Explode Mode

Older tanks required the driver to control the speed of each track individually in order to steer, which wasn’t exactly straightforward. There is a good reason this type of control mechanism hasn’t been used in games that feature tanks, as it would be very difficult to master. Explode Mode gives it a try, however, putting you in charge of a futuristic hover tank that takes quite a bit of experience to handle. You are able to control the thrusters on each side of the tank separately, all while avoiding enemy fire and attempting to destroy your foes.

To begin with, don’t even think about skipping the tutorial. If you jump into battle right away, you will have no idea how to control the hover tank and survive.

Essentially, you can use the left and right triggers on your gamepad to fire up the thrusters on each side of the tank and move forward, while the shoulder buttons are used for backwards movement.

I suggest that you don’t give up straight away if the controls seem too unintuitive, as you should get used to them eventually. The hover tank is quite agile, able to turn on a dime and even scale the arena’s walls.

Your goal is to get through as many levels as possible without dying, which is not easy given that your tank is quite fragile. Energy allows it to survive multiple attacks, but your reserves are depleted very quickly unless you replenish them continuously.

There are several types of enemies to contend with, as well as multiple weapons that can be used against them. Power-ups provide you with energy, ammo and speed boosts, and you can use either the environment or your tank’s speed to evade hits.

Explode Mode is likely to receive a polarized reception from players, as some will appreciate its polished gameplay while others will find the controls to be too confusing.

Nevertheless, it is definitely worth trying out, as it is a well-designed arcade shooter that features decent graphics and impressive visual effects.