kay, so it's the 26th century, and at "The Fringe" of human-colonized space, the wealthy upstart Megacorps are out to exploit, evict and disenfranchise the anarchistic Colonists who (unfortunately for the Corps) prove to be resourceful, grimly determined and armed to the teeth. They've got your basic fighters, bases, capital ships, lasers, missiles, mines, shields, hulls and targeting computers. There are also the standard jump gates to take players from place to place, and standard cartoon physics where turns are banked, "long range" is 20 kilometers, and head-on collisions barely ding the paint. It is, in short, the same space-combat sim that players have been playing since the TRS-80 classic Quasar Commander came out 20 years ago.
Or is it? True, Tachyon is mission-oriented, doesn't allow mid-mission saves, and requires key milestones to be completed in order. But the strict serial plot of the prologue and early campaign gradually opens out into a wider universe of intrigue and possibility. Early on, players can play errandboy for both sides of the conflict. But when the fight heats up, players are forced to choose sides. As the central plot unfolds, players can be drawn into all manner of side explorations, pirate wars and shady capitalistic enterprises. In this, Tachyon resembles other early classics like Starflight and Sundog.
The multiplayer game includes levels for both "Arena" (read: free-for-all) combat and the more interesting "Base Wars," in which players must gather varicolored energy crystals and return them to base for credits, which are then used to upgrade the base's technology and defenses. Imagine a real-time strategy game where players are the cannon-fodder combat units. And, in addition to LAN support, there's a free Internet site for online play. Tachyon's creators proudly boast of play against more than 100 people at once, which is certainly impressive, although right now it's hard to find more than 30 people actually logged on.
A visual, chunky treat
The game is nothing if not entertaining. It offers a wide variety of things to shoot at and reasons for doing so. Its characters and dialogue are painfully corny, but the smug, offbeat voice acting of Bruce "Army of Darkness" Campbell keeps things lively. The story shows off flashes of cinematic grandeur, and some of the longer missions are almost ministories in their own right. In an amusing twist, players begin the game as a hotshot corporate pilot with two fancy and formidable ships in the hangar, but quickly find themselves in a popgun Yugo at the fringes of the Fringe, struggling for the credits to buy back their self-esteem.
Visually, the game is a treat, with a variety of ship types and a solid rendering engine with special effects like motion blur, cockpit glare and decidedly chunky explosions. The trans-enormous starbases verge on the silly, but some of the other locations are amazing--not to mention hazardous--to fly around. And while the default lighting settings provide a moody, atmospheric look, things can be brightened up for snappier game play. All this comes at a price, though; while the box claims 200 MHz and an 8-MB video card as the minimum system requirement, the performance is occasionally sub-marginal on a loaded, Voodoo3-equipped 300 MHz, even with all video and audio features turned down to minimum. This is definitely not a game for older machines.
With extras like force feedback, side strafe, slide turn, and voice-over-net, this is as full-featured a space sim as any yet seen. The interface and mission requirements are occasionally confusing, and the game is not quite glitch-free. Truthfully, X-Wing Alliance addicts may not find any strong compulsion to switch universes. But gamers looking for challenging, visually impressive space combat action and campaign adventure--in a less-than-completely-serious setting--will find Tachyon well worth the price of admission.
