iM1A2 Abrams

iM1A2 Abrams belonged to the line of titles published by Interactive Magic, recognizable by the distinctive lowercase i in their names, and focused on the modern American M1A2 Abrams tank in hypothetical conflicts of the nineties. The player sat both behind the main gun and behind the wheel of the tank, handled target acquisition using a laser rangefinder and thermal sight, and had to account for limited visibility in poor weather or at night, when combat tactics differed markedly from a clear day with good terrain visibility.

The game offered a solid damage and ballistics model matching the genre's demands of the time, placing emphasis on choosing the correct ammunition type for the target and on using terrain as cover against enemy fire, which was generally true of all tank simulators of that era, but iM1A2 Abrams handled this principle with an honest effort at accuracy. The graphical rendering of the terrain and vehicles matched the standard of the late nineties, and the sound design, with the rumble of the engine, turret rotation, and crew callouts, nicely rounded out the feel of operating heavy armor on a modern battlefield. The campaign gradually put the player up against more varied opponents and terrain, forcing adaptation of tactics from open desert country to more densely built-up areas.

iM1A2 Abrams is remembered today mainly by fans of the Interactive Magic series as one of the more thorough attempts to capture the M1A2 Abrams tank at a time when it was still a relatively new and technologically advanced weapon. For collectors and enthusiasts of nineties tank simulators, the game remains an interesting entry in the broader lineup of similarly focused titles from the publisher of the time, which specialized specifically in military simulations of various kinds of hardware. Together with the other titles in the series, it rounds out the picture of an era when one publisher built its reputation precisely on the serial production of military simulators gradually covering different kinds of weapons and combat equipment.

Why play it: Collectors and enthusiasts of nineties tank simulators will enjoy it as an interesting entry in Interactive Magic's broader lineup of military titles, even if today it's more of a collection filler than a must-play.