John Breeden writes:
"When I started playing Tank Universal: Challenger Eight, I did not really know what to expect. Normally when I load up a ten dollar game, I end up getting what I pay for. However, Tank Universal turned out to be a highly impressive title with a ton of surprises, like an engaging plot and highly varied levels.
This is literally one of those games developed by a guy in his basement or garage, you know, where the heart and soul of this industry is supposed to be. That's not really the case anymore, but here that spirit is alive and well."
Gamers Temple: "It would be very difficult to describe Tank Universal without making reference to Tron. The film obviously had a very heavy influence on the game. The game's look, story, and its titular tanks will constantly invoke thoughts of Tron - it seems that all that is missing are the glowing frisbees. There are enough differences in the story to stave off the lawyers, though. Rather than being a programmer sucked into a computer, you're a terminally ill patient given a VR helmet to take your mind off of your troubles. And I seem to remember the Eye of Sauron as being from a different film than Tron."
Gaming Nexus writes: "Tank Universal is an odd little shooter that harkens back to the VR craze of the past few decades. And I'm not talking "The Matrix" level of VR, I'm thinking all the way back to TRON. In fact, I really couldn't get that old movie out of my head as I trudged my way through this tank/arcade homage to the VR genre. Usually quirky little indie titles like this appeal to me, but sometimes they just miss the mark.
There's really not much to Tank Universal. The story begins with an old fellow getting some seriously bad news from his doctor. Along with this tragic revelation comes a VR headset, which he (for whatever reason) plops over his eyes. And instantly, Our Hero is transported to a land of red and blue lines, right in the middle of some sort of virtual uprising. The story is a bit confusing, and really not all that important, as Tank Universal is pretty much just a tank arcade shooter with stylized (some might call it "outdated") graphics."
While the gameplay is interesting at its core, with only the single player and a skirmish mode included, a multiplayer tank battle mode would have been an awesome and more than welcome addition. Tank Universal may have its issues with level design and some tank operating decisions but given the price tag of a measly ten bucks, it won't break the bank to try out a game with some rough edges and appealing features.
