A Neon-Lit Puzzle That Misses the Mark
Cyber Tank Nano is the latest entry into the vast array of arcade puzzle games, in this instance the sokoban genre (pushing blocks to designated points or to solve puzzles).
The various landmarks of the genre that came before, have set a simple, yet effective blueprint for newcomers to stray from and fit within the genre on their own terms, or follow blindly, much akin to the blocks mindlessly being moved down a set path in the corresponding games.
Now which of these does developer Xitilon’s game fall into?
Striking Visuals, Fleeting Fun
To start on a lighter note, the praiseworthy, yet seldom seen, positives. Cyber Tank Nano fulfils what it set out to do, with striking neon visuals accompanying you throughout. Artistic merit is one of the only aspects I can recommend this title on, but they sure do give it a retro feel, resulting in a distinct style that stands on the shoulders of most of the surrounding sokoban clones.
The only other convincing positive I could derive from this game, was that for a short while, I was entertained by the gameplay.
Directional Boxes and Deadly Turrets
The main gameplay loop focuses on these directional boxes you can shoot to move, turrets that can also be moved but instantly kill if in their line of fire, and finally the rainbow cubes, three of each filling up every stage.
Your goal is to manoeuvre each of these in a way that obtains the cubes, and avoids death, with scenarios consistently increasing in difficulty.
Stale Solutions and Mind-Numbing Madness
For the first few levels, I was quite entertained and challenged, even given puzzle-based dilemmas/enigmas to attempt to decipher later on, however Cyber Tank Nano’s staleness soon surpassed even that of bread left out to gather air and oxygen. And that is my main issue with games like this. The inoffensive nature. Pair this with the distinct lack of any boundary breaking, convention subverting direction, and what you have is an identical experience to a genre that, whilst not over saturated, feels that way due to the lack of innovation, or willingness to take risks.
From here, things get worse and worse, with those once promising opening stages descending into mind numbing madness you’ll have to beg to be over, just for the sake of your sanity replaying, what is essentially, the same stages over and over. Every now and again, I would find a puzzle that did stump me, taking several attempts at the same stage to figure things out, only to discover a certain order, which even one incorrect input on my behalf, would mess up.
Trial and Error, Not Logic
The majority of the time these weren’t even puzzles, not in my book at least; they were more akin to when a child comes up to you with a riddle you can’t seem to get the answer for, only for it to be revealed their answer made no logical sense, with various flaws in their reasoning. Whilst this may sound like an issue on my behalf, I attribute it to the incorrectly titled ‘puzzles’ in Cyber Tank Nano, simply being a case of trial and error.
Puzzles in gaming, or whatever form they come in for that matter, should always engage the mind. The best way to achieve this, is through subverting expectations and treading uncharted ground, otherwise our brains will be able to link patterns and past experiences to uncover the answer.
The trap that must be avoided during this, and the one that many including Cyber Tank Nano falls into, is making the solutions for these requirements, at the expense of any logical or enjoyable elements. When the puzzle becomes “move these in this extremely particular order, otherwise one mistake will force a restart”, isn’t enjoyable nor logical, it’s simply trial and error. I cannot stress how critical this is to a puzzle game, and no matter the praises given, it is without doubt the make-or-break factor.
A Frustrating Puzzle with Wasted Potential
To give the final kick in the chest to a game that could’ve achieved so much more, Cyber Tank Nano is only appropriate for those willing to endure a perpetual state of confusion from the rage inducing solutions, made all the more disappointing due to the few things this title does do right, and in turn, what it could have been.
Important Links
It’s Sokoban, But with Lasers & Ice! Cyber Tank Nano Blasts onto Xbox & PC – https://www.thexboxhub.com/its-sokoban-but-with-lasers-ice-cyber-tank-nano-blasts-onto-xbox-pc/
Buy Cyber Tank Nano on Xbox, Optimised for Series X|S – https://www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/store/cyber-tank-nano/9MZP640JBNDB/0010
Take in the Xbox One version – https://www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/store/cyber-tank-nano-xbox-one/9PNTHJ46TNN6/0010
Or go big with a Bundle – https://www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/store/cyber-tank-nano-bundle/9P822D64WN15/0010
