This low-cost independent game may be a little thin on plot, but it more than makes up for it through gameplay. Players drive a virtual tank and battle through maze-like zones dotted with deadly enemies and turrets for 30 levels. These levels have great variety to keep players engaged for hours. The game primarily involves capture-the-flag with some take-and-hold elements thrown in, but doesn't always repeat the game types. Sometimes, it's just a matter of getting from point A to B without being destroyed.

Players uses three different resources. Moving near a glyph will convert it to your side, enabling your production facility to produce computer controlled tanks to fight alongside you. The more glyphs you control, the stronger your side will be. Taking down major targets earns upgrade points which can be used to purchase special weapons like missiles and speed boost. These special weapons need shard points to operate, which are dropped by enemies after you blow them up.

Appreciation for the art style will largely depend on how big of a TRON fan you are. Environments are mostly black with glowing red and blue lines, made up of sharp, box-like objects. Many areas are sparsely decorated. The training room, for example, is a huge square with a single box-shaped computer in it. Some areas, like the tram level, look fantastic because of its size and special effects, but the style also has a few drawbacks. The biggest problem is that almost everything uses the same few colors, which makes it very hard to spot enemies at a distance. The game also uses a film grain on top of everything, which makes it even harder to see. It's a little frustrating to run into black walls hidden in darkened shadows while trying to dodge tank fire, but you eventually get used to things and learn to compensate.

For the most part, Tank Universal is a very strong and challenging battle game. The virtual tank is easy to control, and if players hold down the fire button long enough without being hit, they can fire off a charged blast that will destroy most targets with one hit. Enemies react competently to try to stop you. Unfortunately, the same can't quite be said for computerized allies. They do a decent job of slowing down enemies and taking capture points, but there are times when they don't seem to be doing much of anything. There's no way to give them orders, so you can't defend weak positions, call reinforcements or set up a distraction. One example is during the evacuation sequence where you need to need to fend off incoming enemies to help vessels escape. Oftentimes, this requires you to become a one tank army that constantly rushes from one end of the map to the other.

The game has a few minor issues, including collision control between tanks. Sometimes hitting a friend or ally will stop you dead in your tracks, other times you'll pass straight through them. One sequence early on in the game has you running through a tank battle on foot looking for an escape tunnel. However, the mixture of dark graphics, constantly falling down, invisible walls, and a strange inability to jump or climb over small inclines gets in the way. However, it's hard to be too nitpicky about a game that costs about $10 on Steam, especially since the tank fighting and strategic elements work so well.

The real disappointment comes from the lack of multiplayer. Although there's a skirmish mode, Tank Universal doesn't feature a multiplayer system, which is a complete shame because this game practically screams for it. Computer controlled opponents aren't bad, but there's no substitute for the challenge of actual live players. Still, players get their money's worth and then some for their purchase. If you're a fan of the TRON art style, and want a fantastic action strategy game for a budget price, Tank Universal is such a great deal that it's practically a steal.

Download the Tank Universal Demo (87 MB)