At E3 2014, we checked out Armored Warfare, an action game that lets players command modern heavy armor while battling alongside and against other players. The comparison to Wargaming's World of Tanks is unavoidable, though Armored Warfare seems to have its sights set higher than being a mere clone. To drive that point, we spent some hands-on time with the game's PvE mode, where two other players and I were tasked with clearing an area of enemy AI tanks.

Armored Warfare is comprised of a slew of tank types, from nimble yet vulnerable little armored vehicles to massive battle tanks that are capable of taking and dishing out some heavy damage. There are three classes of tanks: artillery pieces, convention tanks and scout vehicles. I chose the Challenger 2 Main Battle Tank, some British heavy armor to lay dome some heavy fire on the enemy. Controlling the tank is a simple matter, with basic directional keys to control speed and rotation while another key lets you look down the sight to line up more accurate shots. Again, fans of WoT will adapt to the game almost instantaneously.

Tanks can take module damage, which disrupts their combat ability. Tracks can get knocked off, turrets damaged, and all can temporarily disable or disrupt some of your ability to fight. It's important to take cover behind hills or buildings when possible, since the enemy forces vastly outnumber the players. We managed to fight our way into an oil refinery and take out the enemy tanks, only losing one of our scout tanks. Players make progress playing via either PvE or PvP, but there were no details yet about how many PvE scenarios there will be upon launch or the expected ratio of the two types of content.

In a genre dominated by the PvP-only World of Tanks and War Thunder, a little more competition is always good, and neither of those games offers a PvE component. It remains to be seen how much Armored Warfare brings to the table in that regard, since our gameplay was a short glimpse into the game. Fans of the genre should certainly keep an eye on the Armored Warfare as it continues development, and we'll certainly keep relaying information on the game.