Space, the final frontier …
no, wait, that is the intro to another show … how about – in space, no one can
hear you scream … oops, another movie franchise.
The Tarr Chronicles is not
the most original of ideas, either, but that does not preclude the CDV title
from being an action-packed romp through the space of distant galaxies. This is
a game that emulates a great old title, Wing Commander: Prophecy, in tempo and
general feel. Throw in a bit of the space combat from Star Wars Galaxies and you
begin to get the idea of how the game plays out.
It is a story-driven affair,
with three difficulty settings to suit most players. Not that the story really
matters – it is more of a device to propel you into a reason for the combat. In
fact, you may find that you are given one mission and then are intercepted by
enemies and have to alter plans in the early stages of one of the shorter
missions. And yes, they do fly by quickly.
The game consists of nine
total missions, each of which has a host of smaller, quicker forays that include
repelling enemy fighters, escort missions and search and recovery-style
missions. The enemy is the Mirk, an ‘anti-element’ creature that destroys races,
planets and galaxies. Players dive in as humans onboard a battle cruiser trying
to escape the spread of the Mirk. Of course, the Mirk are after your convoy of
vessels, and as a fighter pilot on board, your goal is to stop their onslaught
and remain alive.
Tarr Chronicles plays out in
a very linear fashion. You have to proceed in a certain order. You may not be
able to engage that destroyer until you take out all the fighters, and only then
does the destroyer seem to start taking significant damage. And taking out those
enemy fighters will prove a bit of a challenge. The game incorporates (by
default) the mouse and keyboard for flight controls. You can bank using the A
and D keys, have a short acceleration burst using the W or slow with the D keys.
The mouse wheel will also control speed, while the buttons are used to fire
primary and secondary weapons. Locking onto a target is a simple matter of
pressing the R key. But while the control scheme is somewhat easy to learn,
there are some minor annoyances with it. You may be pursuing an enemy and it is
flying toward you. You know it is going to bank off so rather than maintain your
speed, you opt to focus on the targeting reticule, and hit the D key to
decelerate while maintaining your weapon fire on the targeting cursor.
Unfortunately, slowing (or accelerating) will cause your ship to veer either
upwards or downwards and what you thought would be a viable tactic turns into a
scramble to re-target.
The Tarr Chronicles also has
a bit of an RPG element to it. As you advance through the missions, you will
gain more power and that means better ships. However, while you get stronger,
your enemies will not upgrade and you will get progressively stronger than they
are. That is not to mean that their flight skills emulate the proverbial
shooting fish in a barrel. Quite the contrary – the enemy can fly well, and you
will be breathing a bit easier when you are capable of putting them down faster.
But as you advance through the major mission threads, you will hit a break point
and it is then that you can customize and upgrade. The game’s features are very
solid in this regard.
Do not think this is a case
where you can just slap on the biggest, baddest gun and launch into space with
Death Star-like power. There is a balance that must be reached in regards to
weight and power availability. The game basically refers to the customization as
modding. You collect parts and then put them all together in a way to optimize
performance. Think of it more like crafting than modding – you collect parts and
then use those to create.
The sounds of Tarr
Chronicles are familiar – the crackle of radio transmissions, mission briefings,
and the firing of weapons. You will even hear the occasional sound of ships
scraping during a collision. The music, while not overbearing in any stretch of
the imagination, is fine.
Graphically,
though, Tarr Chronicles is very good. There is depth in space and that is
impressed even more by the flight speeds that mean you can just go from point A
to point B in 10 seconds. Everything seems to be in motion, but all the
information you need is readily displayed. The interface is very easy to
navigate.
Tarr Chronicles is not the
most original of ideas, but this is a challenging space flight-combat title that
is entertaining and a visual treat.
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Gameplay: 7.8
There are nine main
missions and a host of quick battles along the way with fast briefings. The
gameplay is linear in nature with virtually no deviation allowed.
Graphics: 8.7
This is a visual
treat. Some clipping does occur and the pacing is more relaxed, but the effects
are very well done.
Sound: 7.0
Nothing here that
you would not expect.
Difficulty: Medium
Concept: 7.0
This is a game that,
while the story varies a bit, is very familiar to those who have played other
space combat games like Wing Commander.
Overall: 7.4
There may not be
much replayability in this title – save for the proverbial ‘try it again at a
harder difficulty setting’ – but what Tarr Chronicles delivers is fun and
visually pleasing. There is a challenge in this game, but make sure you have a
bit of time to play when you start a session. The mini-quests inside each of the
overarching missions come fast and furious and you are left for little time to
breathe.
