Lil Tanks Demo

Although the subject of aliens attacking our planet has been approached from almost every possible angle, there are still ways one can make the experience feel fresh and exciting. In the same regard, shoot ‘em ups have been exhausted until two decades ago, which is why they disappeared for a while. Now, they seem to be making a comeback in the form of retro productions that appeal to the nostalgic gamers out there.

Lil Tanks is a top-down shoot ‘em up with sidescrolling backgrounds, in which you control a tank ready to defend the whole planet from a race of invading aliens. The mechanics are not very different from every other shoot ‘em up out there, but there are some exceptions that help Lil Tanks stick out from the crowd and gain more attention from the public.

As an example, your tank can have a non-controllable companion that provides increased firepower and a few other special abilities. Not only that, but you also gain experience from every enemy you destroy, experience that can help you level up and unlock special powers. Whether it’s a tougher shield or more damage per shot, everything helps when you are challenging a whole army by yourself.

There are some problems to watch out for as well, although they are not very serious and they can probably be fixed by the time the full game is released. Hence, the tank’s hitbox appears to be a bit too large sometimes, and the weird perspective makes it difficult to appreciate distance. It’s difficult to see while you are shooting sometimes, which is obviously not ideal.

Everything else is in its right place, on the other hand, especially when it comes to graphics and the soundtrack. In fact, the landscapes look pretty cool, even if they are not very detailed. There are many enemy types as well, which means that you won’t have a chance to get bored. To top it all off, the difficulty level is quite high, too, especially if you are new to the genre.

In the end, Lil Tanks is not exactly original, but the way it is designed should appeal to the great majority of gamers out there. Moreover, the mechanics are sturdy and quite engaging, while the high difficulty level makes the experience feel challenging, yet rewarding,