Arenas of Tanks

Arenas of Tanks is a twin-stick shooter inspired by classic Micro Machines tank battles, placing players in enclosed arenas where they battle waves of color-coded enemy tanks with varying abilities. Using tactical maneuvers and bouncing turret shots off walls, players collect scrap to upgrade their tank or spawn ally NPC tanks across five distinct locations in two core gameplay modes: high-score-driven Arcade mode and inventive Challenge mode.

Arenas of Tanks: Review

Introduction

Arenas of Tanks is a twin-stick shooter that invites players into the whimsical yet tactical world of toy tank combat. Developed by Petite Games and published by Ratalaika Games, this 2022 release is a spiritual successor to Attack of the Toy Tanks, aiming to refine the formula while introducing new mechanics and challenges. Despite its modest ambitions, the game struggles to escape the shadow of its predecessors, offering a mixed bag of engaging gameplay and frustrating technical issues. This review will dissect Arenas of Tanks across its development history, narrative, gameplay, world-building, reception, and legacy to determine whether it stands as a worthy addition to the twin-stick shooter genre.

Development History & Context

Petite Games, a studio known for budget-friendly indie titles, partnered with Ratalaika Games—a publisher synonymous with accessible, trophy-heavy releases—to bring Arenas of Tanks to life. The game was released on August 19, 2022, across multiple platforms, including Windows, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One/Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch. Technologically, the game runs on the Unity engine, a common choice for indie developers due to its accessibility and cross-platform capabilities.

The gaming landscape in 2022 was dominated by high-budget AAA titles and a resurgence of retro-inspired indie games. Arenas of Tanks positioned itself as a nostalgic yet modern take on classic arcade-style tank battles, drawing comparisons to Micro Machines and Robot Wars. However, its release coincided with a surge of similar indie shooters, making it difficult to stand out. The game’s development was likely constrained by its low budget, resulting in a limited scope and recycled assets from Petite Games’ previous titles, such as Land War and Toy Tanks.

Narrative & Thematic Deep Dive

Arenas of Tanks eschews traditional storytelling in favor of pure, arcade-style gameplay. There is no overarching plot, characters, or dialogue—just the thrill of tank combat. The game’s theme revolves around the childlike joy of playing with toy tanks, emphasizing movement, accuracy, and strategy. The absence of narrative depth is a double-edged sword: while it allows players to dive straight into the action, it also limits the game’s emotional or thematic resonance.

The game’s arenas—Autumn Ruins, Daytime Garden, Winter Nights, Neon Playground, and Toy Tank Attack—serve as the primary settings, each offering unique visual and tactical challenges. Neon Playground and Toy Tank Attack stand out for their vibrant, cartoonish aesthetics, while the others feel more generic. The lack of a narrative framework means the game relies entirely on its gameplay mechanics to sustain player engagement.

Gameplay Mechanics & Systems

At its core, Arenas of Tanks is a twin-stick shooter where players control a toy tank, battling waves of enemies in enclosed arenas. The game features two primary modes: Arcade and Challenge.

Arcade Mode

The Arcade mode is an endless wave-based survival mode where players fight increasingly difficult enemies to set high scores. Players earn points for destroying tanks, which can be exchanged for upgrades or ally NPC tanks. The mode includes a multiplier system that rewards quick, consecutive kills. However, the lack of leaderboards or online competition limits its replayability.

Challenge Mode

The Challenge mode offers five distinct objectives per arena, such as collecting scrap, surviving with limited health, or defeating enemies without weapons. Completing these challenges within time limits rewards players with bronze, silver, or gold medals. While this mode adds variety, it is short-lived, taking less than half an hour to complete all challenges with gold medals.

Combat & Progression

Combat in Arenas of Tanks is tactical, requiring players to use cover and ricochet shots off walls to outmaneuver stronger enemies. Tanks are color-coded by difficulty and type, with some enemies possessing unique abilities. The game’s progression system allows players to upgrade their tank or recruit allies, but the upgrades feel superficial and do little to change the core gameplay loop.

Flaws and Bugs

The game suffers from several technical issues, including:
– Turret Aiming Glitches: The turret occasionally gets stuck in a direction, requiring a restart to fix.
– Mislabelled Controls: Button prompts in the Arcade mode are incorrect, causing confusion.
– AI Exploits: Some arenas allow players to “spawn camp” enemies, trivialize combat, and break the game’s balance.

These issues detract from the otherwise enjoyable moment-to-moment gameplay.

World-Building, Art & Sound

Arenas of Tanks features a colorful, cartoonish art style that aligns with its toy tank theme. The arenas are visually distinct, with Neon Playground and Toy Tank Attack being the most visually appealing. The sound design is minimalistic, featuring a repetitive action soundtrack that quickly becomes tedious. The lack of varied music or sound effects further emphasizes the game’s arcade roots.

The game’s atmosphere is lighthearted and playful, but the absence of narrative or environmental storytelling limits its world-building. The arenas feel more like abstract battlegrounds than fully realized spaces, which may disappoint players seeking deeper immersion.

Reception & Legacy

Arenas of Tanks received mixed reviews upon release. Critics praised its moment-to-moment gameplay and accessibility but criticized its lack of content, technical issues, and repetitive design. The game’s easy Platinum trophy made it appealing to achievement hunters, but its short playtime (around 1-2 hours) left little room for long-term engagement.

Commercially, the game performed modestly, likely due to its low price point ($4.99 USD) and the oversaturated twin-stick shooter market. Its legacy is that of a competent but forgettable entry in the genre, overshadowed by more polished or innovative titles like Vampire Survivors and Nuclear Throne.

Conclusion

Arenas of Tanks is a flawed but occasionally fun twin-stick shooter that improves upon its predecessor while failing to escape its limitations. Its core gameplay loop is engaging, but technical issues, a lack of content, and repetitive design hold it back. While it may appeal to casual players or trophy hunters, it lacks the depth or innovation to leave a lasting mark on gaming history. Petite Games has shown improvement with each release, but Arenas of Tanks serves as a reminder that refinement alone is not enough—true greatness requires bold ideas and polish. For now, it remains a footnote in the ever-growing library of indie shooters.