| Abrams Battle Tank | |
|---|---|
Box Art |
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| Developer(s) | Dynamix |
| Publisher(s) | Electronic Arts, Sega |
| Designer(s) | Damon Slye |
| Engine | 3D engine also used in Betrayal at Krondor |
| Platform(s) | MS-DOS, Mega Drive |
| Release date(s) | 1988 |
| Genre(s) | Vehicle simulation |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
| Rating(s) | N/A |
| Media/distribution | Cartridge |
Abrams Battle Tank, aka M-1 Abrams Battle Tank for the Sega version, is a computer game developed by Dynamix and published by Electronic Arts in 1988 for DOS. It was later ported to Mega Drive in 1991 by Realtime Games Software. Designed by Damon Slye, the game is a 3D vehicle simulation of the M1 Abrams tank, one of the first on the market.
The port from DOS to Sega Genesis was performed by Realtime Games Software Ltd in the UK using their own 3D games engine that was earlier used in Carrier Command with some tweaks to adapt it to the Genesis and the needs of the tank scenario.
Although the simulation depicts the four crew positions, and is advertised as a simulation, gameplay is not actually very realistic; the missions are arcade game-like with a fixed sequence of actions to perform.[1] The graphics were very good for their time, but reviews are mixed, with many players enjoying the "fun factor" introduced by the lack of realism, and others decrying it for the same reason.
The MS-DOS version of the game was reviewed in 1989 in Dragon #147 by Hartley, Patricia, and Kirk Lesser in "The Role of Computers" column. The reviewers gave the game 3 out of 5 stars.[2] Computer Gaming World gave the game a somewhat positive review, noting Abrams Battle Tank does well as a game but is incredibly lacking as a simulation. In particular, the commanding officer's briefings, at one point threatening failure with execution, were derided as unprofessional and offensive to military personnel.[1]
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