Tanki Online’s promise is twofold: a plug-in free browser format that means physics-enabled, tracked vehicular biffing is less than 30 seconds away – and fast-paced, tactical matches designed to keep you occupied for far longer.
After a Russian release in 2009, the game has rolled out to 41 million players worldwide in a manner you’ve got to be really careful about metaphoring, given the current European climate. And now it’s reached UK shores.
Catchily-named Russian MMO developers AlternativaPlatform have won awards for their browser tech – not only from fellow developers, but also from the state regulator, the Federal Agency on Press and Mass Communications of the Russian Federation. Cor.
On our end, that means we’ll be waiting just a “few seconds” to enter Tanki’s PvP arenas, should we feel so inclined.
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The game’s control scheme is simple enough that it eschews the mouse in favour of a few keys. It’s no sim, then, but a “constant high” played in deathmatch, capture-the-flag or control points modes. Once your tank is destroyed, the developers proudly proclaim, you can expect to be back on the battlefield in seconds.
And yet: there’s a tactical edge. Players choose from seven tank hulls with varying capacities for movement or being pummelled. Then they’ll pick one of nine futuristic turrets to fuse to those hulls, and switch up each with one of four modifications.
Tanki also boasts an explicitly anti-pay-to-win stance – not to mention all the rail guns, freeze guns and plasma blasters that World of Tanks lacks. What’s not to like? No, really: have a go and let us know what’s not to like, and what is. We’re interested.