN and Internet play for up to 16 players.

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WW2 Battle Tanks Preview
WW2 Battle Tanks: T-34 vs. Tiger

Game Features

• A true tank simulation with realistic vehicle physics and ballistics; Control your tank from fully modeled and animated 3D positions for driver, gunner and commander; Play in first or third person views.
• Playable tanks: The Russian T-34/85 and the German Sd.Kfz. 181 "Tiger" Ausf. E.
• AI controlled vehicles include: T-34/85, T-34/76, Tiger, Sk.Kfz.251, M3A1, ZIS-5, Opel Blitz, ZIS-3, Pak. 40, IL-2, FW-190
• Multiplayer options include: LAN and Internet (GameSpy or Direct IP) play for up to 16 players; two multiplayer modes: Skirmish and TeamPlay.
• Stunning graphics and huge landscapes to explore: the in-game graphics utilize available DirectX 9 technologies to the max.
• Interactive environment with various levels of destruction: Buildings, trees and vehicles can be damaged or destroyed by cannon, MG fire or ramming attacks.
• Two different campaigns: 6 USSR missions and 6 German missions, with extra maps for multiplayer games.

System Requirements:

Subject to change, based on what’s been stated in the press release.

OS: Windows 2000, XP, or Vista

CPU: 3 GHz Intel Pentium or AMD Athon

RAM: 1 GB, (2 GB for Vista)

Video: 128 MB Direct X 9.0c compatible

Sound: Direct X 9 compatible

Harddrive space: 2 GB

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WW2 Battle Tanks Preview
WW2 Battle Tanks: T-34 vs. Tiger

My Opinion and Observations

Where Steel Fury, previewed earlier, shined was its great single player battles with command and control for the player. Where WW2 Battle Tanks shines is the level of detail in the two tanks you can fight in. Inside and out the details are amazing. In WW2 Battle Tanks you don’t need to worry or control any other friendly forces, the only thing you’re responsible for is your tank. You can play as the driver, gunner, or commander. You can switch to any position with a hit of a key. AI controls what you’re not in, but they can be killed forcing you to decide what position is most important for you to be in, jumping into the dead man’s position. You can either play in first person view which is the most realistic and true simulation experience, or in third person view, better for checking out the action.

The Russian landscape (where all battles take place) is beautiful and large enough for good tank battles, sizes up to 80 square kilometers, for both single player and multiplayer missions. The environment is destructible, trees fall, buildings collapse, fences fall, and terrain shows deformity.

Sounds are incredible, you hear the rounds ping off of your tank, you hear your loader slam the round into the gun chamber, and the firing of the main gun is powerful. The roll of the tank, along with the engine sound is all very well done.

There are no tutorial missions, or single player missions. But there are two campaigns, one for the Russian T34 and one for the German Tiger. 6 missions for each campaign, total of 12 missions.

The game has two game modes for multiplayer. LAN or Internet abilities for up to 16 players. Force on Force and cooperative. I was unable to test the multiplayer. Not only is no one else really playing it yet, but each time I attempted to start the multiplayer server it would crash, “WW2 Battle Tanks is not responding”, but understand this is a preview build and is still work in progress.

It looks to be a short game, single player wise, with only 6 missions for each campaign, and no word on a mission editor. But where I hope Battle Tanks excels is the multiplayer. 8 vs. 8 tank battles, or 16-player co-op, could be very nice.

WWII Battle Tanks has been delayed for a week, which means it will be released on 24th of October.

The game will be available for the US customers via Direct Download and also in Lighthouse Interactive North-American web shop.

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