Learn To Play 'Battlezone' In VR In Its Latest Trailer

The Battlezone franchise started out as an arcade game from Atari. It was supposed to simulate a virtual reality experience because you peered into a viewport in the machine in order to see where your tank was going in the digital landscape. Fast-forward to today, when Rebellion now owns the franchise and is giving the series the VR treatment it deserves by releasing a new title for today’s VR headsets. In order to gain more attention prior to release, the studio created a seven-minute gameplay video to show you everything you need to know about the upcoming game.

An evil group called The Corporation has taken over the planet and enslaved nearly all of humanity. With the help of your Cobra tank, you are humanity’s last hope. You must fight your way through hordes of enemies across multiple levels in order to destroy the AI Core to take down the The Corporation.

Your tank will be special, because you can choose from nine variants, each with its own set of weapons such as a machine gun, missiles, or even a powerful artillery set. There are also some special abilities that you can attach to your weapon systems. For example, you can temporarily increase your shield strength or spread a virus to an enemy tank so that it heals your tank whenever it shoots at you. You can make the tank itself even stronger by adding mods such as a healing mechanism, shields, or an active reload.

As intimidating as it is to go up against a giant evil group by yourself, you don’t have to do it alone. At any time in the game, three other players can aid you in combat. Survival is paramount, as you have a limited number of lives at your disposal. If you lose them all, you'll have to start the entire campaign again. In addition, the levels, which are displayed on a hex-based map, will change their positions so that you’ll have a different experience each time.

However, that doesn’t mean that your tank will start with the base level of weapons and equipment every time you die. Enemies drop blue crystals called Data, which you can use to upgrade your tank for future missions. Data is also used to unlock new resources or side missions throughout the campaign.

As you make your way through the hex map, you’ll notice that your enemies get tougher. Throughout your journey, the enemies will level up in size and strength. Wait long enough, and you’ll eventually face the Nemesis, one of the toughest foes in the game. Its speed and firepower are a step above the usual enemy minion, so you’ll have to figure out a way to defeat before it hunts you down and tears your tank to shreds.

Your first opportunity to play the game will be with the PlayStation VR, as the game launches on the same day as the VR headset. The game is coming to the Oculus Rift as well, but Rebellion didn't announce a release date. If you don't have a VR HMD, you can still play the game on PC and PlayStation 4.