World Destruction League: Thunder Tanks Critic Reviews

If you're into complete and total destruction (a la "Blast Corps" for the Nintendo 64), then you'll have a hell of a time with Thunder Tanks. It will blow you away.

Like a "Battletanx" meets WWF type of game; instead of the whole game being based around a B-Movie type plot, the game is based around an intense post-apocalyptic battle tournament.

The multiplayer mode is where the real fun lies then, and this game can genuinely suck hours from your existence with the aid of a few bloodthirsty friends and an unhealthy obsession with scrap metal.

It can get a little hectic and the game's multiplayer modes don't seem quite as polished as what you get with "TimeSplitters" and "Unreal Tournament," but it's very fun nonetheless and is an good option for those who want more than just a first-person shooter.

If your'e looking for an off-the-wall spot of multiplayer fun, WDL may be just the ticket. Otherwise, you may want to rent before plopping down 50 big ones.

This version of WDL is definitely a great improvement over the Psone's, so if you love battle tank games or just blowing things up then give this one a try.

While this magnificently dumb galoot blatantly treads on common ground, it leaves a lasting trail of wreckage that gamers will happily follow.

What it lacks in innovation, it makes up for with a solid multiplayer game with respectable graphics, a healthy helping of variety, and plenty of replay value.

It’s sort of ketchup chip gaming, a little bit sweet, a little bit sour, compelling enough that you keep at it past the point of real enjoyment and feel like your time might be better spent elsewhere, , wipe the red stain off your hands and have some more.

It has most of the necessary ingredients to turn four friends with beer (or soda, for the tykes out there) into a night of simple, over-the-top, tank-based explosions and partying. Don't expect a one-player game though.

With a deeper single-player mode and less silly WWF-like antics, "World Destruction League" truly puts the thunder in "Thunder Tanks" with enough firepower to level a small country (four-player brawls are guaranteed to satisfy). Give me less cheese and more caviar next time 3DO.

The company also has a reputation for releasing fairly polished but rather dull titles, and WDL is no exception in this area, either.

The tanks are cool and feature gritty design and nice detailing -- but their animation sets are pretty limited and the sensation of piloting an actual, steely titan is somewhat lacking.

By dumbing it down with WWF-style presentation and mindless gameplay, 3DO has created a PS2 update of the BattleTanx series that turns what was a fun mission-based adventure into a silly tournament-style game show.

Even though the multiplayer games offer a bit of fun for a few hours (blowing your friends up is always entertaining), WDL falls short of our expectations by failing to deliver the kind of unadulterated explosive combat we had hoped for.

Tries hard with a macho attitude, but there isn't anything satisfying underneath. Instead, you get a mish mash of tired game concepts thrown into an industrial blender, fingers crossed that the pulpy results will come out a tasty brew.