A destroyed tank sits in Degania Alef. Five people claim they destroyed it, and you’ll journey through each one’s claim in One Tank in May.
During the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, the Syrian forces rolled five Renault R35 tanks toward Degania Alef. Hours later, the roughly-70 defenders had fought off an army of massively superior numbers, and only two of those tanks rolled away. There is clear evidence about who destroyed the first two, but there remains five conflicting stories of who destroyed the remaining tank.
Alon Karmi’s One Tank in May has you experience the five tales, following each individual through their experiences and, ultimately, the delivery of the shot to the R35. It’s all presented as a psuedo-documentary, and what with the developer’s talent at subverting expectations (as seen in previous title ULTRA ADHD), it’s definitely something I’m looking forward to experiencing.
It’s hard, but important, to discuss historical moments using the medium of video games, be that through pseudo-documentaries or more direct things. Coming in at ten minutes long, One Tank in May might not win an Oscar, but it will preserve a series of historical moments in a new medium. And it will preserve it in a way which isn’t an over-the-top, gung-ho, boots on the ground experience.
One Tank in May is available now on Itch.io.