Battlezone: Gold Edition (Nintendo Switch) Review

The goal in here is to destroy the Skynet-esque AI, which, like a rebellious teenager, has turned against its creators. You need to reach its core (inside a volcano, of all places), but only after shooting down a few of its subordinates to decrease its defences. The main game mode is the Campaign, which, depending on your choice of settings, can span for about one hour, to... lots and lots of time, and, in here, the randomly-generated map is divided between separate nodes, with each node basically being an arena match against a variety of enemies - mainly other tanks like you.

Completing these 'battlezones' provides helpful upgrades for your vessel, but focus on that for too long, and the AI will start unleashing some very tough units known as 'Nemesis,' meaning that one needs to balance tank-ride-pimping, and going straight for the big bad of the show, although the scale does lean more towards the upgrade bit. Just remember that Battlezone: Gold Edition follows the, awesome for some, nerve-breaking for others, custom of losing everything upon death, thus one must be careful when choosing nodes, and, most importantly, while in the fray.

The action consists of you driving your trusty armoured vehicle, and shooting down foes, either with your infinite-ammo blaster, or your limited-ammo cannons, while also avoid getting shot at. The player tank comes in three varieties, with the basic rule being: speed means fragility, and durability equals slow wheels. No matter the one chosen, however, it should be noted that this isn't really a title that's fun experiencing on your own, as things can get very repetitive, and, of course, very lonely. In other words this is mostly recommended towards those who can tolerate interacting with other human beings, for some four-player co-op.

Sadly, whether on your own, with friends, or total strangers, things will soon start to get somewhat boring. Battlezone has a heavy lack in terms of variety, whether that's in regards to the battles themselves, or the strategic aspect while on viewing the map from above. In other words, Battlezone just doesn't have a decent replay value - even after you take into consideration the fact that the Gold Edition is basically the complete package, with all DLC included.

As a side note, while the TRON-like, neon coloured polygonal world is one that surely feels good to look at, playing this on Switch makes it pretty clear that this was meant to be played with a VR headset on, especially due to how the cockpit/HUD/whatever obscures a great deal of the view. That isn't to say that this is a big flaw, or something, but, unlike many other titles that have found their perfect home in Nintendo's hybrid platform, this definitely feels like a heavy compromise.