FPS titles have grown and grown over the years, dividing into multiplayer and single player experiences. The original tribes titles were essentially multiplayer death match games, and with the third title, Tribes Vengeance, things have been cranked up quite a bit.
The most obvious difference in Tribes Vengeance is the introduction of a single player story mode. The multiplayer core the popular Tribes 2 is no longer the key focus of the third title, which has been passed from Dynamix to Irrational. Many years have passed since the Tribes 2, and what a difference time makes.
Graphically, the game now uses the latest modified Unreal engine. Much like Rainbow Six: Raven Shield (another title using the same engine) is superior visually to its predecessor, Tribes Vengeance has had a face lift, boob job, tummy tuck; basically the whole nine yards and now with bump mapping too. Rather ironic considering that the game that really introduced multiplayer deathmatches using vehicles was Tribes 2, and with UT2K4 having that as it’s biggest inclusion, that Tribes Vengeance now uses its rival’s engine to run it.
It’s almost unrecognisable from its parent titles, mostly due to the sheer power of the Unreal engine and the flexibility and intelligence with which the developers have created worlds scream “dystopian future”. With older technology, Tribes Vengeance shows what games are capable of without needing a fancy “only runs on high end systems” games engine, running great on my lowly overclocked Ti4200 in 1280×1024 with everything set to high. if you can run Unreal Tournament 2004, you should have no problems with this either.
Levels are broken up well enough, but at times the story doesn’t seem to flow, and seems rather cut and paste
Character models look great, the terrain within which you battle is aesthetically pleasing, with particle effects aplenty. Animation is perhaps slightly disappointing, looking choppy at times. If I’m being the honest, there seems to be a rationing of textures and details amongst the characters within cutscenes, which looks slightly amiss. Still, for the most part, you won’t have time to appreciate the vast and expansive terrain you’ll be traversing as several troopers jet in firing their mortar rounds and chipping away at your health with explosive discs.
Gameplay wise, it retains the skiing and jetpack features/ Skiing for those who don’t know, is just a feature that allows your character to, well, ski along terrain. Find a slope and ski down it to pick up speed, do some quick-burst jetpack thrusts and you can reach a map from end to end in several seconds. Easy to learn, difficult to master. However, as mentioned, the main focus is now a single player story mode, no doubt to build upon the success of Tribes 2, but to also provide a wider berth of audience for what will no doubt become a franchise.
Single player takes the form of a disjointed, contrived but interesting plot. It’s all rather long winded to explain, so I won’t bother to explain it, suffice to say, it is the backdrop for the excuse to cause as much carnage as possible, ad nauseum. You play characters within the story, from the past, the present, both good and evil. Playing each of these characters from the past and the present allows you to piece together the plot, which unfolds as you complete each character’s mission. It sounds worse than it is, and to be fair, it is actually very well executed, even if the story lacks a degree of cohesion, effort has been made, and it’s not too shabby and actually enjoyable.
Levels ranges from close-nit corridor battles, which often result in massive explosions and the inability to see anything, to massive open-plan levels with huge areas of terrain to cross. There’s also the diversion of a level where you play as a character who’s 8 years old, and the aim is to escape, which is a nice novelty and quite interesting, if frustrating at times. Then of course the expected vehicular levels, in addition to an on-the-rails gunship firefight. Your missions pretty much all involve killing or escaping, but that is a given. But whether it’s playing an 8 year old escaping from a ship, to a rookie heavy weapons user, taking the role of a rival character, vehicle assaulting the enemy or infiltration as an assassin, it’s massively entertaining and fresh.
If I’m being the honest, there seems to be a rationing of textures and details amongst the characters within cutscenes, which looks slightly amiss
It is this variety in which the missions are presented and offered is what sets this game apart from your typical FPS. This title has more interesting ideas in the first stage than Doom 3 has in its entirety. Carmack knows technology, but he hasn’t moved on since the first Doom when it comes to gameplay, creating the bastard Doom-Life half breed spawn in the form of Doom 3. The levels can be quite huge at times, taking a fair amount of time to complete, and with the various changing of timelines and characters, it always looks different and feels different. Your characters seem to have weight, and height, all of which changes depending on who you play. It’s all very smartly handled.
In-game speech is, as it often is, rather poor, sounding like a script rather than a character, which is no surprise. Music varies from good to bad, but for the most part, it’s pleasant to the ears and doesn’t hurt too much. Sound effects are the usual fanfare, though the screams of burning bodies is my particular favourite.
AI is also pretty good, and on the harder difficulty settings you will need pin point accuracy in order to succeed, otherwise you’ll be dead within seconds. NPCs that act as team mates will intelligently follow you around watching your back, while the enemy will fire fight, jet pack away at a safe distance while firing, or make a run for it and hide in the vicinity, until you come for them.
I haven’t had the opportunity to play the multiplayer mode extensively. This is mostly due to the fact that, and many Tribes fan will probably scream murder, the single player multiplayer practice has been removed in order to make way for the single player mode. Even with 4 CDs (I except 1 CD is the game itself, with the engine being the 3 CDs), the game does not allow for a single player botmatch in multiplayer environments.
Still, the short bursts I did play with strangers across the globe seem to have kept the game’s heart intact. I have noticed a distinct lack of maps, but there are about four or five mods available, some familiar, some new, some modified. It all works well, with some smaller changes to the way the multiplayer game plays, such as vehicles randomly spawning. But all in all, the multiplayer element is there, and more fun than most FPS games, particularly when you have a flag with 4 heavy suit users chasing after you with well aimed chaingun. Fantastic fun.
the main focus is now a single player story mode, no doubt to build upon the success of Tribes 2, but to also provide a wider berth of audience for what will no doubt become a franchise
This is quite a disappointment, as not everyone has the opportunity to log on to a server, and just want a quick blast against anyone, including the CPU. Still, there is some reprieve in the form of a small section of the game allowing you to experience one multiplayer map and several games within the single player story mode. To say this section of the game was fun, would be a gross understatement. It’s hectic, chaotic, maniacal, incredibly fast paced and stupendously addictive fun.
Gripes are few, but they do exist. The game is over rather quickly, as I managed to finish the single player experience within in one sitting. It was fun, it was tough, and it’s perhaps to the game’s detriment that it made it so fun I didn’t want to quit.
Levels are broken up well enough, but at times the story doesn’t seem to flow, and seems rather cut and paste. As mentioned I have issue with the animation at times, but this is mainly due to the fast nature of the game, so this can perhaps be forgiven. Enemy variety seems only to vary aesthetically, and there only seems to be just over a dozen weapons which is rather lacking, starving the game of weapon choices. Obviously the major gripe is where is the single player bot match mode?!
Overall, however, I can’t fault this game too much. It was an absolute joy to play, and the flexibility with which this engine has been used proves that there is life beyond a multiplayer deathmatch in the form of a well designed single player levels, with a decent plot, great graphics, and most of all excessive fun. If you’ve never played Tribes before, then this is a game you must try, it will give you a new scope on how FPS games can play, and take you away from the confines of gravity.
Verdict: Brilliant, addictive, and fun. Tribes is reborn and reloaded.