One of video game’s greatest pleasures is being able to shoot bits off an enemy and then append them to yourself. TankHead gets it. It’s about steering a tank through a desolate sci-fi landscape, blasting similar tank and mecha enemies to bits, then scavenging them for parts using a drone.
It’s been in quiet development for years, but it got a big reveal during tonight’s Day Of The Devs stream. It was also released during tonight’s Day Of The Devs stream, so you can buy it from the Epic Games Store now.
“As Whitaker your goal is to fight to reach Highpoint, to do that you must traverse the ECA – an area where humans cannot survive. Whitaker must project his mind into a Needle, a robust drone capable of surviving in the harsh conditions of the ECA – and of piloting your Tank,” explains the store page. “Use your Needle and Tank to combat the vehicles and creatures of the ECA to reach Highpoint.”
The tank combat is tactical in the ways you might expect if you’ve ever shot a tank in a video game before. Some areas of your machine are more armoured than others, so you need to try to keep those angled towards enemies to protect your vulnerable engine. Enemies, likewise, can have their outer shells chipped off, revealing the sweet weak spots within.
I’m really a fan of the production design, here. The look of the tanks, the robots, the drones, the larger boss you fight; it’s all just a little unexpected, a little odd, in a way that suggests a world worth exploring. That plus Captain Forever-style your-bits-are-my-bits-now action, and I really want to try this.
TankHead was the recepient of an Epic development grant, which presumably accounts for its Epic Games Store-only release at this stage. With a launch discount, it’ll currently cost you £20.74.