The classics never die. They just get better. And in the case of Battlezone II: Combat Commander it’s a classic that coming back with an entire army with cutting-edge weapons. Last week, Rebellion, the team behind the critically acclaimed Sniper Elite 4 and the well-received Rogue Trooper, have announced their latest effort with the remaster of the 1999 classic, Battlezone II: Combat Commander.
The original Battlezone was originally released as an arcade game in 1980 by Atari, known for its use of a “periscope” for players to use to target enemies. The game put players in the role of a tank commander, shooting enemies in the first-person perspective against the backdrop of a war zone made of vector-line graphics. In the decades that followed, Activision would acquire the rights to Battlezone and release its interpretation of the classic game to computers in 1998, with a port of the same game on the Nintendo 64. A year later, its sequel, Battlezone II: Combat Commander was released by Pandemic Studios and Activision for Windows PC’s in December of 1999.
Battlezone: Combat Commander is a hybrid of tank combat simulator, first-person shooter, and a battlefield strategy game that puts players in direct command of their armies while fending off imminent threats. In the world of Battlezone, the United States and Russians, once-warring for control of the Earth, have put aside their differences following a war that sent their species into conflict and devastation. They have joined forces to expand and work together in space, but their peace couldn’t come soon enough, as an impending alien force threatens all humans. Using the latest technology, they will work together, even going so far as to augment themselves with upgrades and enhancements, to defeat the incoming alien armies.
While fighting, players can maneuver their tanks to destroy enemy forces, from walkers to tanks to aircraft, while also selecting units to attack. Various other units will spawn across the battlefield. it is up to the player to build them and specifically order them to engage certain targets. With large battlefields and an overwhelming enemy, players will be required to fight fast and think faster.
The remaster will be handled by Rebellion Studios, who is coming off a stellar year that saw the release of the highly anticipated sniping simulator, Sniper Elite 4, along with the return of a stellar classic, Rogue Trooper. Battlezone: Combat Commander will be completely overhauled, from the visuals to the controls to the gameplay. There will be upscaling and full re-texturing in the game. taking full advantage of Direct X 11. This will also include new modding tools that will be utilizing today’s protocols and features.
Battlezone: Combat Commander will be rolling onto steam in 2018. Players can sign up for the closed beta on Rebellions main website.