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Review

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Developed and published by Rebellion, Battle Zone takes the original 1980 first person tank formula and expands it to one of PSVR's launch titles. There are several types of missions in Battle Zone, from taking out waves of enemies, to escorting convoys, and eliminating shield generators. The hexagonal grid is a randomly generated overworld where you can choose your own path to the final boss. You might choose to farm for more credits or take a direct route, you'll also need to keep an eye out for supply posts where you can trade in your credits for better weapons, which can be unlocked by hacking bases during battle. You can also spend credits on improving your shields or ability to heal allies, which is vital because Battle Zone is about teamwork. The controls in Battle Zone are fairly straight forward, you turn and move forward with the left stick, aim up and down with the right, fire you weapon with R2, reload with R1, change weapons with square and x, and don't forget you need hold square to access your infinite shot, in case you run out of ammo. L2 is used for boosting, while L1 is used for a special attack, such as the EMP, which is good for taking out the ultra-hard nemesis. The VR in Battle Zone is mighty impressive. It's easy to look around, and I haven't gotten any motion sickness, even after long sessions. The text can be a bit blurry as are most PSVR games. I recommend you lean forward while hitting calibrate and then sit back, so you have the wider field of view. Battle Zone is best enjoyed in online mode, where jumping in and out of campaigns is smooth and convenient. Your tanks heal each other by proximity, so it's good to stay close. Occasionally, AI tanks appear on your team but they're just dumb decoys. It can be a bit frustrating if all of your allies have better weapon than you, because they wind up getting the bulk of the credits, further widening their capability, but every little bit helps. Just remember not to use an extra life unless you absolutely have to. Wait for one of your buddies to heal you instead. Since its release, the devs have included a classic mode, which shows how much they love this game. Overall, Battle Zone is back and better than ever, and has an excellent balance of simplicity and depth. I highly recommend Battle Zone only if you plan to play online, because the multiplayer campaign is where it's at. And if you don't have an internet connection, how are you watching this video anyway?