Tank Raid

Back when 3D games first began to appear, designers faced a problem. In the two-dimensional games, the action had generally been limited to running from left to right as the scenery scrolled beneath your character, leaving you to take care of hammering the jump and shoot buttons, as well as waggling the joystick to keep out of trouble. But with 3D games, how were they to keep players facing the action and not wandering off, while maintaining the deception of real environments?

While most early 3D games simply got around this by boxing in the player with impenetrable walls, it seemed a few fearless game designers were about to let us out into the virtual daylight, where natural boundaries were few and most obstacles could be circumvented. Well, until you started playing and you realised your hero had been strapped into an invisible train and you rode the rails all the way to the end of the game. The 'on rails' genre was born.

Like that first generation of arcade three-dimensional shooters such as Virtua Cop and Time Crisis, Tank Raid from I-Play employs the on-rails answer to keeping the action on track. With the game taking care of the driving like a responsible designated driver, you're carried through each level free to concentrate on blasting.

Travelling through hazardous locations littered with dastardly would-be destroyers such as tanks, gun emplacements and even the odd attack helicopter, your smiling avatar rides atop the eponymous tank, pulling the trigger and ducking whenever incoming rounds threaten to interrupt his cheery demeanour.

Tank Raid's gameplay is certainly pretty simple. First, you rotate your turret left or right until your prey appears dead ahead. Second, you pummel the '5' button until your prey disappears in the sunset-orange glow of a tank shell, demolishing its chances of stopping your diesel-powered joy ride.

To add some variety, aerial support drops weapon crates to aid in your rampage. Collecting a pair of precious homing missiles, for instance, enables you to take pot shots at enemies even before they're fully in view. Two missiles don't go far of course, so use them wisely.

Thankfully, there are enough crates dotted about the levels to tilt the balance of power in your favour. The developer has even been smart enough to auto-switch back to regular shells if you happen to shoot at a crate and not an enemy combatant.

The confident, vibrant and cartoon-like appearance of the visuals may give you a sense of security, but don't underestimate the enemy. As you rumble your way into optimal range, the baddies will gleefully open fire on you so you'll want to dispose of them as fast as possible. Your course of action when shot at is to hold down the fire key to duck your hero's head back into the tank for cover; you can't return fire whilst cowering in the cosy warmth of your metal box.

The stages are split into three different zones and at the conclusion of each you find a good old fashioned end-of-level boss – in the form of a battleship, an attack chopper and even a fortress. With multiple supporting targets that you must defeat before the adversary is vanquished, the bosses add just enough drama to the final part of each zone to keep your interested going through the next bout of button mashing.

Which is why it's a shame Tank Raid is over so soon. We really enjoyed our time with it, but even the most amateur of players could complete it in a single sitting, and although there's a survival-style Arcade mode, this addition is not significantly different enough to the main campaign to keep you coming back.

With some form of multiplayer or a random level generator, this action-packed title could have been a great go-to game for those long waits in queues or crafty tea breaks you take while trying to look busy at work. As it is though, its brevity ensures you're unlikely to reach for it more than once. Let's hope for a sequel with a bit more fuel in the tank.