Destruction. Chaos. Retribution.
These three words herald the return of one of the most popular PC multiplayer franchises of all time, Tribes. Making use of an enhanced Unreal engine, Tribes: Vengeance delivers on all the pre-release hype to provide fans and newcomers to the series with a solid gaming experience.
Single-player in Tribes?
Vengeance is also the first game in the series to feature a single-player campaign mode. Thankfully, developer Irrational Games (System Shock II) is renowned for delivering solid single-player experiences. Set almost three decades before the events of the original Tribes, the campaign will see players take on the role of six different characters across two generations.
The 15 levels are varied enough to challenge most players and provide more than adequate training for the multiplayer mayhem that makes up the brunt of the title. While many of the missions could be construed as being glorified multiplayer tutorials, they integrate well with the story.
What makes the single-player especially satisfying is that it throws the player headlong into large battles and forces him or her to learn very quickly how to use the famed jetpacks of the Tribes franchise.
On to the important stuff
However, the majority of gamers will purely use Vengeance to satisfy their multiplayer urges.
Supporting up to 32 players in team combat, Vengeance is to first-person shooter titles what Warhammer 40 000: Dawn of War is to real-time strategy ones. The operative word is chaos. Not many things can come close to combining your jetpack with your skiing abilities to propel your character through a wad of enemies.
Of course, multiplayer wouldn`t be the same without a selection of vehicles to commandeer to annihilate all those who oppose your goal of domination. Unfortunately, armour is not used that effectively in the game. While there are light, medium and heavy armour packs to use, in flight they all feel the same. There is also a distinct lack of punch when being hit by weapons.
Enough of the bad
Criticisms aside, Vengeance offers players huge maps that cater for a variety of attacking styles. Also, as in previous Tribes games, being an expert at using your jetpack becomes vital in the majority of these maps.
Overall, Vengeance effectively builds from what made previous versions great and throws in a couple of new twists and turns. This is definitely one to get if you are in the market for a solid first-person multiplayer experience.
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