Often the world of strategy games is a somber one, and understandably so given the subject matter. That's not to say that moments of the absurd can't be found, whether through the blending of deep politicking and horse empires in the Crusader Kings series or the goofy FMV sections of the beloved Command & Conquer series. The latest strategy title to lean into fun and humor is Total Tank Simulator.
Developed by Noobz From Poland, Total Tank Simulator mixes a World War II setting with sandbox strategy powered through unit AI. The game is more than a little reminiscent of Totally Accurate Battle Simulator, with its approach very much centered around the player dropping units as they see fit and watching the action unfold from above. That often means watching the map's environment being torn apart by explosions, tank tracks, and artillery shells.
Although it's not an entirely realistic take on strategy and warfare, as showcased by its colorful graphics akin to the 8-Bit series of strategy games from Petroglyph, Total Tank Simulator's Second World War setting does ground it a little in realism. With a choice of six nations to choose from and a wide variety of units, the game's Campaign mode in particular has more of a structural framework for traditional strategy fans to sink their teeth into.
Here, a selection of scenarios play out for the player, acting as a commander for the six nations in question. The battles within generally boil down to meeting specific win criteria, which could be wiping out the opposing force, specifically targeting a selection of VIP units, or conversely surviving a battle by either defeating waves of enemies or keeping your own VIP units alive. Victories then allow the player to research new units and earn more funds for the battles ahead.
Where this becomes more difficult is through Total Tank Simulator's setup, with minimal overarching control of tactics beyond the initial deployment of their army. Instead, the player has only two options - watch the fireworks and hope for the best or get down to the ground and take over control of units proper. This mode works relatively well for a game predominantly focused on strategy, with controls feeling just about crisp enough for those brief moments where the commander can take on the enemy directly through a frail individual unit, like a basic version of Star Wars Battlefront.
Even so, this more structured play is definitely not an example of when Total Tank Simulator is at its best. Victories can be erratic, particularly with the occasionally bizarre decisions of AI leading to some strange outcomes in terms of unit movement. Thankfully, Total Tank Simulator's battles are brief, meaning that the player won't be stuck waiting to have another go at a specific challenge.
Instead, Total Tank Simulator thrives in its sandbox mode. This is fairly comprehensive, with the player able to choose from the game's varied environments and play out a fight of their own choosing. This plays well into the more outlandish options in terms of units such as bear tanks, as the game veers closer to the kind of enjoyable chaos that Totally Accurate Battle Simulator has popularized.
There's also some level of depth to be found within the game's mechanics, too. Although a lot can be gained from throwing caution to the wind and trying different kinds of unit placement, equally getting a solid understanding of neutral units - which come under the control of the team that reaches them first - or barracks and factories to continually spawn new soldiers can add an interesting dynamic to play, particularly within the freedom of its more enjoyable sandbox.
The fact that Total Tank Simulator has managed to blend together the reality of World War II with its bright maps and plastic character models is no mean feat. Although it does have its struggles, with the campaigns becoming repetitive and the game working much better in smaller playthroughs to avoid becoming tiresome, overall there's some fun to be found here. Acting best as a neat diversion from the more dour side of strategy games, Total Tank Simulator does not reach the heights set by the variety and hilarious physics of Totally Accurate Battle Simulator, but nonetheless scratches that same itch.
Total Tank Simulator is out now for PC. Screen Rant was provided with a PC download code for the purposes of this review.