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Through the darkness of space comes a cry for help. Raiders have attacked a defenseless freighter in an effort to capture the ship,and her cargo. The small fighter escort accompanying the freighter to Star Base 1437 is quickly overwhelmed, leaving the freighter an easy target. As its shields are about to fail, there is a burst of brilliant white light nearby. A lone fighter has burst through a nearby jump port. The fighter quickly engages the hostile raiders. Caught unawares, the first few fall before they knew what hit them. Surprise is, after all, a powerful ally. The remaining half dozen raiders try to engage the lone fighter, but their ships are far outclassed. They can not match its speed or its firepower. One by one they fall, silent explosions in the nothingness of space. After a few moments the two remaining space pirates make a run for it, escaping into the darkness. Welcome to Tachyon: The Fringe. Its one of several new space simulators taking gamers back into the cold, dark, void of space. And Tachyon contains the makings of a great space sim. It combines a good story with good graphics and good play control. And who better to star in a space sim than a reluctant, big-mouthed, wise-cracking character named Jake Logan. Bruce Campbell, star of the Evil Dead flicks, would seem an obvious choice for such a role, and what do you know but he got it too. Campbell's Logan is a funny character and his commentary and humor serve to help keep things exciting. Jake Logan was a well-respected star pilot who was
framed for a crime that he didnt commit.
For his crime he is sent off to the Fringe where he uses his
finely honed skills as a hired gun
(if you're searching for an accurate mental picture just imagine
Bruce Campbell as Han Solo
minus the cool Millennium Falcon). Where
Tachyon really shines is its multiplayer setup.
When you get online and in-game you will be placed on one of
several teams. Each team
playing has their own starbase where you can outfit your ship with
weapons, repair damage, etc. Once
your ship is ready to go you can make your way to the surrounding jump
gates. By entering these
gates you will be taken to an enemy base where you and your forces can
wreak havoc on those that would oppose you.
Obviously, if you're playing on a team with some organization its
quite a bit more fun to plan out some semblance of strategy before you
head off to do battle, but then again a good chaotic melee is entertaining
as well. The communication
setup is also quite good. Be sure that
you learn how to use it before you start playing online. |