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Rebellion reveal new, VR-driven Battlezone at E3

New battlezone

Rebellion, the company behind the magisterial Sniper Elite series, have just announced a new Battlezone at E3.

It’s a throwback to the original, vector-graphics shooter, made with upcoming VR systems in mind.

Allow me just a moment to get over my disappointment that this is not based on Activision’s 1998 version, which combined tank combat and RTS play in a way that was incredibly forward-thinking.

Rebellion pay tribute to all the Battlezone games that have come and gone over the years in their statement, but it looks like for this new version, they’re going back to the original concept: immersive, fast-paced, 3D tank combat.

Rebellion are building this one around VR, though I’m not certain it will be VR-required. On their website they say, “Designed for the next wave of virtual reality devices, Battlezone gives you unrivalled battlefield awareness, a monumental sense of scale and breathless combat intensity. You are in the cockpit of a super weapon. Your instincts and senses respond to every threat on the battlefield as enemy swarms loom over you and super-heated projectiles whistle past your ears.”

The trailer definitely looks like a hyper-fast VR shooter, with stylishly low-poly graphics that bring the original Battlezone to mind, along with games like Starfox and the very old MechWarriors.