Bloumics, the publisher of TalesRunner, is teaming up with CCR to bring back the legendary Fortress series with a new shooter, 'Fortress 3 Blue'. With pre-registration kicking off in November, the game is gearing up for a cross-platform launch on PC and mobile. The PC version will enter Early Access this December, while the mobile version is slated for a Q1 release next year.

Back in the early 2000s, Fortress was a 'national game' in Korea. The premise was simple: destroy your opponent by firing tank artillery. Its charm lay in the tactical depth, requiring players to master precise firing angles and wind calculations.

The upcoming 'Fortress 3 Blue' sticks to these roots, focusing on artillery combat where aiming and firing are everything. It builds upon physics-based control elements such as power, wind speed, wind direction, and angles. The developers aim to cater to both rookies and veterans with a variety of modes. Let’s take a deeper look at what Fortress 3 Blue has to offer.

Fortress 3 Blue introduces a fresh world-building scenario. The protagonist, 'Zero', crash-lands on the Fortress planet during a war against alien lifeforms. Originally human, Zero undergoes a transformation into a tank. Leveraging their past skills as an assassin, Zero now commands incredible combat prowess as a tank, thrusting them into the heart of a high-stakes secret mission.

The core gameplay remains true to the original, focusing on 'artillery shooting' where you must calculate angles, wind, and power to land that perfect hit. With physics-based controls, every turn demands quick thinking as terrain, distance, and wind shift in real-time. You'll need to weigh these variables before deciding your lethal shot. You can choose from various modes, including 2 Blue Mode, 3 Blue Mode, and Real Mode.

As mentioned, Fortress 3 Blue supports a variety of modes. First up is the '2 Blue Mode'. As the name suggests, it revives the most beloved entry, 'Fortress 2 Blue', in 4K resolution, keeping the original control scheme and rules intact. It is centered on turn-based, ballistic combat where basic and special skills are utilized.

Then there’s the '3 Blue Mode'. It keeps the turn-based structure of 2 Blue but lowers the barrier to entry, ensuring everyone can enjoy the satisfaction of a clean hit. It introduces aiming guides to simplify the process and adds ultimate skills to expand your strategic repertoire. Master these guides, and you’ll be pulling off 'Back-shots' or high-angle lobs with greater ease.

Finally, the Real Mode shifts gears into real-time combat. You’ll manage tank movement and aiming on the fly, with skills acting as tactical assets. The goal is to wipe out the enemy within three minutes. Skills consume AP that replenishes over time, offering the pace and feel of a modern mobile strategy or competitive game.

Fortress 3 Blue features over 20 unique characters, ranging from tank-types to humanoids and fancy variants. You can nurture your roster to boost their stats. As their rank increases, their appearance evolves—a detail you can track in your inventory or collection book. Plus, you can equip cosmetics like hats, pets, flags, platforms, and skins, which provide stat boosts to Attack, HP, and Defense.

In 3 Blue and Real modes, you’ll head into battle with a squad of four tanks. In 3 Blue, you control all four tanks every turn, while in Real Mode, you pilot one directly as the other three are managed by AI. This squad-based approach opens up a wealth of tactical team compositions.

Community features are also included. Players can host 'Prize Matches,' where influencers can set their own entry fees and host tournaments. You can also send hearts to friends to climb rankings and earn rewards. A built-in chat system keeps you updated on friend leveling, heart requests, and general announcements.