Steam preorders for Black Jacket Studios' hover-tank sport combat game Metal Drift have opened, providing a slight discount on the indie game.

Drift can be had for $10 now, with a pre-order also providing immediate beta access, or $12.50 when the game officially launches October 22. The game features five different arenas with which to level up your upgradable sport-tank. Multiplayer modes include "a goal-oriented game type that allows for high level strategy and team dynamics," and supprt up to 12 players. Check out the trailer below for an idea of what to expect.

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Black Jacket Studios, an independent studio comprised of veterans from Marble Blast Ultra developer GarageGames and Tribes series creator Dynamix, has officially pulled back the curtain on its first game: Metal Drift.

In development for the PC, Metal Drift is a hover tank combat game with a sports-like twist, in that two teams battle for control of the ball and then attempt to score a goal. Played from a first-person perspective, the 12-person game sports a variety of tank configurations and arenas, with players able to unlock more weapons over time.

Metal Drift is expected to arrive in the first half of 2009. While Black Jacket has yet to say how the game will be distributed, the game's official website sports a logo for GarageGames' InstantAction, and is listed on InstantAction as a "featured game."

Full disclosure: I actually had the chance to play an early prototype of Metal Drift years ago, and I've been looking forward to more ever since. There just aren't enough hover tank combat games these days, and the way the heavy tanks slid around just felt right.