Early experimental 3D game with tanks
1991 was not the year of the 3D games, it would take a few more years until consoles as well as PCs catch up with such engines. However, this state of affairs didn't stop Id Software, whom will later on work on the Doom series to try their luck with a 3D game. So, with the limitations of the period, what you get is a very simple, very geometrical playing filed onto which you control your first person perspective tank, while trying to take down as many enemies as possible. If anything, the game feels like a proof of concept, and so do not expect a lot of content. There are but a few levels and only a handful of different enemies, while the difficulty emerges from their increasing numbers rather than from advanced AI systems. At any rate, the game deserves its place in your library just for the sheer innovations that it showcases, the fact that it manages to create a 3D space with such limited resources and to do it the level it does. Tanks 3D however, will prove a much more rounded experience if you're interested in gameplay more than in the comparison of 3D engines, but nevertheless Hovertank 3D is a good enough experience, especially if you want to sample Id Software's products.
