The re-imagined Battlezone first appeared as a PS and PC VR game 2 years ago, now it’s finally available for everyone to enjoy.
The single player mode presents you with a VR style play area made up of a hexagonal grid, much like a strategy game of old. There are hidden dangers that lurk in some spaces and bonuses in others, but the main aim is to get across to the mainframe to shut down the enemy.
In multiplayer, Battlezone tasks you with working together in its online mode. Â Working as a team, you edge across the grid filled with hexagonal areas in order to reach the end goal.
With limited ammo and shields, it helps to work together to heal each other and work on a strategy of attacking the enemy from all sides. Â Given the right level of communication, this game is a great team experience; shooting aircraft from the sky while your team-mate takes on the enemy ground troops.
Battlezone attempts to straddle the line between the original’s clean cut simple lines and a more modern polygon-based future and the aesthetics are great.  It’s part Tron, part cartoon but these both work to the game’s favour. offering arenas that look just how you imaged VR would look back in the 90s and were disappointing to find that, back then, it just didn’t.
Single player is similar but more difficult as you’ll be fighting hard against the odds here. The game gives you depleting shields, a whole host of extra weapons and various upgrades for huge chunks of cash which need to be carefully earned in-game.  Pretty soon you’ll most likely become a cropper unless you manage to move slowly, outflank the enemy and probably get lucky in the process.  The balance has been tweaked since the first launch on VR and added weapons and ships help balance the odds. The strategy forces you to think ahead and helps prevent this from being a mindless arcade shooter.
Rebalanced and freed from VR, Battlefield Gold is a fun update to a classic game idea which brings its own set of dangers and thrills to the classic formula.
Battlefield Gold
Pros
- A good update to a classic arcade game
- Strategy has been nicely rebalanced
- Unique visuals
Cons
- Can still feel a little intimidating in single player
