DDTanks Review – So Cute I Want To Die!
By Vincent Haoson (Vincenthaoson), OnRPG Journalist
DDTanks is a cute turn-based browser shooter from game distributor Aeria games. The game capitalizes on cute and zany graphics that is grounded on a very competitive but solid gameplay.
First Impressions
The game’s introduction doesn’t not suffer from much fan fare because you’re immediately whisked away from one tutorial after another. In fact I personally think that the whole “30 second” tutorial was an understatement since I literally breezed through it in less than 30 seconds.
The game doesn’t really offer much in terms of the things you can do. The supposed adventure part of the game is still locked and you’re limited to randomly playing against other people till you grow to a level high enough to create your room that allows you to challenge another set of players.
The game’s is easy enough to grasp. Since this is a turn-based shooter it’s not the “how do you play this game?” that’s important but more of “how well can you play this game?”
Battles
As of this review, the game allows only two types of battles which are namely, the sports and the challenge battles. The sports battles are random combats of either the 1v1, 2v2, 3v3 or 4v4 variety. The game sets your enemies according to the available players of the same number and doesn’t care much in the level gap. My level eight character has often faced a lot of 20+s characters on both 1v1 and 4v4 battles, which only stacked up my losses.
The other battle type is the challenge battles. These are the more vanilla shooter combat where you get a room and you’d see who you’re up against. Similarly to the sports battles you can set the battles from a 1v1 to a 4v4 combat depending on the host’s preference.
Get used to this sight, you’ll be seeing it a lot.
Starting battles in DDtank can be a long tedious wait specially if you’re playing during the game’s off peak hours. I’ve experienced waiting for more than five minutes for the game to pair us up with another 4v4 match. Actually, the problem for me is not the wait, it’s the people you’re with that has a problem with it.
Items
DDTank has a unique item system in place that can spell doom for any kind of fight, balanced or not. DDTank’s item system works as either a weapon or tactical boost system. These items have the capacity to increase your bombs, allows you to throw three bombs consecutively, turns you invisible or provides as an escape route when the chips are down.
These items are either bought at the pre-match item shop or acquired during the battle itself in the form of floating chests that litters the maps as the combat progresses. These items are a double edged sword that can either tip the scales or totally allow your destruction. I personally like how the item system is included in the battles because it provides necessary boosts for low level characters. I’ve had a lot of battles that has pitted me against players 10 times higher than me and I was able to win them because of an item that allowed me to purposely make a hole underneath my enemy thus bringing them to a swifter end.
However, the items can also seal the deal in certain unbalanced battle specially when you’re up against skilful players. This would be one of the issues that ticked me off specially when I was still forced to go through the random battles.
Issues
DDTank, regardless of all it’s cute graphics and solid gameplay is without its problems. Of course the one that tops off my list is the long wait during battles, however that’s not the only problem I noticed as I kept playing. My other big concern with the game is that DDTank uses certain elements from other media and games and incorporates them as part of the game.
I was surprised to hear the Morroc background theme playing on one map of the game. I know that this isn’t too much of a big deal, but Ragnarok Online players may find this concerning.
Another problem with the game is that the camera is hard to manage. There were times that I was forced to shoot blindly because I didn’t have enough time to shoot because I was too busy fixing my camera so that I can see my target. There were times too that players unknowingly fall to their doom because the edge of the map’s covered by the interface and they are unable to see if there’s still land.
The camera problem is pretty much brought by the game’s limitation as a browser game. You’ll have to accept the fact that the camera angling sucks since you’re just playing a browser game.
Clothes
What the game lacks in proper camera options, the game compensates with the novelty choice of clothes you can make your character wear. The options vary from Harry Potter clothes, to street fighter attires and the game even has a Majimbou (pink blob enemy that turns people to chocolate and eats them which appeared at the latter parts of Dragonball Z) suit for men.
It’s actually fun seeing your characters in these attire since they’re oh-so cute to watch. They’re like the miniature version of these characters that you’d just want them to kick down doors and take names.
Conclusion
Overall DDTank is a good alternative for a turn-based shooter. However the issues may become an irritating problem specially in the endgame stages. The game doesn’t provide you with enough to make you want to come back. even the Marriage system on the game feels like it was just forced into it so that DDTank can say that it has a marriage system.
The game’s novelty wears off pretty fast and some I would say that those who would sing high praises of the game would eventually grow tired of it since there’s nothing else to do. From my perspective the game is still incomplete since one of the feature’s that was paraded was its adventure system. Yet where is it?
If you are looking for a turn-based shooter that’s very easy to play then DDTank is a good suggestion however, if you’re looking for a more “smoother” gameplay I’d say go elsewhere.
Pros
– Game doesn’t need an installer, you can get to play immediately.
– It has a cute selection of character clothes to choose from
– The game’s pretty simple and doesn’t take much resource from your computer
Cons
– Matchmaking may take forever.
– Bad camera options
– Feels too generic
