Battle Command
| Developer: Realtime | Graphics: |
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| Publisher: Ocean | Sound: |
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| Year: 1990 | Difficulty: |
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| Genre: Action | Lastability: |
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| Number of players: 1 | Rating: |
8/10 | |
The apparent sequel to Carrier Command. This time, you’re in charge of a tank (the Mauler) in a 3D wargame, resolutely action-oriented and far more user-friendly than its predecessor, at least in terms of controls…
Headquarters assigns you 16 solo missions behind enemy lines (in any order you like!), ranging from relatively complex objectives (retrieval, rescue, escort, hijacking a train…) to more straightforward battles. The first-person perspective is well-suited to this style of gameplay, where you’re constantly on edge, dodging incoming fire from all directions and desperately hoping your armour holds until you reach the drop zone. Adjustable viewing angles and zoom are included, but they’re more gimmicks than essentials.
Your rustbucket on treads come equipped with a wide array of weapons and devices to customise before each mission (cannon, surface-to-air and surface-to-surface missiles, mortar, anti-missile systems, binoculars, infrared goggles, scanner…). Enough to make you feel invincible! That is, until the sheer number and aggression of enemy units quickly bring you back to reality. Victory demands preparation and strategy—in other words, repeating missions until you’ve memorised every nook and cranny. But that’s hardly an issue given how satisfying the gameplay is, its ease of access, and the ability to save your progress.
Small but appreciated cosmetic touches: the tank drop by parachute from a helicopter (with the appropriate camera effect) and dynamic day/night cycles.
And then, I won…
And then, my monitor flew out the window!
Note: Use the right mouse button for movement controls. The basic commands are mapped to the top of the keyboard (“F1” to “F8” and “1” to “4”).
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