Battlezone

Description

Battlezone (2016) is a first-person tank combat game developed as a PlayStation VR exclusive. This version of Battlezone is a reboot of Atari’s 1980 arcade classic, reimagined for modern hardware with a retro-futuristic aesthetic and immersive cockpit gameplay. You play inside the cockpit of the Cobra tank, battling through procedurally generated missions against the AI-controlled forces of the Rotberg Corporation. The game is played entirely in first-person, with the cockpit interface providing in-world HUD elements like radar, ammo, and shield status.

Players navigate a hex-based campaign map, choosing missions, supply points, and upgrades as they progress toward the final confrontation with the AI core. Each mission features different objectives — from wave survival to escort — and success earns “data” used to upgrade weapons, shields, and utilities. Battlezone supports 1–4 player online co-op, with drop-in/drop-out functionality. Players share a pool of lives and can revive each other mid-mission, adding a layer of tactical coordination. The campaign’s procedural structure and branching paths give it a roguelike flavour, encouraging replayability.

The game blends ’80s sci-fi stylings with modern roguelike structure, offering a blend of nostalgia and tactical depth. Its neon visuals, synth soundtrack, and modular upgrades evoke a stylised future war, while its VR roots give it a uniquely immersive feel. The VR really hits a retro-futuristic tone of the fictional and very early VR in the ’80s and ’90s. This was a PSVR launch title that was followed up by a Gold Edition two years later, which included all DLC, dropped the VR requirement and was ported to the Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch.