Score
Gameplay:	8
Graphics:	7
Sound:	7
FunFactor:	9
PlasmaFactor:	6
Overall:	7.4

WWII Tank Commander Review
February 24, 2006 by Alex Rigney

by Alex Rigney - February 24, 2006

Enter a world wrought with turmoil, bombs dropping from the skies, and machine gun fire assaulting you from all directions. Immediately informed that you are part of an operation to clean up the remainder of the German forces, you jump into a Sherman Tank realizing your potential as WWII: Tank Commander. Prepare to be faced with a constant stream of enemy tanks and soldiers as you liberate Europe from under German control.

War!

WWII: Tank Commander starts you off with a lead escort to follow, and expects you to be able to pick up the commands fairly quickly. The first mission is fairly simple, as you have a lead tank that refuses to die and takes almost all the fire from enemies, giving you the opportunity to learn the controls of the tank and figure out just exactly how to start fighting back. Basic "WASD" controls accompanied by the mouse allow you to drive the tank around and fire both a cannon and a machine gun. While the cannon essentially fires wherever you point it, the machine gun seems to have a problem killing foot soldiers as they run around the screen attempting to bee-sting you to death. But aside from the occasional inability to tag a soldier, there are no major flaws in the flow of the game. Occasionally it’s easy to become lost in the maps mid-mission, but as long as you can tell directions, finding your way out isn’t impossible. However, do not let the easy initial mission fool you, as each subsequent campaign is leaps and bounds tougher. If there is one thing that WWII: Tank Commander offers, it is an extreme difficulty level. As in most First Person Shooters, there’s no set way to beat any given area, but it is very hard to deviate as losing any excess health proves to be significantly detrimental to your ability to finish an objective and eventually the mission. Each assignment has a to-do list that keeps you interested in the development of the story line, though there is a fairly large lack of that in this game.

Craters Everywhere!

For the most part, the graphics in this game are impressive. When bombs drop out of the sky, the mushroom clouds look fairly realistic as the explosion registers on your monitor. You may not think that it’s real grass under your treads, but it’s not hard to figure out what’s there. It’s easy to distinguish enemy tanks from the rest of the background, and some of the houses that you see look exactly the way the imagination says that they should. However, when shooting someone with a machine gun off a tank or even a cannon, there’s an expectation of a little more than just falling over. But death sequences aside, the graphics of this game actually are really good, especially when the focus is on four Sherman Tanks coming to the rescue.

Whoosh, Boom, Bang

While not the most groundbreaking sound effects in the game industry, with a well set-up surround sound system, WWII: Tank Commander has a fair chance of blowing you out of your chair. The whistling whine of a bomb falling quickly through the air towards its destination, or the powerful thud of a tank cannon firing into the opposition, there are some sounds that you can feel deep in your toes. However, like a doorbell ringing during the best part of the movie, some of the noises just don’t seem right. Gunfire lacks any real power behind it, and has an unconvincing a sound.

Holy Crap

Within three minutes of playing this game, that was the only thing I could say. If you like tanks and blowing stuff up, then this is a great game for you. Sure, it’s pretty hard, and maybe there are some levels that you feel are unbeatable, but the combination of explosions and driving around a WWII Sherman on a journey to destroy all who dare oppose you makes up for anything this game might be lacking. The principles all are right on target, and even if the graphics and sound don’t blow you away, WWII: Tank Commander will still cause hours of enjoyment.

You Go Up, You Go Down

While this game receives a lot of points for the fact that it is just plain a lot of fun, there are a few areas that could stand for improvement. The inability to kill foot soldiers despite the fact that the cursor is pointed directly at them is nothing short of disturbingly frustrating. The graphics don’t exactly make you feel like you are standing in the middle of a battlefield, and the controls are a little stiff. However, you’re driving a tank, so it stands to reason that you wouldn’t be able to turn on a dime. One of the neatest parts of this game is that when you run over a fence, it actually feels like you are climbing up over something, and then running down the other side. Of course, it seems like a fence would fall under that much weight, but who can understand physics, anyway?

 

And That’s All He Wrote

WWII: Tank Commander may not be the most groundbreaking game out on the market today, and it may not have the best graphics and sounds in its genre, but it makes a good time of playing anyway. If you like games where you go around, shooting what offends you, then make sure to pick up this delightful bundle of exploding joy. While Got Game Entertainment disappointed with its last creative endeavor, it has more than made up for it in their newest release. Maybe not the most acclaimed release in First Person Shooters, but make sure to take the time to give this game a fair chance, since it has what everyone is looking for; a little pretend violence and the ability to avenge a wrong. So strap the kiddies in the back seat of the nearest tank you can find, and drive on down the street to a game store, because its time to blow up some Nazis.